Dinos Are Not Extinct

Amelia's First Birthday

2012-01-15T18:18:00.003-06:00

Harper got to attend her first birthday party ever yesterday! It was so fun! She came to celebrate her friend, Amelia's, first birthday. Amelia's mom told us she wanted to start collecting DVD's of favorite Disney movies for her. So, we decided to bring Amelia my personal favorite, Beauty and the Beast. I wanted to make Amelia a matching Beauty and the Beast bow, but I found every Disney ribbon but THAT one at Walmart. So, I went with her moms favorite, Nemo. I made four bows for Amelia and the were part of the decoration on the gift : )

More Bows!

2011-12-30T21:27:00.002-06:00

I made two more bows for Harper. One I started a long time ago, it's a dog bow for her. She has a few outfits to wear it with. The other I just made tonight. I just liked the ribbons and was playing around with some different bow types.

Geggie Baby Shower

2011-12-07T18:12:00.005-06:00

Today my team at school threw me a beautiful baby shower. See, they were going to throw it before Harper was born, but Harper had different plans. I actually think having one of your baby showers after the baby is born is a good idea. I got so many nice gifts today that I wouldn't have gotten if the shower would have been four months ago. Harper got 6 month+ toys and clothes, safety items for around the house and lots of beautiful picture books (plus a number of other things). I just finished up unpackaging all of Harper's beautiful things and enjoyed a leftover cupcake before I sat down to blog about my fun day. Harper's babysitter even brought her up so she could enjoy her first party.
My team. I am especially thankful for two of my teammates that I have now taught with for FIVE years. My teaching memories wouldn't be the same without them.

Some of my favorite gifts were the picture books Harper got, the bedtime lotion I use for Harper and an adorable puppy dog jumper (which the dogs look suspiciously like Westies).

New Bow for a Cute Outfit

2011-12-06T21:42:00.003-06:00

I ordered a holiday outfit for Harper from my friend who created her own business, pink lime designs. The outfit turned out so cute! I LOVE the leopard antlers on Rudolph. Harper will be wearing this to our baby shower tomorrow at school. You see, because I had Harper so early, my third grade team at school didn't get a chance to throw the shower they were planning for me before Harper arrived. So, they decided to throw it once I went back to work. Now Harper gets to come too! Since she will be wearing this adorable outfit - I thought I'd make a bow to match it. I wanted to get to Hobby Lobby to buy some leopard ribbon, but I didn't make it there - so I just used the cream and tan ribbons I had on hand with some red and black gross grain. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Little Girl Christmas Stocking

2011-11-29T21:35:00.003-06:00

Tonight I finally finished Harper's Christmas stocking! I chose a red quilted fabric for the main portion of the stocking. The inside is a tan material - I originally wanted to use burlap, but I thought this would be easier to work with. I then added a little ruffle with the fun green, red and pink snowflake fabric. And lastly, I added the fun green ball strip as a cute detail. I think it turned out pretty well. I wanted to make a heel and toe with the snowflake fabric, but my sewing machine wasn't really cooperating on that one, so I skipped it. Next year I may remake my stocking and Will's as well...but I won't have time to do that this year!

A Christmas Style Boutique Bow

2011-11-27T18:38:00.003-06:00

I've ordered a few bows for Harper off Etsy, but I've really wanted to learn how to make boutique style bows. So I found this blog - she has videos on You Tube on how to make all different kinds of bows. For my first boutique bow I tried I used pinks, greens and reds to make a Christmas bow for Harper. I think it turned out well for my first one of this kind! Anyway - check out her blog and videos on You Tube to learn how to make these bows. They are pretty easy!

Harper's Birth Story

2011-11-10T20:57:00.003-06:00

It occurred to me I never shared how Harper graced us with her presence. The week before labor day weekend I had been having some high blood pressure numbers and what I considered pretty bad swelling in my ankles. I had kind of a bad feeling about what the doctor would say about me teaching (I was only two weeks into my new school year)...so I put off calling the doctor until Thursday afternoon. She wanted to see me. Friday afternoon I took a half day and went to see my doctor. The nurse came in, blood pressure was high, very high - she had me lay down for 15 minutes in the dark - the doctor came in, blood pressure was even higher. She told me that was it - no more work for me. Some people may love the idea of bed rest - not me. I wanted to use all my maternity leave for AFTER Harper was born - not before. You see, I was still 4 weeks from my due date and the idea of laying around my house big and pregnant for 4 weeks wasn't real appealing to me. So I followed the doctor's orders and went straight home (NOT). I went to school - I had to get things in order before I left for good. Lucky for me, I'm a planner and I had pretty much prepared almost everything my sub needed already.

I laid around the house all weekend - taking my blood pressure twice a day just like the doctor ordered. Sunday evening I started having elevated numbers. I called the doctor and she told me I better go in to the hospital to make sure the baby was ok. This was 11 o'clock. Got to the hospital and after about an hour and a half my blood pressure went down and they told me we could go home. We got home to a confused Samson around 1:30.

We were pretty tired.

Then at 5:50 I wake up. To my water breaking - although at the time I wasn't sure that was what it was. So I called the doctor again - back to the hospital. So at 6:30 that morning the nurse told me I was going to have a baby today, on Labor Day. Crazy I know. In LABOR on Labor Day. You have no idea how many times I heard that that day.

Harper graced us with her presence at 9:14 that evening, after a long day for Mom and Dad. She was amazing from the moment we saw her. Will was so proud of his little girl - they even stamped her foot print on his hand.

I'll never forget that day and I can't wait to share it with her one day. I love our little girl.

Samson's New Christmas Stocking

2011-11-09T19:00:00.003-06:00

I wanted to make Samson his own stocking. Last year I tried to find a dog stocking I liked, but they were all cheesy. So I found my inspiration here. I decided to use felt instead of fake fur for my outer part of the stocking. On the inside I picked a fabric that had a burlap look to it but was more of a thinner canvas.

Finished product!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween - from our front porch to yours!

Giveaway Day at TT and Jello!

2011-10-31T16:50:00.002-05:00

Check out the giveaways at Tater Tots and Jello...she is having a giveaway day!

This one is for an adorable child's play TEEPEE!

Check out this one for a giveaway to Timeless Settings!

Silhoutte Giveaway on TT and J

2011-10-25T16:33:00.002-05:00

Tater Tots and Jello is giving away a Silhoutte Machine.

It's on my Christmas list, but I'd love if I could get one for free. Check out her blog and maybe you could win too.

Harper's Nursery

2011-09-28T09:59:00.005-05:00

So when Baby Harper made her arrival four weeks early - I hadn't posted pictures of her room yet. So now you get to see the slightly lived in version. Here is the door hanger my friend Katie made for Harper. It has all her birth stats on it and hangs outside on her door.

Remember the bow holder I made this summer?
This part of the room still needs a little work. I need to buy a few more picture frames and reorganize the shelf. I was going to get around to that in the last few weeks before she was born - but she had a different plan : )

Changing station

Another shot of the changing area.

Crib Area

Another shot of this corner of the room.

Chair and window area.

These are two things that my grandma had made that were passed down to me. I decided to frame them and put them up in Harper's room.

I hope you enjoyed your small tour of Harper's room! I think she is one lucky girl.

Our Beautiful Baby Girl - 3 Weeks

2011-09-26T19:05:00.001-05:00

Happy 3 Week Birthday Baby Girl Harper

Easy Fall Decor

2011-09-23T10:31:00.007-05:00

I wanted to do something rustic but fun looking for one of my glass jars on our media stand in the family room. I saw these two ideas on Pinterest and it sparked an idea for my simple (just had a baby 3 weeks ago) version. Layer Studio

The Wedding Bee

I had some old sticks/twigs in my basement that I was going to use for another project. So I grabbed four, picked up a bottle of golden color spray paint at Walmart and lightly spray painted the sticks. I left some of the original twig color showing just to keep it looking a little more rustic. I put some faux pumpkins and leaves in the bottom of the jar and popped the twigs in!

Happy Birthday Harper Lynn

2011-09-12T09:53:00.001-05:00

Harper Lynn Hubbard - born 9/5 - weighing in at 6 pounds 4 ounces and 20.25 inches long. She is beautiful and we are in love.

Auburn Newborn Tutu

2011-09-04T15:04:00.003-05:00

In honor of yesterdays Auburn win, I decided to start making Harper's Auburn tutu. I had bought the tulle a while back and just had not gotten around to starting it yet. I followed this tutorial. It was pretty easy and only took me about an hour and a half. Harper will now be ready for all the game days this football season (whenever she decides to maker her debut) and also she will wear this for when my friend Katie does Harper's photo shoot after she is first born.

Easy Keepsake and Nursery Decor

2011-09-03T18:41:00.003-05:00

A lot of people tell me, "you're so creative" but really I just steal my ideas from places like Etsy, blogs, Pinterest and other creative friends - like my friend Katie McCaw. I had seen a fun project Katie had done with cards from her wedding and wedding shower...and it hangs in her condo now. It was a super cute idea. So, I asked her if I could steal her heart cutter to do the same with cards I had gotten from baby gifts for Harper. My version of this fun keepsake craft is below - or you can check out Katie's version here. It was pretty easy and now it's fun to look at and think about all the generous friends we have that have already helped to spoil Harper.

Christmas Keepsake

2011-08-28T20:37:00.007-05:00

Do you have keepsakes that you never look at because they are in a box somewhere?

I know I do. My wedding invitation, graduation announcements and most recently - Harper's baby shower invitation. Somewhere I saw this idea - I thought I had saved the link on my Pinterest, but I didn't. So, if I am stealing this from you, I'm sorry - it is not intentional. This is so super easy to do and then you get to see your keepsake once a year - instead of never because it is in a box somewhere.

Buy some plain clear ornaments from Hobby Lobby. Shred your keepsake in a shredder. Curl the pieces like you would curling ribbon. Drop them in the ornament. Add some coordinating ribbon...and...it's done!

Ruffle Butt Onsie

2011-08-23T21:50:00.002-05:00

I attempted my first "ruffle butt onsie" tonight. I think it turned out pretty cute - definitely not perfect, but good for my first try. My ruffles got a little uneven on one side. The writing says "I heart Samson". The fabric is black with little white dog bones. I got some cute ribbon to match to make a bow, but didn't get that far tonight.

Free Paint Swatch Bookmarks

2011-08-22T19:33:00.002-05:00

For all you teachers out there - you'll love this idea I found on Pinterest. They are bookmarks you can make from paint swatches - free paint swatches! I quickly put these together and gave them to my kids for the first day of school. I just got some swatches from Walmart - cut a few in half and glued a strip down the middle of one I hadn't cut. Then, I laminated them. Once they were laminated, I hole punched a hole and tied some ribbon in the top. The only thing I paid for was the ribbon. They turned out cute and the kids loved them.

Classroom Giving Tree

2011-08-02T14:17:00.004-05:00

I'm a teacher when it is not summer time. So, Sunday I crafted a little something for my classroom. I'm always looking for donations of different supplies - Ziploc bags, Lysol wipes, GermX... just stuff that you need for your classroom - stuff that adds up if you purchase it all yourself all the time. So, I made a Giving Tree! This Giving Tree will sit out at Meet the Teacher Night, Curriculum Night and at Fall and Spring Conferences. Parents are always asking me if I need stuff - so I thought why not present it in a cute and *optional* way.

I made the base out of some scrap wood...I tried to nail it around the little twig, but I didn't have nails that were long enough...so out came the hot glue.

I wrapped the base in some quilting filler to cover all the splinters from the scrap wood.

Then I wrapped the base in some pretty, green, scrap fabric I had.

I made a little sign for my Giving Tree just so the parents knew it was optional.

I made little leaves that hang from green ribbon.

My finished Giving Tree. I think it's so cute!

Bird Room Wall Project

2011-07-24T21:32:00.006-05:00

So Harper's room kind of has a theme - it's birdies. I fell in love with the Penelope birdie bedding from Pottery Barn Kids when my friend Megan was pregnant and I was in the store buying part of her crib bedding. I always said, if I get pregnant and have a girl and they still have this bedding then I am buying it for my baby girl.
Well, I did get pregnant...and found out I was having a girl...so, naturally I registered for the birdie bedding. I just love it. It's girlie, but not super girlie. We have tried to do a lot of things in the room in greens too, so if our next child is a boy - I can do the dino themed room I have always dreamed of for a little boy.
Awhile ago I had seen this artwork that someone had done on some website (probably Etsy) that went along with the Pottery Barn Kids Penelope bedding. Well, I decided to make my own. I needed something to go above the changing table. So last night, after we hung Harper's curtains and sheers, I was standing in the room staring at the blank walls. I'd been picking up lots of little things for the walls in the last few months that I thought would match. I was walking around holding things up on different walls and trying to decide where to put what. That was when I remembered the birdie art.
So today I ventured out, bought two pretty basic espresso frames and purchased an assortment of scrap paper from Michaels. Then tonight - I got to work - I crafted some pretty simple birdie art for above Harper's changing table. Will worked hard on hanging some things I had already purchased on the walls. Now, I have only two walls, I mean, projects left.

Sneak peak of part of Harper's room...I'll post lots of pictures when the whole thing is done.

Our First Child

2011-07-23T18:48:00.004-05:00

Ok, so Harper isn't our first child.

Samson was our first"baby". It's not a secret that I'm a dog lover - - and I LOVE this dog. And, even though I don't think he would ever admit it, I've turned Will into a dog lover too. He loves Samson as much as I do. We love lounging in bed with Sam on Saturday mornings. He waits for the invitation from Will and then jumps into bed and lays on Will's chest to get scratched and get his belly rubbed.

People keep saying that once the baby comes your dog does not matter anymore. Well, I know that nothing will probably be like my love for Harper - but I could never imagine Samson not mattering anymore. Every time I go into Harper's room to wash something or put something away, Samson follows me in and curiously walks the perimeter of the room. After a few minutes of rolling around in the center, he finds his way under her crib and lays down. This week I was putting something away in the closet, so naturally the door was open. I turned around and saw Sammy, sitting very sweetly in an empty bin in the bottom of her closet. He sat in there for about 3-5 minutes (long enough for me to snap a few sweet pictures of him) - sniffing her clothes that hung above him and trying to steal a toy or two out of her toy bin.

I know that my love for Harper will never be the same after she is born, but I can only imagine I will grow to love this little man, my first baby, even more as I see how much he loves her already just by watching him in her room. I'm sure Will and I will get lots of laughter, and even frustration, watching Sammy adjust to life with Harper - but I know that Samson will always have a special place in our hearts.

Harper's Baby Shower

2011-07-19T17:09:00.013-05:00

I was so lucky this past weekend to have a dream baby shower. It was literally everything I could have ever asked for. My sisters, Mandy and Julie and my best friend, Megan, hosted a spectacular shower. It was perfect. I was so lucky to receive many beautiful and generous gifts. I got a good mix of cutsie girl clothes and accessories and practical things that every mom needs. I even got my diaper bag (which I LOVE). Enjoy the pictures of Harper and my special day.

Mailbox Decor

Front Door Decor - Adorable Wreath with "H" onsie for little Miss Harper

Close Up of Harper's Onsie

Shower Invitation on Display

Julie, Me, Mandy

Kerns and Me

Me in front of a few of the gifts...I wish I would have taken a picture of all the presents, they were so beautifully wrapped - Harper and I were spoiled. We are very lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. I couldn't be more thankful after this weekend.

Harper, Amelia and Me

Adorable Punch with Pink Ducky Float

Wine Glasses with Baby Girl Charms (for those who could partake in the alcoholic beverages)

Banner Kerns made for Harper with a Cricut Machine

Beautiful Hydrangea's on the Table

Decorations were Everywhere!

Harper and Amelia's Best Friends Onsies (Amelia broke in one of Harper's toys this weekend, so they better learn to share right away!)

Amazing Diaper Cake adorned with Bows, Toys and Hats

Mantel Decorations

Harper wouldn't be my child without some DINO clothes!

Beautiful Door Hanger my friend Katie made for Harper's Door at the Hospital

Again, I can't thank my friends and family enough. Everything was just so perfect. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful shower and generous gifts. Thank you everyone!

Corker Bow

2011-07-12T13:22:00.005-05:00

I decided to try and make a corker bow when I saw this tutorial. I wanted to make an Auburn bow for Harper, since she will be arriving in the heart of football season. I decided on some navy gross grain ribbon, orange with white polka dots gross grain ribbon and some white satin ribbon with brown footballs on them. I wrapped the ribbon around some skinny wooden dowels I bought at Hobby Lobby and put clothespins on each end. Next, just bake in the oven at 275 for 25 minutes! When they are cooled and you take the ribbon off the dowel - it will keep its korker shape!

Next, I made three individual corkers by cutting the ribbon into smaller pieces. I wrapped jewelry wire around the center to hold the bows in place.
Then I just hot glued them on an alligator clip to make a fuller and larger bow and topped it with an orange button!

Here is a view of the corker bow clipped on an orange headband. All ready for Ms. Harper to wear!

Three Layer Bow

2011-07-11T22:33:00.003-05:00

I made this bow a few weeks ago and just got around to finishing it tonight by putting the clip on it. This bow is called a three layer bow because it is basically three bows put together to make one larger bow. You make the three individual bows first and then stack them on top of each other. It gets finished by hot gluing the "knot" piece around the center. I forgot to take pictures along the way, but you can find the tutorial I followed here.

Paula Dean Potato Skins on the Grill

2011-07-10T14:18:00.002-05:00

Will and I were watching the cooking channel on the Fourth of July...yeah we were bored. We both saw this recipe for grilled potato skins and thought they looked super yummy. So, last night, we tried them and they were very good (and easy)! Follow the link here for the recipe. We skipped the bacon as a topping because I didn't feel like cooking bacon. I also just used regular sour cream instead of the horseradish sour cream in the recipe.

Featured on The Creative Crate

2011-07-06T21:43:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited - one of my crafts was seen at The Creative Crate! Click here to see the post where my Burlap Wreath can be seen. I need to get busy crafting again this week . . . I have a plan for another bow for Harper - if it rains tomorrow, I'll be bow making - if it is sunny, I'm headed to the pool . . .

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T10:42:00.002-05:00

Three years ago today Will proposed to me. All weekend we have been talking about how our lives have changed since then. Will got a new job. We bought, built and closed on our first home. We got married. We painted, decorated and added things to our new home (retaining wall, landscaping, deck, concrete pad). Samson made his debut into our lives. And, our newest change, we got pregnant with Harper. It's crazy how much your life can change in a few years. We couldn't be happier!

Featured!

2011-07-03T10:06:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited, last night I got online and saw a bow that I made was featured on one of my new favorite blogs - Fabric Bows and More. I love this site! It has so many links and directions on how to make all sorts of fun bows. To follow the link to my bow click here. So if you are a bow lover, head on over to the site and check out all the great ideas you can get there.

New Front Door Wreath

2011-07-01T13:52:00.002-05:00

I first saw the burlap wreath idea on Tater Tots and Jello last year. I made one right away and it hung on my front door for a whole season, until it was tattered and faded and I had to throw it away. Then, last summer, I made one for my classroom door. I had been looking for a long time for a new wreath for our front door - whether one from the store or a homemade one...but honestly, I couldn't find one I liked more than the burlap wreaths from Tater Tots and Jello. So I when I went through my fabric bin and saw all the green scraps I had and scraps from the cushion I made for our front porch, I decided to just make another one for this summer. Here are my circles ready to glue on the wreath.

And the finished product hanging on our front door! I love it. I love how the colors are a little darker than the first one I made, so I don't think it will fade as fast.

Spikey Pom Hair Bow

2011-06-29T20:52:00.006-05:00

I started working on this spikey pom hair bow a few days ago - but between other projects, cleaning, dishes, taking the dog out, etc.... I got sidetracked a lot. I followed the directions for the spikey pom hair clip here. I liked the way it turned out. I think if I ever make this kind of clip again I could go a lot faster the second time around. My favorite part was using this new product I had never heard of called Stiffen Stuff.

Ribbon I chose for this bow.

A view once I got started sewing the ribbons down to the felt circle.

Hanging upside down to dry after I applied Stiffen Stuff.

Adorable girly girl bow all ready for wearing.

Baby Name Bunting Banner

2011-06-28T19:17:00.010-05:00

I'd been trying to figure out what I wanted to do above Harper's crib. I like the idea of having her name in the room, but didn't want to do the wooden letters that a lot of people have been doing lately. So, when I saw this idea on Tater Tots and Jello - it inspired me to do something similar for Harper. I bought some ribbon, fabric and canvas at Hobby Lobby and got to work. I cut out pendant shaped triangles and sewed ribbon in a wavy pattern on fabric to spell out her name. This was the hard part - this part probably took me a good 5-6 hours to do.

Here is a closeup of how I made the ribbon wavy looking.
Then I had to sew the pendants to the canvas cord that they were going to hang on. The pictures in this post really do not do this project justice. It is very detailed and I think turned out super cute. You just can't really see a lot of the details in these photos.

Then I hung it on the wall to see how it looked so far... ...I took it down to do the last touches and details. Samson knew it was something for Harper - so he had to help. He loves Harper already and spending time in her room (especially under her crib).

I cut some strips of fabric and ribbon and tied them in messy knots around the spaces between the letters. I think it turned out pretty cute - again I wish you could see more of the details in the pictures.

I can't wait to see it with her bedding on the crib. I think it will be so cute - I hope she loves it.

Etsy - Fun Closet Dividers

2011-06-26T14:12:00.004-05:00

I love Etsy...it's where I "shop" for ideas a lot. However, I had never actually ordered anything until today. Today I ordered some closet dividers for Harper's closet. Will and I plan on installing more shelving this upcoming weekend so I have more room for hanging clothes and shelves for baskets to store things. I already bought some hot pink baskets from Home Goods a few weeks ago. So, when I saw these closet dividers I thought they would coordinate perfectly.I can't wait to get these and get Harper's closet all organized! I will post some pictures when I get all of her closet organizers installed.

Earring Holder

2011-06-21T10:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday while in Hobby Lobby I found tons of clearance frames. Usually the clearance frames are really beat up and have lots of scratches, but not yesterday! They had tons of cute frames. I probably spent 20 minutes deciding which ones I wanted to buy. I bought one for Harper's bow holder and one to make an earring holder for myself to hang in our master bedroom closet. I'd been wanting to do this for a while. I went with a chocolate frame and bought a small piece of burlap from the fabric department.

You just cut the burlap to fit in the frame. Then spray A LOT of heavy starch on it and iron it so it gets stiff. Then you hot glue the burlap into the empty frame - pulling it very tight as you go (you want it to be tight so when you hang the earring on it it does not sag). Then I added some ribbon I had to hang it from.

Then I cleaned out my old jewelry box - one I have had since college - and put all the earrings on my holder. Here is the finished product! I love it. I think it almost looks like a decoration. I would have hung it in my master bedroom, but Will probably would not want to look at my earrings all the time. It's that easy and cheap! The more earrings you have, the bigger the frame you need!

Bow Holder for Harper

2011-06-20T21:33:00.003-05:00

Today I was feeling a little crafty - so I created this bow holder for Harper. We have Harper's crib, changing table and a little bookcase in her room waiting for her - but her chair won't arrive for two more weeks. So until I get the chair in the room and decide exactly where each piece of furniture is going to go - I'm not going to hang anything on the walls. So, after I crafted this cute little thing I just hung it on her door to snap a quick picture.
It really was an easy project. I got a cheap frame from Hobby Lobby in the clearance aisle for $5.80. I wrapped some foam board in fabric and then hot glued some ribbons to around the foam board. Then I just hot glued the decorated foam board into the frame. Super cute, super easy and super cheap - all for about $10-$12.

I also bought some ribbon and clips to make a few bows this week - now that I have this cute holder, I have to make some things to hang on it!

It's a Girl!

2011-06-03T07:52:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe I have not posted that on here yet...one day I'll become a better blogger :)

We found out about a month ago that we are having a baby girl! We are going to name her Harper. We have her crib and changing table purchased, but I'm having a hard time finding a chair for her room. I want something more modern than a traditional glider. I found one I love, but I don't love the price tag. I may just have to buckle down and buy it.

I love this library cart from The Land of Nod, but I found plans on how to make it - so I don't have all the saws you need to cut the wood, but other than that it looks pretty easy.

Big News

2011-03-21T20:17:00.004-05:00

I have big news to share in blog land. Will and I are expecting our first child on (or around) October 3rd. We are very excited.

One of the first questions people ask me is "are you going to find out the sex??" If people really knew me they would know I could NEVER wait to find out what it is until the delivery. I am way too much of a planner. I already have a lot of items picked out that I would like for the baby's room. I have the "boy" plan and the "girl" plan. We will see which it turns out to be. Will swears it is a girl. I go back and forth. Initially I thought boy, then I thought girl, then I thought boy again and now I am officially undecided.

I plan on crafting some things for the nursery, but in the meantime I can't - not until I know what the sex is. So tonight I crafted something for baby Amelia.

I found these cute bows that you can make out of scrap fabric. This website has the tutorial. You can clip it to those stretchy headbands baby's wear. I just put a little clip on the back with hot glue.

I'm on Spring Break this week!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:15:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day world! I hope everyone has had a special day today, I know I have.

I love Valentine's Day at school. All the kids give you hugs and are so kind on V-Day. I wish the Valentine feeling could be in our school all year. It's so cute. They really can all be friends (even after weeks of indoor recess). So whether you got roses, candies, a special dinner - or some other sort of present today - happy Valentines!

And to my Valentines ... I love you Will and Sam!

Ok, I'm Updating

2011-02-01T13:00:00.008-06:00

I always get bad about updating our blog in the winter, I don't know why! You would think I would have all this time in the winter to type since it is cold outside. I'm at home today for a snow day. We are under a BLIZZARD warning in STL. We could get 12 inches of snow today on top of the third of an inch of ice we have already gotten, CRAZY!

I've literally been watching the news all day. It's not that I want to watch it, its just that there is nothing else on. Our Netflix isn't here yet and I'm all caught up on my DVR. So I'm browsing blogs today and Internet websites.

Will and I added some new "artwork" in our living room recently. We have a huge long wall in our living room. In the center is our fireplace with our TV mounted above it. On one side we have this arch iron grid we got from Pottery Barn last winter. The other side of the wall has been blank however, and was annoying us slightly for a while. So we decided to buy these huge frames from Pottery Barn and instead of putting pictures in them (which we may one day), we decided to make these random number collages. All of the numbers are actually dates that are important to Will and I. We just mixed them up to create artwork!

The dates include when Will and I started dating, when we graduated from Auburn, when we got married and when we closed on our home.

Here is a view of the whole wall. Excuse the news coverage on the TV, I told you we are in a BLIZZARD warning... The khaki color on the wall is a little darker than it appears in the picture. The wall almost looks white and its not!

Other big news...our Auburn Tigers are National Champions! We cheered the Tigers on to their second National Championship in January. Will and I have now experienced two Perfect Seasons since we have been Auburn fans. It was a pretty cool season. My brother in law gave us a Cam Newton autographed football as a gift to commemorate the season. He gave it to us after our Iron Bowl win. Cam went on to win the Heisman and a National Title.Our best friends had their baby two weeks ago today. Check out their blog for more about Amelia Short.

Some of our other great friends, Katie and Shawn, got married on New Years Eve. I was lucky to be in her bridal party. The night ended with a great party after their ceremony! Congratulation to them as well!

That is really all from here, Samson and I are cuddled in to ride out this winter storm. I may do some crafting this afternoon. I'd like to make a new wreath for spring, but I'm not sure I have all the materials on hand that I need - and driving to Hobby Lobby is NOT an option right now. I'll have to dig out my craft boxes to see what I can do...I may be back to posting tomorrow, if we get another snow day. Happy Winter!

Christmas Cards

2010-11-16T19:10:00.004-06:00

I am so excited! Katie gave me my Christmas cards today! They turned out super cute and she even packaged them up with a beautiful bow. I love the pictures she took of us. She does such a great job with her photography. I can't wait to get my prints too. I have plans for the landing at the top of our stairs. She got my cards printed on this really pretty linen paper. I love them! I'm planning on sending these cards to family and close friends.

I'm also going to order some cards from Shutterfly. These cards I will use for extended friends and family. Last year I ordered our cards on Shutterfly and loved them. They were very nice quality and really turned out just how we wanted for our first ever Christmas card. The thing I love about Shutterfly's cards are they are so affordable! Another great thing about their website is it is so easy to use. You just upload photos and put them in the different card templates to see which one you like the best. The best part is how many choices you get with Shutterfly. You should follow the links below and head on over to their website to start planning your cards today - get in the holiday spirit! Christmas is just around the corner!

Check out their Christmas and Holiday cards. And for future information, you can even get super cute birthday invitations there!

The best thing is they are giving away 50 free cards if you blog about how spectacular their cards are!

Bloggers get 50 free cards. Sign up today!

Gift Wrap, Cards and General Christmas Fun

2010-11-14T19:03:00.004-06:00

Today I discovered the Christmas station has started playing holiday music. This made me very happy. I discovered this while driving around doing my holiday shopping. My side of the family does our Christmas gift exchange at our Thanksgiving gathering. I have all but one of my presents finished for my family. I was just in the holiday spirit today. I almost even put our tree up (but stopped myself because it is just a little too early). I stopped by Bath and Body and bought a Evergreen scented candle. When I got home I dug into my Christmas wrapping box and started wrapping those presents I bought today. I was just in the spirit. I can't wait. I love the holidays. Samson loves laying under our Christmas tree.

Katie told me my Christmas cards came in on Friday afternoon. I'm so pumped to see how they turned out. My friend Megan's sister, Kristen, blogged about how cute Shutterfly's Christmas cards are this year. So even if you don't live by Katie and can't have her take your family photo, check these cards out. I got my cards from there last year and really liked them. I loved the photos Katie took of our little family about a month ago and I'm excited to see them. I may order a set from Shutterfly too - to send to extended friends and family and friends from college. Last year I saved one of our cards and I plan on saving our card each year and displaying them in a cool way each Christmas. I may snag something like this from Pottery Barn to display at the holidays. How fun will it be to look back every year at the cards from the previous year?

And on a Tiger football update - 11-0 feels pretty good going into the Iron Bowl. War Eagle!

Katie's Bachelorette Party!

2010-10-20T21:20:00.005-05:00

It was a super fun night! Here are a few pics of the decorations...

I made this garden flag for the entryway. I think it turned out pretty cute!

The invitation framed...always a must for a party.

I spray painted pumpkins black and added fun tulle ribbon for decorations...a perfect thing for a fall bachelorette party!

The door hanging I made...

I bought some pink flowers and put them in wine bottles for the table decor and tied a tulle ribbon around them.

A shot of the mini black pumpkins with hot pink ribbon. The day is almost here Katie!

I've been crafting...

2010-10-11T21:08:00.003-05:00

So this Saturday we are having the beginning of a bachelorette party at my house...so this was a much needed excuse for crafting (especially since I have not done much of it lately). So, the past few days I've been working on a few cutesy projects for the party. I can't share pictures yet, because the bride to be checks my blog sometimes...so check back after the weekend and I'll share some fun things.

Happy Mid October everyone!

Katie's Shower

2010-10-10T21:56:00.005-05:00

Today was my friend Katie's first shower for her wedding. It was a fun day and I got to eat a lot of good food, including homemade carrot cake...it was TASTY. She has a huge family and TONS of Aunts, I mean literally, I don't know if I even remember any of their names. Every time I turned a corner someone was introducing themselves as Katie's Aunt. It was crazy, but so funny! Anyway, she got tons of great presents and it brought me back to Will and I's wedding. What a fun time of your life that is. It's so fun getting new stuff! Katie with all the cool stuff you got today, I'm expecting at least a happy hour soon...happy wedding time Katie and enjoy it, it will be here before you know it!

This Post is for Logan

2010-10-07T21:09:00.006-05:00

This post is for my little nephew Logan. He will be two on Saturday and I can't be there for his special b-day party. Logan will be getting a Bo Jackson Auburn jersey from his Aunt Megan and Uncle Will this birthday...he lives in Rocky Top country and needs to share a little Auburn spirit around there. My plan for Thanksgiving: teach Logan WAR EAGLE.

Happy Birthday big boy!

I want to decorate for Halloween!!

2010-09-24T19:48:00.002-05:00

I can't wait until October 1st...so I can put up all the Halloween decorations! I put two little wooden pumpkins up on our mantel last night as a little teaser....

I Love My Life

2010-08-24T19:59:00.005-05:00

I love my life. I love my job. I love my teammates (yeah third grade team). I love my friends. I love my husband. I love Samson. I could go on and on and on...

...I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I'm so lucky. I have a beautiful house and my own little family that lives here (hi Will and Sam). I've just started my fourth year of teaching third grade in an amazing school district. I love this time of year because I can sense my favorite season right around the corner, fall will be here before we know it (and I can't wait). Fall is Will and my favorite season. We like to decorate our house spooky, well at least I like to decorate it and Will just likes to enjoy it decorated. We love going to pick pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. Will always manages to carve his to look scarier than mine. We already previewed our options for Sam's Halloween costume at Petsmart. Last year he was a jack-o-lantern. This year I want him to be an unemployed person (complete with doggie robe and newspaper squeak toy). I think Will thinks that is a weird costume because he wants Samson to get the shark costume. How generic! Really, I just want an excuse to buy my Westie a robe to wear around the house. He would just be so cute in it! Anyway, this post is all over the place. The bottom line is - I'm just happy right now. I'm on top of things (as much as a teacher can be at any one time) at work and at home and bottom line is, I'm just in a great mood.

On a house update....we hung curtains this weekend in our living room. We chose basic white with cast iron rods. It looks pretty and really adds decoration to the room!

Well, I guess thats all from my life...

Back to School!

2010-08-15T14:05:00.003-05:00

School starts Tuesday! I've been working feverishly in my classroom to get all the things ready for my new kids! I'm excited to meet them tomorrow at Meet the Teacher Night! They all come up to school and bring their school supplies to stock in their desks. It's so fun to get those first impression of them. Some of them are really excited and some are nervous, it's cute either way. Here is a shot of my classroom.
This summer I spent some time leveling my books by reading level. So each reading level has a color coded label on the book binding.

They are organized in color coded baskets by Chapter Books or Picture Books.

Here is the wreath I made for my classroom door. I used to have a cute crayon wreath, but it had faded so it was time to update!

Today is My Birthday

2010-08-06T08:57:00.003-05:00

Today is my birthday and I'm excited. I slept in, woke up and the sun is shining. There is blue sky as far as I can see and I'm headed to the pool in an hour. I'm going to sit in the pool in read my book for hours. Then I might go shopping. We're going out to dinner and I'm hoping to end the day with a sweet treat, maybe an ice cream cake?!? Today is a good day.

Solar Lights and Lamination

2010-08-01T14:41:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Will and I picked up some cute little solar lights at Lowe's. I came home and quickly assembled them and we "installed" them in the landscaping beds in our front yard. As it got dark, I got excited that the solar lights would come on soon! Around 9:00, I peeked outside. They were super cute and added a lot to the front yard (and they look cute in the day too). I think it's fun how the little things can make me so happy sometimes...who would have thought solar lights would be one?! Another little thing that I used to love was cutting out lamination. I remember when I was a student teacher and that was one of my favorite things to do. Now, I HATE cutting out lamination. It's super boring and it makes a huge mess. This time of year I always have an overabundance of lamination. I find it stuck to my clothes, my shoes, just about everywhere. Sitting on my kitchen table is a huge bag of lamination to be cut...yuck.

It's About That Time

2010-07-30T18:47:00.003-05:00

This time of the year is always one with a lot of mixed emotion for me. I'm a teacher, so naturally I L O V E summer. But as the last few weeks of summer wind down, I always seem to be cramming in those last few days of summer sun and relaxation at the pool - and - I start to get that itch. I want to be in my classroom. I want to organize, reorganize, create and plan for the new school year. I'm getting excited. I love teaching, sure there are days I don't want to go to work (even teachers are human), but generally I love my job. Kids make me laugh and smile on a daily basis. I check my class list twice a day to see if I have any new additions and I look forward to the day I get to meet my kids. It's hard to stay away from my classroom this time of year...even as a teacher, back to school shopping is still fun. I love stocking the room with new pencils, crayons, and glue. I love hanging new bulletin boards and adding new touches to my room. But, as much as I want to be there, I'm forcing myself not to go in everyday next week. This week I found my way into my little space 4 out of the 5 days. I just couldn't help it. Every year there is something new I want to do or something I want to do even better. This year (my *years* go from August to July not January to December) is going to be a great one, I can feel it. I have this great excitement for this year. It's going to be not only an amazing year at work, but in life too. My best friend is having a baby. I get to be in another best friend's wedding on New Years Eve (how fun is a New Years Eve wedding?). Will and I will have been married 2 years this March and I love him more now than ever. I just have a great feeling about this school year and I very excited for what it holds!

New York City Trip...Day Two

2010-07-27T20:22:00.005-05:00

Ah, our second day of our teacher trip to New York...it was another busy one. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't really on our side. It hadn't rained for like 14 days in New York, and it was sprinkling from the moment we stepped out of our hotel. Our first stop was Ellis Island. This is the view I got from the ferry headed toward the island. What an amazing place. You should really read the history of how this island changed and grew as more and more immigrants came to our country. It is amazing. I learned so much and I can't wait to share with my kids!

I have to tell you, I look really great in all the pictures from day two...that is what rain, humidity and lack of sleep do for you. This is me outside Ellis Island's main entrance (to the main building). Of course the metal and glass awning was added when they opened the museum.

As you enter the museum there are suitcases and trunks that immigrants carried as they came into our country. Imagine trying to put all the important things in your life in one trunk...how did they do it?

This is a shot of the Great Hall...this is where all of the inspections were done. It is a beautiful place...and that chandelier, it's an antique from Tiffany's.

While we were doing our workshop and tour in Ellis Island, it decided to STORM, I mean bad storm. So my friend Angie and I invested in 8 dollar ponchos. Yeah they were really cool - they had a huge Ellis Island emblem on the back...tourist...who me? It was worth the 8 bucks...trust me.

After we left Ellis Island, we got on the ferry to go to Liberty Island. She is amazing! She really is beautiful.

We were not allowed to go up in the torch while we were there. It was closed for some reason.

Isn't she so pretty? It is amazing to imagine what the immigrants felt as they pulled up to our country and saw her in the distance. It was so cool!

This is a view from the ferry heading back to Manhattan...this is the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood.

Here is Ground Zero. It was weird seeing it. It wasn't what I thought it would be...I'm not sure why. As I stood their I imagined what it would have been like on that day...I remember watching the TV footage in my fourth hour class in highschool and then again in sixth hour and what seemed like all night when I got home from school that day. It was one of those things that was so sad, but you couldn't help but watch. I can't even imagine what New York was like that day. They are in the process of building the memorial. We were there the day the discovered the ship from the 1400's during the excavation. Cool!

After Ground Zero, we rode the subway one last time and headed to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. After that we walked around Central Park and Uptown.

I didn't see anybody famous on my trip, but it was still cool. I'm really excited to share all the cool things I learned about immigration and immigrants with my kiddos this year. This was the ultimate field trip.

New York City Trip...Day One

2010-07-22T09:18:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I got to go to New York City on a grant trip with about 35 other teachers in Rockwood, Parkway and Union School Districts. It was pretty cool to see all the sites of New York, but it is definitely not a place I would want to live. I'll keep my .20 acre of land in my little box subdivision. It was a jam packed two days, starting early early in the morning and going late into the evening.

When we first arrived in New York we stopped at Katz's Deli for lunch. Luckily, most of my meals were paid for by the grant - I couldn't believe my lunch there would have cost $15.90 before tax! How do these New Yorkers do it?
Our first big stop was the Tenement House. We got to see an old tenement house during the thriving years of the garment district. It was amazing how some people lived. I just couldn't believe it. So many people living in such a small, dangerous place. Many tenements didn't even have water or restrooms. After we saw the tenement house, we went on a walking tour of the Lower East Side and China Town. It was interesting to see that part of New York!

From there I got to ride the subway for the first time. We got off in Midtown and walked to see where the Today show was filmed.

Then I got to see Times Square!

We saw many other sites as we walked the streets, including the Radio City Music Hall. I love the Rockette's and they have always been a favorite of mine during the Macy's Day Parade. So I decided to snap a shot.

We ended the first day with a visit to Havana, a Cuban restaurant and then we went up in the Empire State Building. I wish my camera would have gotten a better shot at the top!

Oh, and I forgot to add, while in the Lower East Side we saw Zarin Fabrics - for all you Real Housewives of New York City fans!

Fourth of July

2010-07-20T21:10:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Logan from the Fourth of July. He is just so precious! He loved playing in my neighbors baby pool. He LOVES water!

Sweet Summertime

2010-06-08T20:28:00.007-05:00

Well, it is officially SUMMER! I have been off school for about a week and a half. Today was my first day not having to work at all. I have been busy doing summer workshops and tutoring. I really wanted to spend my very first full day "off" at the pool, but the weather was gloomy and rainy all day. So, I spent 5, yes 5, hours IRONING today. I HATE ironing, so it is no surprise that I let huge piles of ironing pile up. I was ironing winter clothes, so that shows how long it has been since I ironed. My closet is like jam packed full right now because everything is cleaned and restocked.

Samson has enjoyed the last few weeks. Will has been lucky enough to get to be home three straight weeks this month. I was really excited since they were my first three weeks of summer.
We got a new shelf for our family room - I would show you what it looks like in our room, but we have not found much to decorate it yet. We still have to find things to decorate the three wall shelves we got earlier in the year.
We build our three mini retaining walls over Memorial Day weekend. Will and his dad worked for two and a half days. We used ANCHOR Stone, the Flores design in the pecan color. This is not a picture of ours, I can't quite seem to take a good one. We bought our stone at a place right down the street from our neighborhood, so it was easy to transport everything and make quick runs if we needed more of something. It looks pretty and now I want to do it in the backyard, but I don't think we really have a place for it back there. I still would like to get our slab in the backyard poured this summer too.

I am headed to Nashville on Thursday to visit my sisters and see Logan. I am really excited because I have not seen him since he has been a strong walker. I won't be back until Sunday and I worry about leaving my boys alone (Will and Samson). I know they will do fine, but I will miss them.

Mandy, Ryan and Logan are coming in for the Fourth of July again this year. I want to buy one of these cute lemonade pitchers.
Will spotted one at Home Goods the other day when we were searching for picture frames, but it was flimsy so we didn't get that one. I may have to just get this super cute one from Pottery Barn. Will wants to serve his favorite drink, margaritas, out of it.

We are really close to buying this desk at Target to go in our guest room/office. But we can't decide if we want black or brown in that room.

One last note, two of our best friends have some big news to share...but it is not mine to share for them....so hop on over to their blog HERE. Needless to say, we couldn't be happier for them and we are excited to watch this next part of their lives unfold! Congrats Kerns and Chris! : )

Have you seen this blog?

2010-04-19T20:05:00.001-05:00

OH MY GOSH. Have you seen this blog? There are so many recipes that I want to try on this site...I mean WOW. I'm totally excited. Seriously, check it out....

Goodbye Red Runner

2010-04-18T20:27:00.003-05:00

I have to say goodbye to my 1999, red Grand Am this week because I got a new car Saturday!! I LOVE it. I drove it all around today to get used to it. Will and I purchased a 2010 GMC Terrain on Saturday. It is black paint with black interior. Although it is sad to get rid of the red runner, I won't miss having a window duck taped shut, cracked dashboard, broken speakers and air conditioning and stained cloth interior. I love new car smell...

New York, New York...here I come!

2010-04-15T20:58:00.004-05:00

The last two years I have been participating in a grant through the federal government offered by my school district. One of the culminating things I get to do is take a trip to New York City. This trip is supposed to give me a better understanding of the history of immigration in America to help me be a better social studies teacher - but - let's face it - it is a FREE trip to NEW YORK and I've NEVER been - so - not only is it going to help me as a teacher, it is going to be F - U - N. I wasn't that excited about it until tonight. We got all the details at our meeting and I found out I get to room with a great teacher friend of mine, Angie!

We are staying at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel. I'm excited to get to go to the Tenement House and do the Immigrant Soles walking tour. I get to take the SUBWAY! Is it weird I am excited about that? We are visiting Battery Park, Ellis Island and Liberty Island. Hopefully we will have time to go to Central Park, Rockefeller Center and The Empire State Building. We get to eat at this yummy Cuban restaurant called Havana Central. We are also eating at the Hard Rock Cafe on Broadway. I'm just so excited...when is July again? I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and I'm sure I'll have tons of stories.

Its been awhile...

2010-04-13T20:29:00.004-05:00

It has been awhile since I have done a post. I've been kind of busy enjoying this beautiful weather! In the last few weeks Sam had his first birthday. He is officially supposed to be potty trained now...so far so good.

Sam loves opening presents...

...and enjoying his special gourmet dog treats.

I made a new cushion for our front porch bench out of outdoor fabric.

My sister and nephew visited. Logan and Sam made friends fast.

I didn't get many pictures with Logan, but I thought this one was cute with his Aunt Megan.

I have a few crafty things up my sleeve, but have been too busy getting outside to work hard on any of them! I'll be better about blogging again soon - I PROMISE! 6 more weeks of school after all, but who is counting (surely not the teachers!!!)...

Spring Green and an Early Birthday

2010-03-29T19:59:00.001-05:00

I made a spring green headband tonight. I had seen these headbands on Blue Cricket Design. I decided to twist it a little to use this pretty, green satin ribbon with stripes on it. I still want to make the one like Blue Cricket Design has, but not tonight (I'm watching The Real Housewives of New York City - on my DVR from last Thursday).

Here is the finished product.

Just a cute little spring look!

Now on to more important things...Samson's birthday! Samson will be ONE this Friday (April 2nd). Our little boy is growing up. I went birthday shopping for Samson yesterday and after I wrapped his presents in wrapping paper (apes with boxers and party hats on) - I couldn't help but want to give him one of his three new toys.

Sam LOVES unwrapping presents. We found this out at Christmas.

And, as you can see, he loves his new toy too. More presents for Samson on his real birthday - if I can make it through the week without giving him the rest.... ; )

New Hardware

2010-03-25T19:31:00.003-05:00

Towards the tail end of spring break I convinced Will to go to Lowe's with me and pick out some new hardware for our half bath and master bathroom. Here is a glimpse of what we chose. It turned out really pretty with the lighting we picked when we built the house.

While Will was measuring, drilling and hanging - our micro manager watched over him.
We already had these pictures but we added them to our master bath, right above our tub.

I love the new hardware with the towels. Pottery Barn sells these exact white towels with the embroidered pearl dots at the bottom, but I found mine at Home Goods!

Now we just have to get new faucets, mirrors and shower heads...and hardware for the second full bath...let's just add it to the list.

Got Bags?

2010-03-23T19:59:00.003-05:00

I don't know what it is like in your house, but in ours we seem to always have an overabundance of grocery bags in our closet in our kitchen. I save them to pick up Samson's treasures (I wish they were that). They were always falling down when I opened the door. So I had seen somewhere (I think on Etsy) someone who had created a holder for all those plastic bags. I decided this would be a perfect project for my new sewing machine. I used about half a yard of green canvas for the body of the bag and then added this fun strip of fabric to the canvas to give it a little more beauty. I pinned down the strip of fabric and folded the top of the green canvas over so I could sew that as well. Also, I pinned down bottom part of canvas to sew as well (with enough room inside to slide a strip of elastic into it).

After I sewed all of those seams, I folded the canvas in half with the right side of the fabric on the inside and prepared to sew down the open ends.
Once I sewed down the open sides of the fabric, I cut the extra scrap off.

Next, I attached a safety pin to a long strip of elastic and thread it through the wider opening at the bottom of the fabric.

Then, I pulled it tight and sewed it closed and in place.

This way the bags stay in place until you are ready to pull them out.

I attached a ribbon at the top for it to hang from. Here is the finished product, bags and all.

I think it turned out pretty cute and no more bags falling out of the closet!

Overall, I am pretty pleased with my new sewing machine. I do have a lot to still learn on it though...

A Year Gone By

2010-03-22T22:36:00.008-05:00

Today marks a very special day in Will and I's lives. It is our first wedding anniversary. We were married last year on March 28th at The Jewel Box in Forest Park. The weather was gross that day, actually much like the weather is today in St. Louis. Rainy and Cold. The difference is we got snow overnight last year. When Will and I woke up for the first time as husband and wife there was a dusting of snow and although it didn't last long on the ground (I think it was gone within a few hours), now we can say we had snow. I still remember that look on Will's face when I walked down the aisle. That was priceless. I hope I never forget that look, even when I am 105. One of my best friends, Katie Stasiak (http://www.katiestasiak.com/) took the photos for our special day. Now she has created her own part time business (and is planning her own New Years Eve wedding). Check out her website. I wanted to choose a few of my favorite photos that she shot from our special day. It was hard to choose just a few. Let's look and reminisce...

Yesterday Will bought me some of my favorite flowers, snapdragons. The lady at the florist said that she does not get to many people asking her for an arrangement of snapdragons. I don't get that. They are beautiful. Especially in the spring with all the pastels. You should go buy yourself a bouquet, NOW. Also, Will surprised me and got us ice cream cupcakes from Coldstone. Because Will and I were paying for our wedding, we were on a budget, so to save money we had cupcakes instead of a wedding cake (and we didn't save one). And, don't tell, but these ice cream cupcakes were WAY better. Yummy.

A New Bloom on a Washer Necklace

2010-03-21T19:20:00.006-05:00

I first saw washer necklaces on this blog. So I decided to put a little twist on them...first I made my washer necklace with about 35-40 washers and navy blue gross grain ribbon.

Then I went to work making some fabric flowers and yoyos.

Then I hot glued the flowers to the gross grain ribbon and attached some felt to the back with hot glue to keep them in place. I also added some buttons to the centers of the flowers.

Here is the finished project. I think this will look cute with a white tshirt.

Outdoor Makeover II

2010-03-19T19:39:00.003-05:00

If you were wondering if I had fallen off the face of the Earth the last two days...I haven't, I have just been busy painting Will and I's foundation. Below is a picture of what the foundation looked like before we painted.
I love the way it turned out, but this was a LONG project and on top of it all I came down with a terrible cold yesterday that slowed me down even more.

I think it looks good and was worth the hard work. Now, I'm going to get going because my fingers are cramping up after all that painting! Sorry, not a long post tonight...

Outdoor Makeover

2010-03-16T15:58:00.003-05:00

Today was a busy day of Spring Break, just like yesterday. We spent the first half of the day cleaning out the garage. The slab was gross from all the snow/salt residue from winter. Will mounted our pegboard to the studs and I worked on organizing our tools.

I love organizing. I need to buy some more hooks for some things that could also go on our pegboard. Will and I don't have a ton of tools, but this will help us find the ones we use pretty often quickly.

Here are the plastic shelves we bought for one corner of the garage. I need to buy a few more plastic containers to organize some little things we have on the shelves.

Will picked out these organizers for our brooms, rake, snow shovel, etc. He hung those wall I worked on organizing the shelves and pegboard areas.

We started assembling our outdoor furniture last night when we got home, but darkness got the best of us so we spent the second part of day today finishing putting it together. We liked the way it turned out. Now we need an outdoor rug for in front of our slider. The furniture gets Samson's approval also. Which is most important.

Well I'm off to shower and then enjoy a glass of wine on our new patio furniture! Tomorrow's project...foundation painting (if the weather cooperates).

trying my hand at something new and other random things

2010-03-14T20:56:00.007-05:00

If you have never been to this website you have to go. Bakerella has such CUTE baking ideas. So, with being on Spring Break, I thought I would try her red velvet cake balls. It all started out going great...I baked my red velvet cake according to the package directions and then mixed in the container of cream cheese frosting.

I tried to make the balls round, but it was a little more difficult than I thought. Looking back, I think my mistake was not letting the mixture cool enough and taking the time to roll more perfectly shaped spheres.

The dipping in chocolate was extremely difficult. I found it hard to keep the cake balls together in the warm melted chocolate.

They still taste great...they just don't look their prettiest. I think I will try to make these again, but just try a few different tricks next time I make them (like freezing the cake balls for like 15 or 20 minutes before dipping them into the chocolate).

On a completely unrelated note, I got to go to Amanda's baby shower today with Katie in Illinois. Amanda is one of the cutest pregnant girls I have ever seen. She was wearing this stylish dress that I don't know if I could pull off without carrying a pound of meat in my belly. She got so much cute stuff and she was just glowing. It was a really great day (despite the gross St. Louis March weather - yes Kerns, I realize you are probably laying by the pool in LA while reading this so get a tan for the both of us...)!

Tonight I was very productive. Will hung out upstairs while I decluttered my closet (yes, Katie you can do it too). It felt SO good. We take all of our gently loved things to a consignment shop nearby and boy will I have a mother load for them. I counted 48 pieces of clothing that I am getting rid of. It was good having Will there for all those things I was so-so about, all I would have to do is hold it up and he would look at it like, "did you really used to wear that" and I would put it in the sell pile. I also got rid of many pairs of shoes and a few other accessories like purses and belts. Spring cleaning feels very good.

Photo - Walmart

Sometime Monday or Tuesday we are going to Walmart to purchase our new patio set for our deck. I will post new pictures of it once I have it assembled and on the deck. I am very excited to have something to actually sit on out there (and so is our four-legged friend Samson).

Also on my Monday or Tuesday list is purchasing good old fashioned pegboard to organize our tools.

And some hooks... And although we don't have this many tools to organize, I think it will help us find what we do have easier.

We are also going to purchase shelves for our garage. I'll take pictures when we are done (towards the end of Spring Break) to show you our garage makeover. ; ) You would think that my husband would be the one really excited about this, but actually he does not really care - I'm the one who is orchestrating this project on our to-do list.

See you on the blog tomorrow...

A New Arrival

2010-03-12T10:17:00.004-06:00

My new sewing machine arrived in the mail yesterday. I ordered it from Overstock on Tuesday night and it came in two days! I'm excited to work on a few projects on it over Spring Break - which started yesterday at 4:00. I'm off work all next week and I'm so excited because Will also took the week off. I should have time to do a lot of posting in the next week...

A Triple Set

2010-03-02T20:11:00.004-06:00

As you can tell (because I have been crafting), the husband has been gone again this week...

This week I have been working on a set of three small spring wreaths to hang on my arch grid in our family room. I bought three foam wreath forms at the dollar store. I covered the wreath form in burlap (long strips about 3 inches wide). I used this tutorial to make these fabric flowers. I alternated two kinds of fabric. They were very similar to each other.

I hot glued the fabric flower to the wreath and then hot glued a yoyo fabric flower in the middle (you could also do a button).

I used some green gross grain ribbon I had to hang the three small wreaths on my arched grid (once the flowers were hot glued on).

I couldn't get a good closeup shot.

I thought about covering the whole thing in different kinds of fabric flowers, but I kind of liked the simplicity of this for my family room.

Leave a comment, tell me what you think...

Can you feel it?

2010-02-27T09:08:00.004-06:00

Today I woke up at 7:15, yes it is Saturday, but the sun is SHINING. I feel spring coming, no it hasn't arrived yet, but it is close. Can you feel it?

Spring Break is in two weeks and all I can say is it better be nice weather. That is the funny thing about March in St. Louis, it can be 70 degrees one day and snow the next (this happened during our wedding).

Will and I have big plans for Spring Break - do as little as possible and spend the whole week together. Will has been traveling A LOT lately and I miss him (so does his four legged friend). We have little things we want to accomplish too, but our main goal is just to relax. We have a few movies we want to see and we would like to buy our patio furniture. We will probably pick out the stone for our mini retaining wall in front of our front porch so we can work on that as soon as the ground unfreezes a little. We will probably buy the paint for our foundation so we can paint it to match our siding (also when it warms up a little more). I'm sure we will pick up a few more things for the house to hang or put together. I'd like to clean out the garage and buy some shelving. I'll probably purchase my new sewing machine. Oh, and we have to buy shoes, yes shoes. Will needs new work out shoes, I need new tennis shoes, and we both need new sandals. Thank goodness Will gets his bonus in March, Spring Break is starting to sound expensive...and busy.

I want to cook too - good food for my guy - I love having yummy snacks for him lying around. Food makes him happy. I've got to find some new recipes to try, got any ideas?

I've been working on some projects this week, but none of them are done yet to photograph and post. I'll share when I'm done.

I'm going to go get ready for the day...I want to get out in this sun, even if it is still cold...I can't wait for spring, but without the bees and wasps.

Another Hair Accessory

2010-02-21T15:08:00.003-06:00

I made another headband today. I was hoping to get a few done, but I've had a headache almost all weekend, it's raining outside and I'm just feeling a little lazy. I decided to try a green headband for spring. This time, instead of doing the accordion flowers, I tried the yoyo style fabric flowers. Directions for making yoyo's can be found here. Again, I wrapped my headband in gross grain and then attached three yoyo flowers. I put buttons in the middle of the yoyo's to add some more character. I just love cute hair accessory.

Shout Out to ALLIE and Old Memories

2010-02-19T21:13:00.010-06:00

This post is a shout out to my dear old Auburn friend, Allie Shelton! I just realized yesterday that people had been commenting on my blog...not a lot and not often, but a few. And my friend Allie had told me WAY back, in like July, that she had a blog and I didn't even realize it because it was in a comment I didn't realize that I had - OOPS! So this is a shout out to you Allie...get back to blogging! Inspire us with design...and check out her blog!

http://alliesdoseofdesign.blogspot.com/

And while I am talking about Auburn and old friends - I just decided to look through old photos...Will and I are a month and a half away from our one year wedding anniversary and we just celebrated our five years of being a couple. Our best friends, Kerns and Chris, will be married TWO years this June. Time flies, but it is fun to look back, laugh, and occasionally remember things that make you want to cry.

PANDA...need I say more?

Fall Formal Junior Year...remember the blonde?

Will turns 21.

Winter 2005/2006

Fall Senior Year at Auburn

I think this week I am going to dig out old LHS photos and scan them on the computer. How fun would it be to look back to from 1999-2003 to bring back REALLY old memories. Life goes fast...

Headband Fun!

2010-02-17T19:21:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I posted about how I have seen cute headbands everywhere - so today I made my own. I'm trying to grow my hair out, just a little, and so I've been throwing it up more and more - I thought I needed something cute to put in my hair for the next month before I get it done again. So, I decided to make some cute hair accessories. Tonight I made my first one, but I plan on doing one in green soon. I just went to Walmart and bought a pack of 3 cheap headbands (therefore I still have two more to make- at least). They were like $3.50 for 3. You cut a strip of fabric about 20 inches long and fold it in half. I ironed my to make it easier to work with. Then you sew down the side with the fold - big spaces between each thread point. Then you pull the two ends of the extra thread together and tie them in a knot.

You have to sew the part where the "flower" ends meet together so it looks like one flowing shape.
I wrapped my headband in gross grain ribbon, but you wouldn't have to do that. Then I hot glued my flower to it and added a circle to the back.

Here is the finished headband with the last touch I added to the middle of the flower - a fabric circle and button.

Another shot! I glued my flower on so that it would be close to the ear when I wear the headband, but you could glue it anywhere you like depending on what look you are going for. I think the next one I make will have three smaller flowers (instead of the one big one) in the white and black polka dot with black buttons.

1010 Framed Art

2010-02-16T21:39:00.005-06:00

I know second post in one day...I'm nuts...but not really, remember Will is in Cleveland ALL week. So really I am just bored and in between play sessions with Samson - I worked on and finished another project tonight.

I love our address, let's face it, it is one of the reasons we picked our lot. So I saw this cool idea on Bower Power. I decided I needed to do it, but I wanted to modify it a little to fit the colors in our living room. So I went to work on Microsoft Word and printed the 1010 out in a green color and a font that looked traditional. I then cut the numbers out with an Exacto knife and Modge Podged them on some pretty cream card stock.

Then I mixed some Modge Podge and two colors of craft paint with some water and smeared it all over my numbers and card stock.
Once it was dry I decided I wanted to add a burlap edge (kind of like a mat).
I used an old frame we had lying around, so eventually I may buy a new frame and spruce it up a little. I'd like to get a frame with a little more, um, personality.
I'm trying to decide where to put it on our new shelves...until we get more things for the shelves, I may not be able to get it to look just how I want.

Totally Cute Headbands

2010-02-16T19:24:00.007-06:00

I am full of projects recently...I just finished my SPRING blocks and my red "H". I still have to finish my jewelry frame organizer...

...but I am on to thinking of my next few projects...HEADBANDS for spring! Check out the link to this cute feathered headband tutorial. She gives you step by step directions to making a cute feathered headband and even a material list to take with you to your favorite craft store. You can also find a bunch of cute feathered headbands on Etsy, like these, these, and these.

Image JCREW

So...what is your hair aspiration?

Monday Should be the New Sunday

2010-02-15T18:24:00.010-06:00

Today is Monday, but it was like Sunday for me. That is a nice perk of being a teacher...you get random days off of work due to holidays that people don't even really celebrate (no disrespect former Presidents). Will left for Cleveland today and he won't be back until late Friday night, UGH. So, it's just me and the Samsonator this week - hooray for him (he is already counting down the days until his daddy gets back to give him a belly rub). Friday I got home and found these beautiful roses and some chocolate covered strawberries, which didn't last long enough for me to photograph. These goodies were from my sweetie, but I also got PLENTY of sugary goodies from my students. Did you know that teachers get the most Valentines??

For lunch today, while the snow was falling (it was so pretty), I made a time old classic for lunch - grilled cheese. Why did I ever stop eating these. They are so good!
Yesterday I started working on some "SPRING" blocks. I purchased some culled lumber - lumber that is 85% off at Home Depot because it is "damaged" - and had the Home Depot worker cut it for me. It was just a 2 x 4 and he cut it into 6 blocks for me. Three blocks at 5 inches and 3 at 6 inches. I picked Avocado Green craft paint to paint the blocks as my base.
Then I used different scrapbook papers to put a background on the front of each block. I used an Exacto knife to cut the letters out. Lastly, I Modge Podged it all on to make them stick. I just realized that my "S" block is upside down in these photos! WHOOPS! I am thinking of adding some ribbon and buttons to give it an even cuter finished look. I can't wait to make other blocks for different seasons. I am going to do one for Auburn Football - can't wait for football season again. I think I will also do one for the 4th of July and the possibilities for Christmas are endless..

I bought this mirror about a week ago from Home Goods. I'd had my eye on it for over a month and finally I just bought it. I think the design is so cool and the color is almost identical to the paint color in our kitchen. The mirror hangs at the top of our stairs - so you can see it right when you walk in the door. I couldn't really get a great shot of it...

Yesterday I finally found some decent priced lemons and limes. These will go in my glass jars this spring/summer.

Our arched grid made a perfect way to display Valentine's cards.

I think for Christmas I will tie some fun ribbons and burlap together and string it across the grid and then use clothespins to hang Christmas cards.

Will and I had our eye on these ledge shelves from Pottery Barn for a long time, however, they were pretty pricey. We found these 50% off at Hobby Lobby this weekend and spent Saturday night putting them up. (Thank you husband). Now the task is to find things to put on them. I love the empty frame idea, but I bought this empty frame to make my jewelry organizer - so I'll be on the lookout for other empty frames that would maybe work up here. We got that big metal jack at Home Goods and I think it will look cute once other stuff is up there.
I decided to make a red H to put on one of the shelves. I just bought a paper mache H from JoAnn's Fabric for $3.99. I painted it a chocolate brown color and then went over it with a true red. Once it was dry I sanded the edges to give it a little bit of a distressed look and then rubbed this Distress Ink all over the edges.

I sealed it with Modge Podge and let it dry.

Here it is on the shelf...I don't know which shelf it will eventually go on, but it looks good for now.
Here is a shot of one of my favorite new accessories in our living room - our metal jack!

We also got this cute PANTRY sign to hang, can you guess, above our pantry. We found this at Home Goods for $3.99!!

A Fun Wreath for Spring!

2010-02-08T20:43:00.010-06:00

Sam had a bath on Saturday. He loves to have a bath. He will stand in front of the tub and bark until I put him in and then I have to run the water a little so he can stand underneath it like a waterfall. He just loves it. Whether it is the guest bathroom tub or the big soaker tub in our bathroom - he does not care! Sam loves sitting on the back of the chair in our family room, that way he can look out over his yard and make sure that it is just how he left it last.
Sam also loves to play on the chair...sometimes he scares us if he chomps at our faces! He is just playing though!

Saturday, even though I had a cold, I made a Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake. It was tasty! Will LOVED it. He told me I had to get it out of the house.

Tonight I finished my spring wreath project. I started it last night and finished it up as I was watching the snow fall just now. I got the idea from tatertots and jello. I decided to use mostly greens for my wreath so it has a spring feel to it. It is hanging on our coat closet now (right next to our front door). Will wasn't sure he would like it at first, but now he calls me Martha Stewart. Another thing he says I should sell...

Right now I am watching the snow continue to fall and hoping, just hoping, for a snow day tomorrow. They say 2-4" by tomorrow mornings commute. I am hoping that it is more like 4+ inches and that they can't clear the roads well enough by bus stop time...maybe I'll be blogging tomorrow from home on my day off?!?!

Another Week Down

2010-02-06T07:54:00.003-06:00

Samson got two new balls this week. We had another short play session with Brinkley and Sam was such a good boy that he got to go to the pet store. Sam loves squeaky balls, so he picked two out. One was red and one was a blue baseball. He has just about broken the squeakers in both of them. The video below shows him playing with it. He squeaked those balls for over an hour straight. It was annoying, but oh so very cute!

Will and I have a lot to do today. Sam has to get a bath. We need to go to the grocery store. And! I get to go pick out new sunglasses and a new cell phone for my Valentine's present! I'm excited. I lost my nice sunglasses two Fourth of July's ago, when Will proposed. I guess with the excitement from the day - I left them somewhere. So, I have had cheap sunglasses since and they were horrible (they were not polarized). So needless to say I'm very excited to be getting new ones. Also, I need a new cell phone. It does not hold a charge hardly at all and my parents dog tried to eat it like 2 years ago, so it's been beat up for a long time.

I need to order a recipe box online. I want to get all my recipes printed and organized so they are convenient to use. I hate how I have them in like 3 places - most of which are on the computer, so I have to have my laptop out on the island while I cook. It just is not very convenient.

Sam's New Best Friend

2010-01-31T11:05:00.007-06:00

Samson made a new best friend last night. He met Brinkley Short and had a blast. They did the typical butt sniffing - Sam did more than Brinkley - and Brinkley enjoyed hiding underneath a chair while Samson would climb in and out of being under it with him. It was cute! Sam kept bringing a tennis ball to Brinkley, not understanding that Brinkley couldn't throw it for him.

They even shared water - it was adorable.

This is what started the trouble that ended the night...Brinkley got Samson's "foxy" and Samson didn't mind at all...
...but Brinkley didn't like it when his dad tried to take it away from him. He snarled and growled and we decided to end the play session at that point and try again soon!

Lazy Weekend

2010-01-23T10:26:00.009-06:00

This weekend may prove to be a lazy one. Will and I just don't have much to do! It's gloomy outside and the couch is calling our names. It's that kind of gross gray color outside now -winter. Yuck, I hate it. These flowers in our half bath are bringing a small part of spring to me early. There is so much I hate about winter - I hate being cold, and I always am. I hate the confining clothes - again YUCK.

I'm all ready for spring. The flowers blooming, wearing flip flops for the first time in months - I love freeing my toes. I can't wait to enjoy our new deck either. Will and I are going to run by Garden Ridge this afternoon to look at patio furniture. This spring I want to plant flowers and do some landscaping in our yard. I'll get to use my gardening tools that Mandy got me for Christmas. Right now they are bright and shiny new in our garage, but I can't wait to get them dirty. I want to plant some snap dragon flowers. Those remind me of when I was little. I love how vibrant their colors are and how when you squeeze them they open up and little bugs hide inside. We used to have them in our backyard on Branchwood. I even had white ones in my wedding bouquet. I'm not sure where I will plant them...

Samson is also excited this weekend. His new friend arrives today. Kerns and Chris are headed to pick up their new Golden Retriever pup right now. His name is Brinkley. Samson bought him a present last week. He picked it out himself at his favorite store, One Lucky Mutt. He even helped me wrap it for Brinkley. The paw print on the bag was his idea. He got some of his favorite treats when we were there. He loves their blueberry and banana muffin bites. They are his favorite.

Monday at Home

2010-01-18T15:02:00.004-06:00

I'm off work today...it's nice to have a three day weekend. Will and I had a nice, relaxing, but busy weekend. This weekend Will showed me his handyman side - it was pretty cute. He, well we, hung our new sconces and our USA planked wood art from Pottery Barn (that arrived last week). We also hung our new curtains for our master bedroom and a mirror that was a house warming gift from Julie, yes way back in July. We knew all along where we wanted it, but we couldn't hang it until we knew where the curtains would stop (so we could center it on a portion of our bedroom wall). We had to buy a new collar and harness for Samson, he broke free of his puppy collar on Thursday afternoon. Samson also bought a welcome gift for his new friend, Brinkley, who arrives on Saturday (Megan and Chris's new puppy). Today I did some touch up paint work and cleaned bird doodoo off our deck - gross! Now, I am relaxing and contemplating taking a short nap. Let's see what else did we do this weekend...oh, we went to Cheesecake Factory - one of our favorite restaurants - it was very yummy! We watched some movies and I did a deep clean of the kitchen on Sunday. The weather has been beautiful - compared to the low temps we had the last week or so. I'm still ready for spring...

DIY Project - Lost Socks, Complete!

2010-01-11T22:43:00.007-06:00

Below you will see my completed Lost Socks project for our laundry closet. The pictures really are washed out and don't make it look as cute as it looks in our little laundry corner. I know what you are thinking, I have a lot of LOST SOCKS! I know...that is why I needed this. I loose part of a match and then put it somewhere and then find the other half and can't find the first lost half...it was an ongoing cycle. I made the base for the two strips out of some thin wood I bought at Home Depot and then used wood glue to glue the clothespins down. Then I painted the whole thing with some sample of wall paint Will and I had bought. The Lost Socks wording is a wall sticker from Uppercase Living and the color is Herb Garden. I love this color green! It reminds me of the greens in our master bedroom.

I wish I could have hung the two strips straight underneath each other, but with the light switch it just didn't work that way. I could have gone higher up the wall, but then the first set would have been a tab out of reach and you wouldn't have been able to read the cute Lost Socks wording as well. I got around to putting my pine cones in my glass jars...the newest thing that they are holding!

Good news! Part of our Pottery Barn order shipped today! Sconces will be arriving soon!

Late Night Shopping

2010-01-10T10:48:00.006-06:00

Will and I had fun on Pottery Barn last night. We had been wanting this metal archway from Z Gallerie, but we didn't necessarily like how it was a mirror. So last night I was on Pottery Barn and saw this NEW archway that they just put out! Will and I decided we had to have it for above our media center. The only bad thing is it is on back order until the end of January, so we will have to be a little patient for it.

Then Will found this on sale and decided he thought it would be cool for above our dining room table - on the huge blank wall in the kitchen. So with it being more than 50% off, we decided we had to have that too.

And last, but not least, we got a set of two of these pillar candle sconces (third from left) - which will also hang in our living room.

So, I have come to the conclusion that I LOVE Pottery Barn.

Snow Day Number 1

2010-01-07T13:44:00.011-06:00

Today is officially our first snow day of the school year. Last night they called school off around 10:00 PM. I was so excited. I needed the day to finish my report cards, which I can say are done and submitted - comments and all! The funny thing is both my sisters got snow days today too, one lives in Nashville and the other in Lexington. Both of them got much less snow than us - just a dusting. The wind chill temperature is forecasted to be -15 below zero beginning at 6:00 PM tonight, so I am hoping for another day off tomorrow - which would make for a 4 day weekend! Am I getting too greedy? So with report cards done, the house clean *pretty much*, and Samson napping behind me on the top of our over sized chair, I thought I would sit down and add some pictures and house stuff to our blog.

Meet Pierre the Pig, our newest addition to our kitchen. He is from Williams-Sonoma. Will and I have been looking for a butler pig since we lived in our apartment. We finally used part of some leftover Pottery Barn gift cards to purchase our new friend Pierre. Pierre and Samson do not get along very well.

This California Pomegranates sign hung above our stove in our apartment and it made its way to the same spot in our house. I found this at Waterworks Antiques in Washington, Missouri. I think it was like 8 bucks - but it is one of my favorite things we have.

I saw this recipe for making your house smell good on this blog . http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2008/11/pardon-me-while-i-dote/

So, with today being a snow day, I thought I would give it a try. I didn't have any cinnamon sticks on hand, so I just used the spice from my spice cabinet. I didn't have whole cloves, but I had ground cloves from baking Julie's zucchini bread over Christmas - so far it's working well, the house smells delicious as I type. Samson even came into the kitchen to see what his mom was cooking up!

These are our newer glass canisters that we got 50% off at Hobby Lobby. They were filled with different red and gold ornaments over Christmas and on my to do list today is to fill them with pine cones that my dad gave me over the break. I wanted to spray paint the pine cones funky winter colors, but I think I decided to just leave them brown. These will be fun to fill with different things as the seasons and holidays change.

Is it really almost over?

2010-01-02T08:45:00.004-06:00

Well, I go back to work on Monday - and so does Will. I have to say - I think I'm ready for summer already. Maybe it's the fact that we've gotten so much done with our house in the last week, or maybe it's the fact that I am sick of the cold weather....whatever it is, I'm sad my Christmas break is pretty much over.

Will and I were very busy. We hosted Will's family for Christmas Eve - my first holiday dinner to host at our new house. Then we had my parents over the following Sunday for our own holiday celebration - and to have my dad help us build some shelves for storage in the basement. We got a much needed new vacuum for Christmas and our drapes from Pottery Barn. The picture above shows the drapes, but not in our house (I wish!!). Now we just need to hang them - problem is - we don't own a drill. I keep telling Will that we need to buy a drill because I'm tired of borrowing other people's. So add it to the to-buy list: DRILL.

Two days before Christmas we decided to get the rest of our house painted, the family room, staircase, landing, two spare bedrooms and second full bathroom. We choose a very light khaki/tan color called WHICKER. It was from Lowe's. For the second full bath we chose a blueish color to match the blue and brown shower curtain we got for our wedding.

Now were are moving on to finish accessorizing the house...lamps, decorations, wall art...more curtains...you name it and we probably still need it in at least one room. Plus, we still need furniture in the two upstairs bedrooms. My goal is to have the guest bedroom finished by the Fourth of July - I'd like to have the family back in town for the second year in a row. Who knows what kind of show the neighbor will put on this year!

I also did a DIY project over break. I found it on this blog: http://allbowerpower.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/states-of-the-union/
So I decided I wanted to make my own for Auburn and STL. They turned out pretty cool, and the best part is Will loves them. He told me I should sell them.

Anyway, the fridge is full of leftovers, the lights and greenery are taken off the porch and the tree and decorations are tucked away for next year. I hope you had a Merry Christmas, now back to work!

HoHoHoliday

2009-12-06T20:59:00.004-06:00

Happy Holidays! We ordered our first Christmas cards as a family this past week. How exciting was that? I got them from Shutterfly. They should arrive tomorrow and I can't wait to see them. We had lofty dreams of getting Katie to take some pictures of us, but time slipped away from us. Samson has grown into a full sized Westie with the same puppy energy. He has calmed down a little, but loves to play rough with this Dad. I was sad when I went outside 10 minutes ago to take pictures of our greenery and lights on the front porch to post on here and my stupid camera can't capture a nighttime picture. So, a side note, we need a new camera. Our deck is finished, so we can check that off of our house to-do list!

I've Been Bad...Very Bad

2009-09-26T09:14:00.005-05:00

Yeah, so keeping up with this blogging thing is harder than I thought. It's been over three months since I updated - and a lot has happened since. Will and I went on our honeymoon to Riveria Maya...we had a decent time. The food could have been better and with how much Will and I love food - that part was kind of a let down. Samson has grown to almost his full size and is pretty much potty trained. We've been busy on the house...the deck is started and we've bought a lot more furniture and decorations. We are coming up on our 6th month wedding aniversery...WIERD. Time flies. I'm back to work at school - Will is still traveling a lot and we are busy cheering on Auburn as they are 3-0 right now. Life is good, but busy. I'll try to get better at this blogging thing...

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-05T21:04:00.003-05:00

We had a great 4th of July - celebrating the year anniversy of Will and I's engagement. My family came into town and we got to spend time with everyone including little Logan and Sasha. Samson enjoyed his company too and all the attention it got him. He was a good boy with our guests. Our fireworks show turned out to be only second best however, our neighbor spent $4000 in fireworks and put on a show that lasted several hours and topped any municipalities show. It was a fun weekend! Next on our list is Riviera Maya - here we come!

Back from Lexington

2009-06-15T14:46:00.006-05:00

I survived our hike up to the Natural Bridge when I visited Lexington. It took about 2 hours to get up and then back down. Then we enjoyed a nice little picnic - which was the first picnic I had ever had free of wasps or bees - complete with avocado on our turkey sandwich. After we finished lunch we went up the ski lift and came back down. Although I can't say it was "up my alley" it was surprisingly fun. Other highlights of the trip include watching my wedding video that Cliff made, trying a beer cheese burger, and shopping for baby clothes for Logan.

Off to Lexington for the Weekend!

2009-06-10T15:17:00.002-05:00

I am headed to Lexington for a long weekend tomorrow. I will be leaving my two boys here by themselves...could this be dangerous? I am visiting Julie and Cliff in their new house and Mandy is coming up from Nashville too. It will be a fun weekend, but I will miss Will and Samson. Will will be busy selling the last of our things at the apartment to get it ready for me to clean...most things are moved into the new house, but we have a few odds and ends to clean up. For some reason I don't feel like it's summer yet...maybe it's the fact that I have not been to a pool yet and I am not even remotely tan? Maybe that will change after this weekend...Julie has a hike planned for us in the woods...she saved the fact that we will be climbing rock walls until this week - maybe because she knew I wouldn't go for that? I am not in good enough shape...hopefully I will surive (with bugspray I may have a chance).

Samson's Arrival!

2009-05-31T20:30:00.005-05:00

We went to pick Samson up on Friday night. It took us 3 hours to get there and 3 hours to get back. He is adjusting to our house well and we have had fun getting to know his personality. He is a very sweet boy with lots of bursts of energy. Will enjoys throwing him backwards and watching him run back to ask for more...I enjoy cuddling with him early in the morning. He has proven to be a good eater and likes all of his new toys!

We Have A Blog?

2009-05-17T22:02:00.003-05:00

So Will found out today we have a blog, even though I told him I was creating one for us weeks ago. It's funny how sometimes you think people are listening even when they are not...so I just finished up sharing the blog with Will. He was critiquing my use of grammar on the blog and I guess he learned that even teachers don't know everything. We had a busy weekend buying more stuff for the house, including a coffee table Will picked out for us at Pottery Barn. Today we ventured out to Petsmart to buy a crate for Samson and some other puppy items like toys and a leash. My favorite thing we got was a collar for Samson that says, "Bad to the Bone" and it has pictures of bones on it. Will picked that out too. Will and I are debating going to get Samson on Monday when we get back from Dallas - but we are still thinking about it...this weekend we are headed to Dallas to visit Nick for Memorial Day festivities.

2009-05-13T17:25:00.002-05:00

Soon we will hear the bark of a pup in the new house...we got updated pictures of Samson in an email today. I am so excited to have a "friend" to come home to when Will is traveling. One of Will and I's tasks in the next week - buying puppy stuff!

RUFF RUFF

Summer is fast approaching!

2009-05-12T21:41:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that my second year of teaching is winding down. I was sitting in a curriculum writing meeting today and I starting thinking of how my life has changed so much in the last few years. This summer I will be spending time tutoring a few students, taking workshops and working on writing Rockwood's new third grade science curriculum with some other teachers in the district. I also look forward to visiting Julie's new house in Lexington in June. She has a bunch of fun things planned for Mandy and I to do with her while we are there for a few days. Then I will be hosting our first family event at our new house over the Fourth of July weekend. Mandy, Ryan, Logan, Julie, Cliff and my mom and dad will come to our house for fireworks this year (don't worry they are legal in Jeffco). And not but two days later Will and I are leaving for our honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico (as long as the Swine Flu does not stop us). I am sure I will find myself at the pool a few days in between all of this too. Our neighborhood pool is supposed to be finished by Memorial Day weekend, but I am not getting my hopes up. There are TONS of great things about being a teacher...but summer is close to the top of the list.

All Moved In...Well Kinda

2009-05-11T20:54:00.004-05:00

Well, Will and I moved a week ago this past Saturday. It was a beautiful day for moving stuff from the apartment to the new house. We love everything so far, but still have lots to do. We are excited for all the work we still need to put into the house. I will try and get some pictures posted up soon. We also have other big news in the Hubbard house. On May 30th we will have a new addition to our family. Samson Hubbard will be coming home that weekend. We are getting a Westie pup and here is a picture of him. He is about 5 weeks here and we get to take him home at 9 1/2 weeks. I will have a busy summer training Samson.

House Update

2009-04-19T08:50:00.002-05:00

So, Will and I have been busy painting our new home, watering our new grass, and doing general homeowner things. We got our refrigerator delivered this week and had our garage door opening put in yesterday. This afternoon we have our new kitchen/dining set being delivered and our bedroom set Thursday morning. Next weekend I am heading to the lake for Katie's birthday and Will has to go to Texas for his job...it will be nice to get away for a weekend and have fun with friends - I just wish Will could join us too. But the following weekend we are officially moving in!! We are very excited and can't wait to get out of our apartment.

We officially are homeowners!

2009-04-10T15:56:00.004-05:00

SO, Will and I closed on our house today! We are generally pleased, even though there were some "bumps in the road". Now I am ready to head to Lowe's...that's funny, I never thought I would WANT to spend hours in Lowe's...more to come!

So here we are...

2009-04-07T19:39:00.001-05:00

...our first post!

Hello to everyone out there who has been telling me to get a blog, I finally did it! My favorite part was creating the name of Will and I's page - personally, I think I chose a very creative one. Will and I are now officially Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard - sounds wierd, but I am getting used to it since so many of the kids in my class are finding reasons to say my new name. Not to mention the random kids in the building who stop me by saying, "Hi Mrs. Hubbard" and I have no idea who they are or where they came from. I guess that is a good thing about being a teacher when you have to change your name, you are exposed to being called by that new name more than in some other lines of work. We will see if I can keep up with this blogging thing...I will try my very best!