Like the Blue in the Sky...

Painting over old memories

2011-04-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since I've done anything around my house creative. I've been wanting to paint something slate blue FOR-EVER and then sort of let it go...then I went to the dentist the other day and voila! The perfect color was surprisingly the color of my dentist's bathroom and waiting room. They have great colorful slate, and the walls are painted the perfect slate blue to match. Melissa, the receptionist, said everyone asks for the color. It is Behr Premium in Juniper Ash. To.Die.For. So I let go of my old dining room color...my old stand-by, the red wine red look. Always had compliments on it, but it is time for a change. It was the first room I painted when we moved in, and the last for me to repaint. And I like to paint. A second, third, or even a fourth time. I can't actually say I LIKE painting. I like the idea of things being a different color and I'm too cheap to hire our professional-painter-neighbor. Plus my little "foyer" table and mirror are black, the decorations on the table are black and white, I have black sconces...well, you get the picture. So I had some great shots I took made, (In black and white, of course) and I'm going to be putting them in a funky looking large frame. Black and white and blue look so great together.

A little scary at first...

But I've gotta say, this brand covers GREAT. I used it in my living room in gold and it was fan-tab-u-lous, but to cover red in two coats? Phish.

And it's still a little shiny, but here's the result:

I just need to let it dry and put my dining room back together, and post that later.

Here are some of the pics I took that are going in the funky frame:

I've got some more but I want to go rest. Phew! That was hard work, but I am so satisfied. An even if I wasn't, it's done now, and I am NOT repainting!

I am loving it more each time I look at it.

Lately

2011-02-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ohboyohboyohboy...it has a been a long time since I've posted on here. I have missed it. So what have I been up to lately?

Well, not much really. Just the usual...we had a lovely Christmas.

We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma's House...

Then went down to my mom's house and visited there with my stepbrother Shane and Stepsister Tammy.

The next day we went to Dustin's other grandparents' house and then that afternoon had my Dad over and cooked for him.

We had SNOW on Christmas Day!

AMAZING! That has never happened in my lifetime.
Then it snowed again on my mom's birthday! The pic below is from her party. Then we played out in the snow next day! Even got to sled!

My mom's dog Heidi (the German Shepard) and my dog Samantha loved it!

(We did too. That's my mom and me sledding!)

Let's see, what else?
My sister, Kelly had a little girl - Kayla Grace! January 25, 2011.

Other than that I've just been working at my favorite place...Yankee Candle! They kept me past seasonal and I'm a permanent part-time employee! It works out great for me. Everyone I work with is wonderful and I love smelling the candles!

That's all for now. I'll have to update again soon! I promise!

Kitchen Redo - It's all I can talk about!

2010-10-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

OK Homies. So I may be a little unrealistic about what I want out of this kitchen that we will move out of in a couple years. I'm imagining something like this:

That's basically the colors that we will use...I went to Home Depot and got the paint the other day...I'm itching to paint but we have a few minor things to do first. I have "mudded" like three-fourths of the walls to cover all the old trim boo-boos and nail holes that I just painted over before because I ~~am lazy~~ had pneumonia last time I painted the kitchen and really didn't feel like messing with it. Yes, PNEUMONIA. I got bored.

Anywho. I am still debating on painting the cabinets dark. We (I) picked out a dark chocolate brown since the step-dad wasn't groovin' on the black, and I must say, I think it will work. But I'm a little nervous...the kitchen isn't tiny, but isn't huge either so I don't want to feel boxed in. Another issue is that the cabinet doors are well, not in the greatest shape, and sometimes painting things dark brings out the imperfections. BUT, I'm thinking if I sand and do a really good job, get some new hardware like this:

And this for the doors:

And some new hinges since ~~lazy~~ clumsy Lori painted over the old ones...then it might look pretty darn good for mobile home cabinets.

So, more pics to come as things move along...I can't wait to put down the new floor and get the walls painted. *squeal*

Kitchen Redo Part 1

2010-10-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Nothing stresses me out like a mess. And that's what our house is right now from this kitchen redo. A hot mess. The mess has overflowed from the kitchen into the dining room, living room, and anywhere else the mess needed to be moved to in order to get this kitchen done. I am so lucky that we went to my Dad-in-law's girlfriend's house last night for dinner and she sent us home with lots of leftovers, because I don't think I'll be doing any cooking for a WHILE...

Exhibit A:

Oh, Lordy. That is (was) my dining room with my kitchen island, trash can, and other kitchen items chunked in it. I nearly had a coronary when I walked in this afternoon.

Yes, those are boobie and bootie salt and pepper shakers on top of that island...just wanted to clarify that I don't collect nude sculptures, but I DO collect salt and pepper shakers. They were too good to pass up. I found them in Panama City Beach one year (where else, really?) and found them wildly hilarious.

So anyway, back to the kitchen. The original plan was to redo the floor in our ancient mobile home because it had warped with all the humidity and running of the new giganda air conditioner this past summer. Although, being me, Miss Never-Satisfied, I started observing all the cracks and trim and other things on the walls that needed to be redone, so...we are now doing that as well. But I'll have to post on that later.

Here is my floor all torn up, being prepped to put in new, clean, un-warped new wood:

In mobile homes, (especially old ones) everything is done...well, weird. I am installing a dimmer in my living room for the recessed light that shines on the fireplace and am lucky that it was a "normal" light switch. I'll have to post on that when I do it, too, and show you what I mean.

Anyway, sorry for my ADD. Here is a shot of the floor after the "fixed" wood is put in:

We are only fixing the warped part because the rest of the floor is in pretty good shape, ever after like 20 years. Tomorrow Dustin will putty the cracks, sand it down, paint a coat to help the floor tiles stick, and we will start on putting down the new floor.

Which is fab, by the way. It is linoleum tiles that look like parquet, or wood, flooring.

We went with those because this place is not an actual house and will probably be demolished one day if we sell off the land. But these tiles were cheaper than some of the stone ones I looked at! And they will be a breeze to clean, which I will do immediately upon placement. :)

OK one more pic for the evening. This one is a shot of the kitchen wall color, called Soothing Green Tea. At first it looked nice but now I call it "Exorcist Pea Soup Green". I want more of a sage-y greenish gray which I have seen in some high-dollar homes and was very inspired by. I felt a little ~~crazy~~ creative when I walked in and decided to start ripping off the old trailer "trim".

I can't wait for a trip to Home Depot tomorrow with the landlord...AKA the Mom, to pick out new paint (I've already found Soft Sage and Frosted Pine, which both look kinda like my expensive inspiration kitchens) and maaaaaybe get some under cabinet lighting if I'm lucky. I'd love to paint the cabinets black and then have that lighting...ohhhh...yeeeeaaaahhhh....but the landlord (step-dad half) is not too thrilled about the black. Of course, he also asked my mom what color they are now, and didn't realize I'd painted them white 3 years ago...hmmm.

Excitement in the bedroom. Haha. Not really. I just said that to gross everyone out.

2010-09-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

So my lovely mom surprised me with a trip to TJ Maxx the other day which I thought was to get her a new mattress pad and then me have the old one. You always want it if someone else has it, right? But seriously. The only mattress pad I ever put on our bed was a waterproof, plastic-y one from when our cat was in heat and she decided to mark our bed. Like 7 times. After scrubbing with every man-made and natural urine-stopping concoction out there, I just came to the realization that we would have to sleep on something resembling what you put on a kids bed you are potty training. I got all the smell out and the mattress is ok, but I didn't want to take anymore chances.
So after my husband complaining and sleeping on the couch most nights to avoid waking himself up with "the crinkling" I thought my mom was going to give me her old one which is a Ralph Lauren and I love. Before they came back from vacation the other day I put on clean sheets and made mention of her soft mattress and the hunt began.

I wasn't feeling too hot when we were walking around (I hadn't eaten practically all day and was on the verge of keeling over) so I complained (I think nicely, although my mom is pretty darn indecisive when it comes to shopping) quite a bit but I felt three or four pads and decided if it were MY bed (after she said 3 times "Which one would YOU use?" Duh, Lori...must have been the lack of food that kept it from clicking) I'd still love a Ralph Lauren over other brands. I've had good luck with RL stuff so I was pretty tickled when we finally made it out to the parking lot and she said, "It's yours!" I then wanted to suffocate myself with it for being such a complainer the whole time, but I love it nonetheless. :)

My naked bed, sort of, with the new mattress pad fresh-out-the-oven!

On its new home! More comfy already!

Ralphy!

With the sheets...Dustin's grandma got these and another set for us...I love the deep chocolate brown...feels luxurious when I get into bed. They rock my socks. :)

Our comforter. I love it and meant to take a "fully made" pic but forgot. Ooops. It's about time for a new one, but this one is still beautiful. I got it before we ever got married and had my eye on it for quite some time before I invested. And I do mean invested. It was a pretty penny.

And we can't forget, my lovely scented candle to make the room smell nice. This one smells fresh, salty, like the beach wearing perfume. Haha!

By the way, I got a part-time/seasonal position at my local Yankee Candle. YIPPPPPPEEEEEE!!!!!

First day of the rest of my life...

2010-09-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

I think my mom sums up my thankfulness for today in her post, you can read it here:

http://lingeringshade.blogspot.com/2010/09/year-ago-today.html

Here is my story of my ordeal.

Last year at this time, I didn't know if I'd live one more day, even hour, much less a whole other year! I remember laying in the hospital bed, especially in ICU when no family could stay with me, being completely scared and unsure and tired. They had me on so much medicine I was dopey most of the time to prevent being in pain and probably to prevent me from having a major panic attack. I think the most scared I've ever been in my life was when we arrived at the hospital and they took me to get a CT Scan. I couldn't walk by that time and that was very scary. I couldn't even use the bathroom on my own; my husband had to come help me. I had never been in the hospital, been to the ER, or had a CT Scan before. They told me they would inject dye into my main artery so they could see all my organs and find out what was wrong. I could barely breathe and my husband came into the room to help me up on the little CT Scan gurney and it was the hardest thing to lie there with my arms above my head and listen to a robotic voice telling me when to hold my breath. The dye felt so warm and weird, and I had a funny taste in my mouth when they finally finished and flushed me with saline. They had such a hard time getting that big needle in, and it hurt like crazy getting poked everywhere...it felt like someone ripping a hole in my arm to put it in. (Which essentially I guess it was a hole in my arm!) I told my mom I just imagined God holding me in His hands, keeping me steady and in place while they scanned me.

My Dr. was not there but called at about 10 that night to tell my mom that I had multiple, large blood clots in my lungs and that I was in big trouble if they didn't act fast. I was put on oxygen and told that I would be receiving clot treatments by having two shots a day in my stomach - every morning and every evening. My mom looked terrified, my husband was there, my stepdad, and my dad finally arrived after getting pulled over for speeding! A friend and pastor of ours came in as well and prayed with me. I called my sister because I didn't know if I'd live or die and told her I loved her and could barely make it through the conversation.

The next day several nurses rushed in and said they needed to take me to ICU. I remember asking, almost jokingly, if I was going to die and they never gave me a straight answer; just that I was "very sick".
I stayed in ICU for 2 or 3 days and then got released to a private room. I went through the rest of the week being woken at 4 am every day to get blood drawn and was given multiple medications every few hours. I wasn't even allowed to get up and use the regular bathroom; I had to use a "potty" by the bed. I definitely wasn't modest anymore after my stay! The last day, I finally got to get up and walk the halls. My mom was there as Dustin was at work and walked with me, dragging my IV bag along the way. I was so glad to get out of that room and see the hallways! I didn't go far as my legs felt like they forgot how to walk, and was exhausted soon, but it felt like a victory. I got news that I could be released and we packed up and wheeled me to the car. Even the smell of someone smoking outside smelled so real and wonderful when I got my first breath of "non-hospital air"! I went home and took my first shower in a week (PHEW! I kept complaining that I stunk in the hospital, they all looked at me like I was crazy and that was the least of my concerns) and it seemed like it took forever but felt good. The rest of of the night and even that week and month is a blur to me, but as time went on I learned to live with my new life.

Today was a great day. I had a beautiful blue sky and a cool morning with the windows open at home and windows down in the car. I started it off early by heading to the mall for a Yankee Candle sale. Ha! I got there early and enjoyed the quiet except for a few people walking around for their morning exercise.I smiled at everyone and enjoyed being able to walk all around the mall without being out of breath. Over the past year I have had good days, lots of bad days, and a few "ok" days in between. Lately, over the past 2 months or so, I've had mainly good days! My mom and stepdad Craig-person (I call him that) took me to eat Mexican food and I had a margarita. I had a wonderful day and plan to have many more to come.

Eat, Pray, Love...

2010-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Oh....boy...I hopped on the Eat, Pray, Love train this summer when I saw Julia Roberts on Oprah. My mother-in-law was reading the book on vacation when we went in June and loved it so I got the book as well. I wasn't able to make it past India without being a little bored (those of you who have read know what I'm sayin'.....) so I was SO glad Mom asked me to go see it with her...I liked the condensed version idea! Although I do plan to read the rest when we go to the beach again!

What wonderful movie it was. I love Julia (I say that as though we are good friends) so that helped a lot. The film was a little dragging at first but once she started traveling it was a fun ride. We LURVED the idea of Italy and all their food and wine. We have lots of German relatives, so we felt soooo European going to see that movie, and obviously would fit right in in Italy. ;)

I got all dressed:

Which is really just me wearing something other than flip-flops like the rest of the ladies in the theater...

I learned a new word! "Attraversiamo", which means, "Let's cross over" (like, the street...not to another life or something!) I keep saying it with much gusto. ATTRAVERSIAMO!!!!!!! I just need to use it in context now.

And last night I made SPA-GHETTI!!! *with Italian accent* Although failed to take a picture because I was too busy eating.

Today my husband made a delicious salad for dinner with Romaine, red onions, banana peppers, black olives, a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and some parm. It was delish!

We got super-excited and even found a perfect pizza:

So this is what my dinner consisted of:

Is that a glass of red wine hiding in the corner? So it is.

Some Old Days and New Days

2010-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Dustin's grandparents gave him this photo to make some copies of. This is his grandfather (PawPaw or PaPa, not sure of the spelling) when he was around 22 years old. Isn't he handsome?

This next photo is of an old store that Dustin's great, great grandfather ran in Alabama, "Big Coon". Still looks pretty good for being so old!

The inside:

The Bell Spring:

Dustin's family purchased some land out close to that old store, for Dustin's grandfather and for the family to pass through the generations. They have plowed it and cleared the land, and purchased a small travel camper to stay in when they are out that way. I have not seen it yet but am excited to go "camping" soon!

What a pretty view!

Lately...

2010-07-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...so what have I been up to these days?

WELL. If you MUST know, the new Premier Designs Jewelry 2010-2011 catalog just came out!!! I'm SOOOO excited. I must brag and say that the company has outdone themselves this year. I think the jewelry is the best yet. I have been busting bottom getting the word out, handing out catalogs, and just letting everyone know in general what a great company I am a part of!!!

Aside from that, I've been on a Pottery Barn kick. See Exhibit A:

I went on their website and saved a ba-gillion pictures to use for decorating reference. Although I must say, I don't have QUITE the money or doo-dads right now to really make it work, but I try.

Exhibit B: Me forcing Mom to take a picture of me in Pottery Barn for use in my "Dreamboard". This is me envisioning myself sitting in a Pottery Barn-esque home one day. Hehe!

I've been playing around a little with more summer decorating. (I said I wanted to do that!)

My dining room/kitchen table was looking kinda blah.

I also took everything off the end tables and the mantel in the living room and have stoof in front of it multiple times in the past few days going, "Hmmmm..." with a very "thinking" look on my face.

The mantel is to be determined but while I wait, at least I can eat some yummy dinner Dustin made:

I took the pic in the beginning stages...it's going to be Mexican soup...but it smelled so good I had my nose in it already!
More later on if I actually redo the mantel or just put everything back how it was............

Our new patio set! (Kind of...)

2010-07-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

So we finally got our new patio set!

We haven't finished decorating around it yet so I just saved some pics off the website:

We don't have that rug (I couldn't find it in the store or online) but I had my eye on this one for a long time and when it went on clearance I grabbed it:

Yes, it looks a little ~~crazy~~ 70's, but I promise in person it's a little more muted and goes well with the color of our house, which is cream with a butterscotch-ish trim color.

I have lots of pretty red accents - on my pillows that are on the two benches by the front door, along with a few hanging thingys.

Someone took a pic on the website of their patio area, and it's a similar set and the same rug, so it gives you KIND OF an idea of how ours looks:

I have no idea who the person is (sorry, person) but their set is similar (ours has a glass table and brown throw pillows) and the cushions are the same.

So anyway, we have to put up some lattice, and move a few things around, and I'll update soon!

Just a quick one

2010-06-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling too hot today so I finally moved from the bed to the couch and when I did...

I suddenly became Cat Lady!

Ugh, I thought I Wouldn't be Cat Lady until I was at least 70...

Have a great Day!

More of the patio...getting closer!

2010-06-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

OK, so this really isn't of the patio itself...just around it. We have all but one small space to do and that is getting done today. I bought a rug I'd had my eye on at Wal-Mart on clearance, (of course) Mom ordered us an umbrella that should be here next week, and all we have to do is get the patio furniture. Dustin LOVES one at...you guessed it, Wal-Mart! It is on "Rollback" so we are setting aside money for it but I'm thinking we'll get it soon.

We went outside a little while before the sun went down. We had bought a pretty tropical palm plant a while back and decided to move it over by the new patio. Good decision, I think. And I finally got to use my Tiki Torches!

And my pretty votive holders I showed you a few posts ago. :)

I hate these pretty much every time of year except for now because they are just a bunch of green leaves, but they look pretty while they bloom! (And they match my new rug, which I forgot to take a pic of! Erg!)

This I took a little earlier in the day, it's my Breast Cancer Rose! It came back!

The sunset in the distance wasn't much to look at, but I looked straight up and what a pretty sky!

We can't wait to get our new patio set and have a shindig!

New patio!

2010-06-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

We have needed a new place to sit outside for a while ever since we tore off part of our deck that was rotting away. The rents (AKA landlords) helped us get some concrete a few weeks back and we ~~FINALLY~~ started on it today.

We used a stone paver mold to make the look. All the little dots are seashells. I also sprinkled sand in each one. (Yes, I know concrete already has sand in it...but this is beach sand!) and you can see it on top of some of them.

Dustin mixed and really worked hard.

I smoothed and added the seashells and sand. :)

My hair was all wet...it's close to 100 degrees here, so we kept soaking out heads in the water hose. I was way past vanity at this point!

We are almost finished and are saving up for a new patio set and umbrella!

Back to work in the morning...!

Summer is creeping in...

2010-06-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

So SLOOOOWWWLY I am trying to change my decor in the house for summertime. I've always been big on putting out pumpkins in the fall and winter-y stuff toward Christmas, but never do anything different in the summer. Well, I love our vacation spot in Florida so much, and have just been nuts in general this year about summertime. So I've decided I am going to make it work, even in my very fall-colored house. I have the Beach Room (guest room) but I am always finding more turquoise things or shells or something "beachy" with no place to put them. Here are some things I've done so far:

Collected some cute holders for outside

I replaced my Scented Rose Hips in this basket with sand and seashells!

I love this Room Spray from Pier 1. Normally I don't shop there, but a friend gave me the candle and I HAD to go back and get the room spray. LOVE IT! It smells so light and Summer-y.

THEN, TODAY...I found THESE:

*squeak* *squeal*

I carried these like my first born children up to the cash register. I LOVE blue but NEVER decorate with it. In fact, if you'll look at pictures of my house, everything is gold, green, and burgundy. Which are all great, but I need to switch it up for summer so I don't miss my beach too much.

I switched up my mantel a bit...they HAVE to be the first thing I see when I walk in...and they go great with my gold walls! Who woulda thunk it?

I found the print at Wally World for like 3 or 4 bucks, and the frame as well. I have some other prints I picked up as well...but I'll have to show them another time. Anyway, I feel like this is still classy yet beachy.

Before:

After:

Much more tropical, yes?

4-Day Va-Cay

2010-06-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

So...the Mom-In-Law took Dustin and me down to Panama City Beach for a little birthday vacation. (His was on the 3rd) No oil in the water yet! The weather was beautiful.

We took lots of fun pictures...

Dustin's Mom recently lost a TON of weight. Doesn't she look great?

Almost as good as MY mom! They are both beautiful ladies.

I even went to the exact spot where we were packing the car last August and I tripped, sending blood clots to my lungs and me into the scare of my life. (and almost death!) I'm saying, "I'm alive! I'm alive! You didn't beat me, I am too stubborn!"

Here's a nice one before dinner.

During dinner...

Our driver on the way home...we were sad...we love PCB!

The best part was...

Having my toes in the sand!!! We can't wait to go back!

My Wedding

2010-05-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd share some pics from my wedding. We got married on August 25th, 2007 at my Mom's house. She did such a nice job decorating and getting everything together.

Here I am, getting my hair done at my favorite salon. I've been going there a few years now for my cuts, and Thomas never disappoints!

Just some hairspray for the final touch.

Big Sis and Mindy helping me get ready.

Pink roses were what I always wanted. These were quite bright, though!

Where is everyone?

Just kidding. Everyone is here, waiting for me!

Me and the Daddio walking down. I really thought I'd throw up.

But I didn't, and finally, we are all through! Phew!

And of course my dad and I had one dance.

It was literally a hundred degrees out that day...we even had one guy pass out...it's a wonder we all made it!

Quotes

2010-05-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

I have always been a "quote person". I don't even really know what that means, I just know that I've always sought advice from wise people who have made their mark on the world. I have many things around my house...here are some pictures of a few of them.

This one is obviously from the Bible. I remember a friend once saying to me to always think on certain things when I was making decisions in life. I was telling him about some difficulties we were having with a family member, and he said if I always go through each of those in my head I will rarely make a wrong decision in what to do. My friend is a crazy guy but sometimes he is pretty darn inspirational! So when I saw this plaque, I knew I had to have it:

Sometimes my mouth is a little quicker than my brain, but I always look to it for goodness.

Another is this:

It says "Live the life you've always imagined."

I watched a great movie called "The Secret" and the next day I was at the store and saw this and it meant so much more to me then it would have had I seen it a day earlier. If you've seen the movie you'll know why.

And then this one, a favorite of mine I've had for several years. I've loved it so much that I even wanted a tattoo of it. My mother probably cringes each time she hears that, but it had meant a lot to me for a long time, it's not like I'm going out and getting my favorite celebirty tattooed on my arm at the spur of the moment or something!

I also have some favorite quotes on my computer that mean a lot to me:

"Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself." ~Harriet Nelson

That one means a lot to me because of the truly toxic people that we have had to deal with in life, and until I learned to forgive (NOT forget!) I had so much eating away at me that that's exactly what it did - take away FROM me and not give TO me.

Another I like:

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." ~Buddha

In my family and my husbands, as in any family, I think there are often times when if you don't believe a certain way or think about something a certain way, you get looked at kinda funny, you know what I mean? Or you get the cold shoulder or are expected to take sides. I believe what is logical to me based on the different things I've learned in life. Some may think I'm ignorant for that, but I don't care!

One more for today:

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." ~Francesca Reigler

Isn't that just the truth?!

More of what I do.

2010-05-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

In my business we go to Monthly Trainings...I'm fortunate because my girls all go to the one about 10 minutes away from my house. I got to see my Premier "Mom", who is about to be a Mom in real life! She found out she is having a girl - Skylar Renee. Such a pretty name!
Here are the two of us at training:

We both know how fortunate we are to have Premier in our lives!

Here is me with my only (as of now) "Daughter" in Premier, Luann, at her Training Show last year:

Isn't our jewelry BEAUTIFUL?

I know, I know...a little overkill with the Jewelry talk...but I can't help it, I LOVE IT!

Some stuff I luuuuv.

2010-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't sleep last night so I went around taking pictures of some things I really like around the house, trying not to wake up my husband with the flashing of the camera at 11:30pm!

This is my "office". It's actually in the living room, but it's between our fish tank and then a little side wall that comes out in the dining room by the front door, and it feels really cozy, especially at night.

You can kind of see what I mean... (it was 11:30, after all...)

I even have a little "my stuff" drawer with all the necessary things to pay bills and run my jewelry business.

How'd that Twilight bookmark get in there? Errrmmm...I'm really not a Twi-aholic. I only squeal slightly when I see a preview for the new movie.

I broke down and got some cheap stacky-thingys to hold my papers and surveys and supplies.

Speaking of jewelry and all that, here's another pic of a setup for one of my shows. I've done shows in all sort of places, small tables, little ones, fireplace mantels, apartment countertops...etc.

ANYWAY....

I love this coaster and keep one on each table in the living room. It does not go with my decor at all (I don't think, really) but I got them on our honeymoon at a place called Gulf World in Panama City Beach and it gives me good memories. Can you tell I use it a lot?

I love my little nook.

Spring has arrived

2010-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

We've had quite a pretty Spring here. I've tried taking some quality pictures but they don't always come out right. And then things keep blooming and it's like I'm running to catch up with the pictures. My mom Ulrike is much better at it than I am!

Boy, I need to get a move on!

2010-05-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a loooong time since I've posted anything. I had started a job in January at a new insurance agency that had just started and was giving my heart and soul to it. Well, after about 3 months of hard work and nothing back I decided it was time to get back into my jewelry business! I sell Premier Designs Jewelry and am very happy giving away free jewelry to my wonderful Hostesses!

I have some shows booked for this month and I am so excited! I am hoping to make it my full time job as my health has really gotten better but I'm not quite back to "the original" yet, I guess! Although I can tell a big difference just in the few weeks after I've left my insurance job!

OK, well, gotta go make dinner but I PROMISE I will write soon. I make MY OWN hours now!!!

Irving

2010-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

One year ago today our Irving was hit by a car and died. He was a really good boy and the best cat anyone could have. He knew how to use the "doggy door" to come in and out to use the bathroom; we finally just put up his litterbox. Every night when it was time for bed, I would get in bed and he would crawl up on my chest and lick my nose goodnight.
I don't know why it happened. He rarely went near the road. We think he was chasing leaves or birds. It was a really windy, cold day. Fortunately my husband was home that day and found him right after it happened and brought him up to the deck and called me. I came home early from work and held him and then we gave him a nice burial with his food dish. He was always hungry! Then we cried and cried and cried.
My husband says that he is not really gone. He says he is always there, running around and playing in the leaves. I think about him every time the wind is blowing.
Although we have two other cats now...(Roxanne and Bella) I will never forget Irving, my buddy, the kitty that made me a "cat person".

What a pretty day!

2010-01-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

It has been gradually warming up here. We've had a cold winter so far by GA standards. My dog Samantha loves the cold, although I think she enjoyed the little bit of sun we got, too!

Is she dead?!?

Ooops, she caught me sneaking pics of her!

(Scooby voice) "Hey Mom!" (She's kind of...not the brightest so we always imitate her in a Scooby Doo voice!)

OK, enough of pets for now.

Trying to Get Back Into the Routine

2010-01-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

I've been off the computer for a few days...I came down with some sort of flu virus that landed me in the hospital Wednesday and Thursday. Usually I'd be ok but with this blood thinner I have to be really careful. So today I am feeling lots better but still tired. I got some things done around the house, got some groceries, and also taking care of my sick husband. He seems to have what I did. Luckily, my kitty Bella is feeling great and snuggling me all the time.

The good part is she sits on the arm of my computer chair the whole time I'm here and all I have to do is lean toward her or make a kissy noise and she snuggles. The bad part is, she farts a lot. HA! Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true and phew! Sometimes runs me out!

I thought that was a good funny to end on today.

Birthday Girl

2010-01-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

Since we didn't get to celebrate Mom's birthday last year due to her throwing out her back, we made sure she had a good time this year.
She invited our friends and neighbors and had a good time. Mom made some pot roast, which everyone brought something good to go along with it. I think everyone enjoyed it. The girls sat down afterward for a chat, some tea, and a nice warm fire.

Mom was so mad about the candles, we gave them to the checkout girl to put back and she misunderstood and rang them up! HA!

I wonder what she wished for?

Mmm, cake.

My happy and beautiful ageless Mom!

Welcome...Snow?

2010-01-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Well, today was cold and had a pretty dusting of what some may call "snow", (It really just looks like a heavy frost) but it certainly wasn't what I had hoped for. In Georgia we have a ~~ridiclulous~~ interesting concept of what is bad winter weather. We get some pretty nasty storms here...but winter weather...not so much. When I heard they were ~~guessing~~ forecasting that there would be snow, I even took down my Christmas wreath (about time anyway...) and put up my little snowdudes in hopes of a few inches.

Needless to say they did not work, and I didn't even attempt to take a picture of our little snowshowers, for fear I would be laughed out of blogging forever.
My dog seemed to enjoy it coming down last night though...she is part Lab, part Husky according to the vet, so she enjoys the cold weather. We went out about 9pm last night and rolled up what we could into little snowballs and watched her fetch it and eat it.
Today was just mainly the dusting and some icy roads, which I will say I don't like. Last year we had about 8 inches where I worked, and the ice was crazy trying to drive.

This one above is a picture from last year of the Publix parking lot near my work. Fortunately when I took my lunch and went down there, most of it was melting, but boy, was it hard to walk on!

This one is of the parking lot at my work, which was a solid sheet of ice. My car is the middle one, which I carefully glided into my space that day. It took almost 2 hours to get to work and I even slid off the road once and had to have a police officer push me far enough to get traction again. Embarrassing.

I worked in a salvage yard, and had told my boss how pretty the totaled cars would look when they had snow on them...which he scoffed at...but I think he grudgingly agreed when it finally snowed. :)

2010-01-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

Today seemed very fulfilling to me. I got up about 8:30am, and my husband came home because he didn't have any work so I got to spend the day with him. Of course, no work means no $$$ for that day, so it is good and bad. He took me to the hospital to get my bi-weekly bloodwork done, and that went very well. Was in and out quick and didn't pass out. Next we ventured to the Dollar Store, where I got some more plastic bins to put under my sink in the bathroom. I organzied under our "guest bath" sink today and threw out a whole trashbag of stuff we didn't need and not quite sure how it got there to begin with...so onto my bathroom cabinets, which are even more ~~unbelievable~~ of a challenge.
I also did some laundry, which I DID NOT take any pictures of, as it was also a disaster. We had a great steak dinner, complete with sauteed mushrooms, cheesy mashed potatoes (instant but good) and a dijon wine sauce that I made out a recipe book my mom gave me.
So now I am just enjoying some pistachios (My mom will kill me for not getting her any) and smelling my latest crafty project that is behind me on the sofa table:

A pretty basket I got at the beach one year, some votive holders and tealights that I already had, and the only thing I bought were a few scoops of scented rosehips from a local shop.

At first I had a scoop of the rosehips in a hurricane glass, with a round votive holder sunk down in the middle. I still have two of those kinds around the house; one on the kitchen counter that are scented sort of like a Mocha, and then one in the bathroom with a scent called "Sleeping on Snow". It smells like really fancy but light perfume!

The basket behind the couch has the "Spice" scent which smells like Cinnamon. I can smell it when I walk into the house, and now with the candles lit it wafts over to my computer desk from time to time. And everyone loves cinnamon, right? Such a nice, homey scent for the winter. And we are expecting snow this week!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today I worked on staying inside and cleaning a bit. So far I have done dishes, "fixed" the vacuum, (which really means just taking it apart and cleaning it...it's a Bissell Pet Hair vac so it has to have the filters cleaned from time to time) done a few loads of laundry, and made a grocery run. I've also been walking on my treadmill the last couple days to try and get my exercise. I have been scared to get even the least bit out of breath since I've been out of the hospital, but I know it will do me good. Did a little over a half mile today on it, plus walking around Walmart probably ended up being a mile! I can't believe as of January 1st it has been 4 months since I was admitted to the hospital. I am down to getting my blood drawn every two weeks instead of twice a week, and soon will be able to go to once a month if my INR is steady. I have found a support group for people who have had Pulmonary Embolisms called DailyStrength. It is not great to harp on it all the time, but I have days that I really struggle and it helps to know there are other people out there with the same problem.

I just have to keep reminding myself:

More of the Beach Room

2009-12-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

Our Beach Getaway (Room, hehe)

2009-12-29T14:20:00.000-08:00

The bed is pretty simple. We are on a tight budget, but I got everything while we were in Panama City Beach at Pier Park's Target. I had an old but good comforter in a King size...bought this duvet and pillowcases set in a Queen, stuffed it in and it makes a nice neutral bed. I didn't want everything to have palm trees, but I love them and they represent Florida so I got this pillow.

The net I'd had in my office but knew it would work perfect in here. I had picked up some postcards one year at the beach and arranged them on the wall.

Dustin found these today at Kohls, the set on sale for $9.99. I would have been happier with $5.99, but I took what I could get.

I definitely seek tranquility by the sea.

Painting the Living Room Part 2

2009-12-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

While the paint is drying...(excuse my mess)

Finished!

Christmas Day and More of the Living Room

2009-12-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Good thing my husband's brother, Tyler, had spent the night and was there to take some Christmas photos.

We look so good up in front of my decorated fireplace I worked so hard on!

Beautiful!

My "doodads" as I like to call them, that I added later after the previous photo was taken.

I love doodads! I went to Michaels right before Christmas and found a TON. The bunches of berries, even the crystallized ones, were like 39 cents! I may go up there again soon and see if I can find any after-Christmas stuff left for next year.

Painting the Living Room Part 1

2009-12-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Then.

Fireplace with Christmas Decor.

My purty stuff. :)

Beginning the painting - a little unsure at first.

I decided one day that while I am unemployed (and bored) that I will take care of the ugly cream in the living room. Don't get me wrong, cream isn't ugly EVERYWHERE. But it is ugly in my house. And even though we won't live here forever, (we are renting from Mom and Step-Dad) I could only live with the color so long!

Family Reunion

2009-12-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here are Mom and I just a as things began. It was a really cold day in Highlands, NC.

Two of my uncles looking thrilled to be there, of course.

My Aunt Linda

The rest of the fam.

Dr. Visit

2009-09-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Some photos from my hospital stay...

Today I went for my PT/INR test which is what they use to determine how thin my blood is. Good levels for me are between a 2 and a 3. We went to my family Dr. for a follow up this afternoon and when he got the results I was at a 6! So needless to say he has taken me off it for a few days so my blood gets back to normal levels and then I take a lesser dose each day after that. I still get pain in my chest each day, and of course it worries me but I'll worry myself to death before anything else if I don't stop thinking about it all the time. I feel more at ease after seeing him. When I was getting my blood drawn this morning I nearly passed out; they had to do it twice since the first time I started blacking out. Scary feeling. I have to go back Monday for another one, oh boy. But hopefully this will all get better soon and I can be a normal, young, healthy girl.

Vacation 2009 PCB

2009-09-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

The week before I was admitted to the hospital, Dustin and I took our yearly anniversary vacation to Panama City Beach, FL. The weather and water were beautiful and we had a great time.

Dustin's dad also came down for two days and we had a blast with him too.

So scary to think that our day we were coming home would be one of the most fateful days of my life!

My husband's fun day

2009-07-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

Well, I am having quite a hard day health-wise but that's why I get to live through other people lately! This darn pneumonia is a pain! At least my husband got a half day off work and is in downtown Atlanta, GA to see a concert with our friend/neighbor Kevin. They are at the Tabernacle, (the brick building) which used to be an old church and medical center. You can read about how the building has changed and become what it is now here: http://www.tabernacleatl.com/history.php

What a neat building! He promised to take more pictures for me later. Glad it's indoors, the weather is supposed to get pretty wet this evening!

Farmer's Market

2009-07-25T10:32:00.001-07:00

Today I have been feeling a little better so Mom let me ride along to the Farmer's Market about 20 minutes from where we live. I have to be careful about tripping and falling with my ribs so I got to lean on the cart and be the photographer! I forgot my camera so my camera phone would have to do.

Flowers Galore!

2009-07-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have been at home healing from cracked ribs this week with pneumonia! Of course, I am going stir crazy so I have to sneak outside every once in a while to take some pictures. My husband loves to stand outside and water, so they have been doing pretty well.

Random

2009-01-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

Lunchtime in Statham

2008-11-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

My Siblings and Niece

2008-10-28T14:27:00.001-07:00

My sister, niece, and brother.

New blog for Lori

2008-10-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

This is me and my friend Terry getting ready for his wedding the night before where I made the bridal bouquet for Isbelia.

This is the bouquet I made.

This is my breast cancer rose, for my grandmother and friend.