score

perusing craigslist i came across these two pier 1 beauties.

clean and contemporary.

just the look i'm after for my master bedroom.

asking price $50.00.

selling price $20.00.

tee hee...i'm such a frugal shopper.

want a designer blog?

if you do go  to designer blogs and check out some of their fabulicious designs!  and you won't be disappointed in their service either.  erin designed my blog...probably not an easy feat for someone as blog challenged as i was.  and they are having a giveaway.  you might want to enter.  i just did!

giving and the giving tree

sunday was a lovely day.  we spent it at the giving tree helping to feed the homeless and passing out coats and clothes to those in need.  the giving tree is quite the organization.  what i really like about the giving tree is that those who receive help are also expected to work. the organization of the clothes and the coats and the volunteers and the food boxes is all done by the same people who are receiving the goods and services.  the giving tree recently got some bad press.  the usual negative stuff...misappropriation of funds, different citings of various violations, yada, yada, yada.  what organization, federal or private, hasn't fallen short when it has been scrutinized by those looking for something negative.  all of that really doesn't bother me.  why?  because hungry and cold people are hungry and cold people.  and they need help.  and that is what the giving tree does.  dave and jen and the boys were there to help too.  in fact, jen organized a coat drive for the giving tree.  her goal was to collect 100 coats.  but she did oh, so much better than that.  she collected over 200 coats.  way to go jen!  and boy were those coats snatched up.  it was so rewarding watching those in need, especially the children, try on coats and pick just the right one.  but one of the best parts was watching drew, wes, and will help unload coats and participate in the giving and serving of those less fortunate.  yep, sunday was a very good day.  and here are some pics of the afternoon.

tables with clothing to be handed out                     the sorting of the coats and food boxes

dave, jen and boys getting some directions             a jumping castle for the children

if you or your family are ever looking for a chance to give service and help those in need the giving tree has plenty of opportunities.  and you will get so much more than you give.  i promise.

i found it

my favorite, all-time ever, talk to me baby, blog that is.  design *dump.  a place to dump pretty ideas and beautiful inspiration.  oh my gosh.  holy wow.  fabulicious.  she's divine.  here's a sneak peak.

but wait till you see her real stuff.

oh my.  i'm dreaming.

let's partay

cousin christmas sleepover

only had one meltdown...abelha

and one temper tantrum...elise

overall a success!

vegging after the white elephant exchange.

emeline is sick.

but she loved her new blanket.

boys and computer games.

i can't figure them out...the games that is.

nana and bumpa's bed is a great place to hang out and watch cartoons...

can we get some breakfast over here?

ah, dippers, sausage, pop tarts, chocolate donuts...and oranges.

oranges.  come on nana.

you just threw those in for our parents.

good stuff maynard.

it's the attack of the cousins.

sash is under their somewhere.

no more monkeys jumping on the bed.

nana needs a nap.

gearing up

it's a most wonderful time of the year.

this is what i've got planned for this week.

can't wait!

them mountains are gone

the granite mountain backsplash that has been a major eyesore to my eyes that is.  the ones that made me cringe everytime i walked into my kitchen. who wastes good granite on a backsplash that is cut to look like mountains.

here they are before.

they just look plain wrong.

  mountains are gone.

thank you greg and tony.

you made me a happy girl today.

and the new backsplash will be stone tiles, laid in a brick pattern with decorative tiles interspersed.  my mom did the same backsplash when she recently redid her kitchen and i love it so much i want it too.

mom, hope you don't mind that i'm copying you.

and you can kind of see the new finish on my cabinets.  they are very distressed and antiqued and i'm hoping, please, please, please, that the stone tiles will be the finishing touch to the look i was after.

update:  i'm liking it!  the tiles are giving my cabinets exactly the look i was after.

woot!  woot!

crazy...who me?

i must be crazy.  i'm not a fan of chaos so it must be that i am just plain crazy.

i mean who invites workers into their home in december.
i'm pretty sure it's only a crazy woman who would do such a thing.

 

next up in the kitchen after the cabinets is a new stone tiled backsplash.

good bye granite mountains.

i will be so glad to see you go.

kenny finished laying the floor tonight.  i love, love, love it.

he still has the new baseboards to install.

but i was excited to put my furniture back.  you know, for a sneak preview.

so he and dave obliged.

but not before they managed to topple the christmas tree.

life in the ball house.  why, it's just a ball.

p.s.  i can't wait to post pics of all the loveliness.  hopefully in another week.

if i haven't taken up residence in the funny farm that is.

a commentary

this is my blog.  my journal.  i can write what i want.  and if you don't like what i write you don't have to read it.  you have a choice.  you can just log off.  you never have to visit it again.  you don't have to be offended by anything i write. 

well, i want to be able to do that same thing when someone is slinging expletives.  just what is up with swearing?  i've certainly swore in my life. but i have to say it has never left me feeling better.  not once.  quite the contrary.  it has only fed into the anger or frustration that i was feeling to start with.  and it has always left me feeling small.  very small.

i try hard not to swear.  and not to let vulgar words enter my mind.  am i always successful?  no.  every once in awhile a "hell" or a "damn" crosses my lips.  and while these words are only mildly offensive and commonplace in our culture, they are still obscentities when used in anger and hate.  i don't want to be that kind of person.  nor do i want to be around the kind of person that screams and hisses words of ugliness.  our world today has enough chaos and meanness and hatred.  and i sometimes have to be witness to those things.  but i refuse to be defined by ugliness.  there is still goodness and beauty and kindness all around me.  and that is what i am going to surround myself with.

my day

soccer with sani leigh.

didn't end with a win but sani gave it her all.

sani gives everything her all. 

hardworking, determined, charming and incredibly loyal.

sani amazes on a regular basis.

next up...

homemades.

by mom.

there is nothing like it.  they can't be described.

if all you've ever eaten in store bought spaghetti, you are missing some exquisite cuisine.

(and thanks dad for cranking that spaghetti machine.)

and then...

i emptied all my kitchen cupboards.

and what you see doesn't even include the goodwill pile.

does one really need all this stuff?

but the best part...

these southwest, pickled, whitewashed cabinets that have turned pink with age will finally get a new finish.

they will be sanded, primed, and painted a clean, crisp color, silver leaf.

then they will get a light coat of umber glaze.

goodbye pink cabinets.

i will not miss you.

now if the boy i live with would just come home and live with me  i would be a very happy girl.

yep, he's still chasing bambi.

i root for bambi.

everytime.

grandperson's day

today was grandperson's day at emeline's school.

we had lunch together...mcdonald's...um, um, good.

emeline gave me a tour of her classroom.  her favorite spot...her classroom library nook.

(no surprise there.)

we visited the music room.
she spontaneously performed a song from her school christmas program.

we went by the library but it was closed.

we toured the 6th grade hallway.  sacred ground to a 1st grader.

we had our picture taken together.

i love this girl.

she is captivating and engaging and delightful and smart.

she was the grandperson in my day today.

thank you em for showing me around.

you make my heart sing.

christmas cheer

i love christmas decorating.  here are a few of my favorites so far this year.

just looking at them fills me with christmas cheer.

see all these lovelies and more at http://www.bhg.com/

thank you bhg.  you brighten my holiday.

i came, i went, i conquered

thanksgiving 2009

dave and jen's.

yummy food, great company, needed nap.

(we demolished tom...nary a morsel left.)

thank you dave and jen for hosting.

it was a great day of thanksgiving.

 

next up...target.

2:45am.

about 50 people in line in front of me.

target took pity on us and passed out candy.

thank you target.

but next year you might want to consider some hot chocolate.

it was craazzzzy.

some people were quite grumpy.

(note to world:  if you are going to be a grump on black friday...stay home.  the lines will be long and you might not get what you want.  deal with it.)

i conquered and i scored.

woot!  woot!

now i think i'll go to bed.

p.s.  for my posterity, the boy i live with ditched me for a chance at a whitetail deer.

the checkbook will reflect this injustice.