Crafty Southern Mama

Wordless Wednesday (Winter Sunset)

2012-01-25T06:41:00.000-06:00

We had a beautiful sunset this week,

I had to whip out my camera!

Most of these images have been edited just a pinch with Photoshop.

But the last three images are straight out of the camera,

only re-sized for sharing...

God's beauty did not need touching up! ;)

Enjoy.

He does amazing work, no?

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

Newborn Goodness...

2012-01-23T18:52:00.000-06:00

Whew!

Busy around here these days!

One of the things I love about being stuck inside during the winter months is GETTING STUFF DONE around the house! When it's warm & pretty, I want to be outside playing with my kids & enjoying my yard!

I've been trying to sit down & share some pics of Joseph,

he's my little buddy already! ;)

But I've had a bad case of ants in your pants...

I keep popping up & dragging out closets & drawers...

busy, so busy here!

A couple of weeks ago,

the TV

above the fireplace

died.

Sad.

But, I was secretly glad.

We have a tv in the media room AND upstairs in the playroom.

Having that tv in the living room means

little people migrate to the

ONE CLEAN ROOM

in my entire house...

and trash it up!

So, we've decided that when we get our woodwork done in our foyer

(details on that project later)...

we're going to have them close up the hole &

make it look something like this...

yeah...

nice...

no tv...

no children. ;)

Well, I wanted to share some newborn pics of

sweet prince Joseph...

both mom & baby are home doing great

& little prince William is warming up to the idea of a little brother...

of course, who wouldn't warm up....

he is so, so precious!!!


(this is my fave)


(little skunk feet that smell so sweet)

Ahhhhhh,

Can't wait to visit with this little guy again soon!!!

Hope you've had a great Monday!

Joseph Michael...

2012-01-13T06:54:00.000-06:00

Guess who got a new baby brother yesterday!

Congratulations, Prince William!!

Joseph Michael Love

Born January 12 at 8:11am.

9lbs, 3oz.

Precious, precious precious!

We're going to meet him this afternoon,

I'll be back with bewitching newborn pics soon.

Don't say I didn't warn you. ;)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

FREE Valentine's Decorating

2012-01-08T07:35:00.001-06:00

I usually don't decorate for Valentine's Day,

but I have this new table in my foyer & it is empty...

so, I decided to pull some things that I had around the house &

do a little "themed" seasonal decorating.

My focal point is this FREE Valentine's printable I found on Pinterest.

I had a set of silver frames that I was not using,

so I took one out & gave it a glossy coat of black paint.

Then I cut a red paper heart for a smaller black frame I had,

pulled out some little red glass stones that I used last year.

And for $0,

we're feeling the love. ;)

I bet you have some simple things laying around

that you could use like this too.

I'm working on some recycled storage containers this weekend.

The are turning out SO cute!

(& they're so darn easy!)

If you've got some empty oatmeal containers, etc.

put them aside. I'll be back to share those this week.

Wishing you a beautiful Sunday!

Flashback Friday...(The Toof)

2012-01-06T10:24:00.000-06:00

August 2006,

Wee Sneaky E, four months old...

Sneaking in that first little toof.

fast forward...

January 2012,

Not so Wee Sneaky E,

5 1/2 years old...

with that same toof sneaking OUT!

(sniffle, my baby!!!!)

Why do they have to grow up! :(

Happy Friday!!

Top Five Projects of 2011

2012-01-04T11:46:00.000-06:00

2012 is off to a running start!

My house is back in order(ish) & the kids are back in school. It's freezing here, but the sun is shining bright...not a snowflake in sight.

(& I love that, because I need a couple of days of ALONE time here)

Here's a look back on five of my FAVORITE projects from last year:

21 Day Organizing Challenge...

here I sit a year later,

still enjoying the results of this challenge!

If you have time to organize this month,

it is well worth the time & effort!

The beadboard mud room (hall) project

Daddy P did such a great job on this!

I became a

Pioneer Woman Cookbook Scholar!
;)

(& we all gained 15 pounds)

ha!

The Board & Batten
Happy Little Half Bath

and

Is a tie...

between Big O's Teen Bedroom Makeover

and

Twin Beds in Miss O's Room

Both have brought great
happiness!! :)

And I am already at it again...

Busy, busy, busy!

Tomorrow I'm having my closet measured &
we are finally getting a custom closet put in!!!

I'm up to my eyeballs in empty hangers today,
that is a clean out that is LONG overdue!!

Looking forward to sharing this project & many more fun projects soon!

Happy Wednesday!

Christmas Card Tree (or anytime Card/Photo Tree)

2011-12-31T10:53:00.001-06:00

I can't believe this is my last project for the year already!

Before I get all my Christmas goodies put away,

I wanted to show you my new

Super Easy Christmas Card Tree

(or an Anytime Card/Photo Tree)

that I put together this year.

I've been waiting to blog about this project

because the more cards I got in the mail,

the better my tree looked!

Here she is day one:

I had this outdoor Christmas decoration that bit the dust a few years ago, but I never threw away the base that it came with. It was just one of those things that I KNEW I could make something cool with it!

It is heavy & you will want to use something with weight on the bottom to keep your tree from falling over. Conveniently, this base was already weighed down AND topped with Styrofoam & moss...but both of those things are easy to acquire at your local craft store.

First, I went out & gathered some sticks out in the yard.

Then I got out my Metal Spray Paint & gave them a fancy coating.

I wish I had thought to add glitter to them when I was doing this step, they would have been so sparkly & bewitching like that!

After they were all dried, I took them in the house

& got ready to place them into the Styrofoam container.

I used some twine & a hole punch to tie some of the cards like ornaments (thus making it easier to put the cards onto a ring after the holidays), but then I got lazy & just started clipping them on with these mini clothes pins that I had left over from one of the baby showers that we had here last year.

Once you have your sticks placed where you want them,

you're ready to go!

We got some of the cutest

and most creative cards this year...

I'm going to enjoy looking back on them for many years to come!

I enjoyed this card holder so much,

I've decided to leave it up for the winter &

use it to hold pictures & love notes.

I also think I'm going to paint the base a different color...

I'll share an update in a few weeks.

Well, I'm hopping up to get busy here...

lots of cleaning up, packing up, sorting, & organizing going on!

I'll be back to share the Crafty Southern Mama 2011 year in review...here's last year's New Year review...what a busy bunch we've been!!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Merry, Merry, Merry!

2011-12-25T20:17:00.001-06:00

Whew, what a day!

I'm FULL & exhausted...

what a wonderful, blessed Christmas day

our family has had!

I just realized that I purchased all these gifts,

hauled them up the stairs to wrap & hide them...

then we had to haul them all back downstairs

last night to put them under the tree...

now I'm battling to get this stuff BACK upstairs & put away.

I'm going to rethink my system next year...ha!

Here's a summary of our Christmas morning:

I think this will be one of my best memories from Christmas 2011

(note the "p.s"...bahaha)

I hope you and your family had a beautiful Christmas

full of laughter & love...

from our family to yours...

merry, merry, merry! :)

Wordless Wednesday (O Sweetness)

2011-12-21T06:47:00.000-06:00

(flashback from December 2004,

guess who else didn't like sleeping in her own room)

Christmas Card Blessing Rings

2011-12-16T14:31:00.003-06:00

I've been looking for a way to keep my Christmas cards from years past.

I used to keep them in a Christmas tin, but the lid will not close now!

A blogging friend pointed me in the direction of this great blog last week.

The Francis Family has a new fan!

What a great blog they have!

Jennifer shared a cute tutorial on how to make a Christmas blessing ring,

isn't hers adorable!!

I decided to get busy today &

organize all my cards onto rings.

It was super easy,

E & I enjoyed some time together getting this done while the older kids were off at their friend's houses after school. It's always more fun with a little hand helping you along. ;)

I used some cheap dollar store ribbon and

the 5" neck ring with 2 clasps...

and for about $10

I have a new way to showcase my old cards so that I

can enjoy seeing those precious little people that I love

and how much they have grown over the years.

That's what the holidays are about to me...

seeing the little people I love...

that makes me happy
(even that exhausted, sugar induced child right there). ;)

I'll be back to share how I'm displaying THIS year's card,

on my new Christmas card TREE! :)

Happy Friday!!

Flashback Friday...( with Garth Brooks)

2011-12-16T12:21:00.000-06:00

What a great concert that was!!

Wordless Wednesday (Christmas Jammies)

2011-12-14T07:55:00.000-06:00


(please excuse the funky iPhone picture)

Be back to share a tutorial & a recipe...

Hope you're having not so crazy week! ;)

Christmas Movies

2011-12-09T09:06:00.000-06:00

One thing that our family LOVES to do during the holidays is

curl up on the couch

with a giant tub of popcorn

& watch MOVIES!

There are several channels that devote their air time to HOLIDAY themed movies & shows the entire month of December & we LOVE that...

but, some Christmas movies are meant to be seen

WITHOUT

commercial interruption! ;)

Here are our top FIVE Christmas movies

that we watch every year as a family...

it's just not Christmas if we haven't watched it yet!

#1. Home Alone...

Without a doubt,

it is just not Christmas without this movie!!

This one is a true family favorite!

#2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

We have this one on DVD...

but the TV version is better because they cut out most of the bad language.

I cannot imagine Christmas without Chevy Chase...EVER!

#3. It's a Wonderful Life

Every year on Christmas day,

we do our gifts,

eat a big breakfast,

then Daddy P & I curl up on the couch

& watch this movie in our jammies

while the kids play with their toys...

it's my favorite tradtion!

#4. A Christmas Story

I admit, this one is not my most favorite...

but it's a family favorite &

I have great memories of it playing in the background

at my granny's house on Christmas Eve...

#5. Elf...

We Love, love, LOVE Will Ferrell...

If you have not seen this movie,

please make a point to watch it this holiday season...

it's WONDERFUL (& hilarious)!!

& 5 1/2 The Very First Noel

Awesome, awesome 30 minute cartoon

narrated by Andy Griffith.

It's a fabulous little children's movie!

I send it to school with my kids every year

so their teachers can borrow it...it's wonderful!

I also love these, but we don't normally watch them as a family.

Miracle on 34th Street...the original!

Scrooged, Bill Murray

Daddy P loves this one too...

Bill Murray at his finest!

It'll leave you singing...

"Put a little love in your heart"...

& I love that cheesy song! ;)

Family Man...

Another TRUE favorite!

I will watch this anytime I catch it on tv,

it's probably my favorite Nicholas Cage movie!

While You Were Sleeping

Cheesy, but I love it! ;)

Four Christmases

Reece & Vince...

Hilariously wonderful!!

and...

The Shop Around the Corner...

Love, so love!!

There are still a few that I want to see,

but haven't caught them on Turner Classic...

Christmas in Conneticut

Holiday Inn (gasp, I know)

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

and here's a GREAT list of Christmas related movies...

there are tons that I have not seen on that list!

What about you?

What are your favorites?

*****************************

I am hunting for a way to store my old Christmas cards.

Most of the cards I have are PHOTOS of little people I love &

I cannot bring myself to throw them away...

but I have have bundles from years back!

I don't want to put them in an album.

Have you seen any cute crafts with old cards??

I'm hopping up here to get ready for a fun Cookie Swap with my girls...

Wishing y'all a beautiful Friday!!

Christmas Open House 2011

2011-12-08T09:09:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite things to do is

visit the inside of other people's homes...

on their BLOG!

(without even getting out of my jammies)

I especially love to see how other people

decorate their homes for the holidays.

I'll never forget the second Christmas we lived in this house.

I opened up the boxes of decorations...

& did not even recognize the stuff that I found in there,

much less remember where I put it the year before!

A couple of years ago,

I started taking pictures of my house after I finished decorating.

Now, what used to take me a couple of weeks to accomplish

I can have pretty much done in 1-2 days.

(Yeah!!)

I pretty much stuck with the same format this year,

& added a little thing here & there...

Here's my house decorated for Christmas, 2011:

These are the kind of pictures I'm getting lately...boo!

I would LOVE to see your house...

please share a link in the comments so I can visit.

Wishing you a fabulous Thursday!

Linking back to http://www.jenniferrizzo.com.

Christmas Angels

2011-12-07T10:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I survived this year's Christmas Party!

It was a fun evening with friends,

I'm glad we did it again...

it's always great to visit with friends,

especially at Christmas. :)

Last night was E's Christmas program at school...

they were Christmas Angels...

they were so, so precious!

The little stinker broke my heart this weekend!

He came running downstairs on Sunday & says

"Mom, mom!!! My TOOF IS WOOSE!!"

My initial reaction....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

*Sigh*

I am not handling his growing up very well.

I think I crushed his dreams when he saw the horror on my face...

ha...

I must do better.

Anyway,

they were presh...

the end. ;)

I'm getting ready to make some cookies for a

Cookie Swap...

Making these cuties:

Happiness is a cute cookie. :)

I will be back to share my 2001 Holiday House Tour tomorrow...

I love to "visit" blog home tours, especially at Christmas!

Wishing you a warm

& beautiful Wednesday!

Dear Santa (2011),

2011-12-02T09:19:00.001-06:00

I feel like I just posted this blog entry...

how on earth did a whole year blink by so fast?!?!

I went back & reread what I posted last year in my "Dear Santa" entry...

I could pretty much cut & paste that entire thing right here, ha!

I do own those pretty floral jammies now,

Daddy P got me some last year for Christmas.

Great job, Daddy P! :)

& since my sweet mother in law, Little Debby

has asked where my Christmas list is this year...;)

This year I am only asking for....

Smells.

I'm completely out...

I stink! ;)

Juicy Couture is my fave!

Some cute new Flannel Jammies...

(yes, more jammies)

Betsy Johnson Jammies are my fave,

but Target has some cute ones too.

I heart cute jammies...

I heart my cozy bed...

I heart sleep...

Zzzzzzz....

I would LOVE a big daddy waffle maker!

This Cuisinart is perfect (& on sale at Macys)!

My kids would love me if I cranked out Waffles on Wednesday!

(Muffins on Monday, Toast on Tuesday, Waffles on Wednesday...you get it)

& I would also love to have a leather bible...

Lifeway Christian has some nice ones. :)

Of course, I would ALWAYS,

ALWAYS love a gift certificate to my favorite store:

ALWAYS!!! ;)

(did I mention always???)

That's it, I'm easy to shop for...

spoiled rotten & don't need a thing...

spend your money on yourself,

that would make me the HAPPIEST! ;)

What are you guys wishing for this year?

I'm hopping up to get this house picked up for the cleaning crew

(hiring cleaning crew before the big Christmas party...

worth every penny!!!)

Wishing y'all a beautiful Friday!!

Wordless Wednesday (Whining)

2011-11-30T12:20:00.000-06:00

So miserably busy this week...

Big Tree Battle...

Lights...hiss, spit...

finally got that thing decorated...

Big Christmas party here on Saturday...

just get me through Saturday...

My phone died Sunday, even Verizon couldn't revive it...

headed to the Apple store this evening...

four days, no phone...*sigh*

My new dishwasher is not working right

(my sink is full of dishes)...

Big O has a paper due tomorrow (he tells me this morning)...

my printer is out of ink...

ha...

want to trade places? ;)

I'm making this today,

~~because I need it...~~

because we're doing a little staff paint night

with Daddy P's office tomorrow night...

we're going to be painting these:

Super cute, no?

I love paint night! :)

Ok, got to get back to work...

Be back (minus the whine) soon.

Happy Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday (Goodness)

2011-11-23T07:26:00.000-06:00

Dear, Tyler Candles...

With your mind blowing, heavenly aroma...

Where have you been all my life!?!?

Love,

Go get one...

today...

I mean it!!!

The end! ;)

Simple Chalkboard Bucket Tutorial

2011-11-17T14:43:00.001-06:00

I admit it...

I have a huge weakness for chalkboards...

especially turning things INTO chalkboards!

It's just too easy &

they're so cute & functional!

I have been needing something for my little mud room/hall area...

peeps were just getting too free with the space...

shoes, hats, purses (ahem, miss o)...

they were taking over!!!

Sunday, after church we ran into Lowe's for light bulbs.

We were just about in the dark in some rooms...

bulbs out all over the house!! LOL

I found these awesome steel tubs &

decided they would be perfect with

a little chalkboard paint on the front!

Here's what you need:

tape (I use Frog brand tape, it is awesome),

chalkboard paint (my paint looks blue because I hadn't stirred it up yet)

& a roller brush.

First use the tape to mark off where you want the chalkboard to be.

Then apply as directed.

I applied three good coats & let them dry overnight before writing.

I also added little felt feet to the bottom of these tubs to keep them from scratching my hardwood floor as they are pulled out from under the bench.

Now everyone has a bucket to dump their shoes & random things into when they get home from school.

& Mama is happy.

The end. :)

Happy Thursday!

The KItchen...After.

2011-11-16T12:20:00.000-06:00

Suddenly it's Wednesday.

I had to say this to Big O this morning...

he's having a no good rotten, middle school kinda week...

sometimes you just need to hear it.

He's wearing me out lately.

Sigh.

I would have been right back with paint pictures,

but I didn't pencil in time for the after-mess...

putting the kitchen back together,

combined with trying to get the Christmas stuff out of the attic.

Please don't be a hater.

I'm not one of those Thanksgiving skippers.

My tree does not go up until after the turkey!

We have Daddy P's office Christmas party out at our house

on the First Saturday after Thanksgiving...

I just cannot be scrambling to get this stuff out

AND

get this house cleaned up.

No, ma'am!

So...anyway,

I'm just so tickled with this paint.

I can't stop looking at it.

We have so much light in out kitchen,

it looks different all day long...

yummy chocolaty/mocha by day

& almost a mocha/gray at night.

It's bewitching &

even Daddy P is loving it!

Here it is before in Burnt Copper.

and now after Benjamin Moore Alexandria Beige...

(my next kitchen project is this ISLAND...hello, black distressed!)

(did I tell you I got this slip covered couch on craigslist for $150, best find ever!)

Even Little Smokey loves the new paint. :)

Happy! :)

I'm probably going to change some things out after the holidays,

I'm not sure if the curtains are going to work in there now...

and that kitchen island is getting a make over,

it looks rough!

Thank you, John for doing such an AWESOME job painting...

can't wait to have you come back & do the hall too! :)

Now, I've got to get up here & finish the laundry &

get back to dragging out the Christmas stuff!

I'll be back to share a tutorial on how to make your own

CHALKBOARD buckets...

SO easy & super cute!!

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

The Kitchen....Before.

2011-11-11T12:06:00.000-06:00

My painter is coming in the morning.

I'm nervous,

so nervous!!

1. I'm nervous because it's like a scary haircut, please let it turn out like I'm hoping it will!!!!

2. I'm nervous because I haven't told Daddy P that I hired someone to paint it & he's had a horrible week at the office, PLEASE don't let him kill me!! LOL

Here it is before

(with a few patches already painted).

I'm going with Benjamin Moore's Alexandria Beige...

it is divine & yummy!

So long sweet friend, Burnt Copper...

you are warm & bold

& I have loved every minute

I have spent with you in my kitchen.

Be back to share the after shots on Sunday...

(~~if I'm still alive, that is...~~) ;)

Happy Weekend!!

Flashback Friday...November 2009

2011-11-11T06:35:00.000-06:00

I ran up on these pictures the other day...

Fall 2009

Having some glorious November weather then...

My babies have grown so much!

(even my fur babies have grown)

Boy, I need to get my camera out & start practicing again!!

Wishing you a beautiful Friday!!

Thoughts on Thursday...

2011-11-10T09:57:00.000-06:00

Thursday already?!?!

Wow!

Here are a few thoughts on this beautiful Thursday.

1. The kids were out of school on Monday for a Teacher Inservice day...

This was a blessing, because they were exhausted from our big trip to Knoxville (did I mention that Daddy P decided to drive home after the game, instead of checking into the hotel we had booked...everyone in bed at 11:30...then popping back up for church the next morning!).

Lazy Monday, we ♥ you!

Big O down on the field Saturday with my sister, brother in law & his Aunt Cathy (who we ♥) :)

2. I got the ball rolling on our annual Christmas party...

caterer lined up & invites ordered...

I also got busy & got my CHRISTMAS CARDS ordered too!!

Pat, pat, pat my back! ;)

This is the card I did not use because it was just too expensive...

I love the ones I ordered, but this one was awesome too!

3. Daddy P & Miss O went on a date last week.

♥Happiness♥!

4. I saw this mirror at Homegoods.

I love it, I want it...but, have no where to put it!

5. FINALLY found a piece of furniture at Homegoods to put in the boys bathroom upstairs! I don't have any before & after pics, but I LOVE how it turned out!!

I also picked up that red soap dispenser too, such a cutie! :)

6. I broke down & hired someone to paint my kitchen. Daddy P does not know. I don't think I will tell him. I wonder if he will notice??

7. Loving the Christmas decorations out in the Maxx...I'm not a fan of pinks at Christmas in my own house, but isn't this pink pretty!

8. Made this Roast with Apples & Onions last night.

It's a Pioneer Woman recipe. Daddy P proposed again! ;)

9. I've become a Spin fanatic! I do class three times a week & then a little Pilates on Friday. I have lost INCHES in my hips, my muffin top is shrinking & my legs feel like rocks without even flexing muscles! GO. TRY. A. SPIN. CLASS...it will change your life!!

9.5...Popeye is my hero. :)

10. Daddy P has a lunch meeting today...we usually have lunch together 2-3 times a week (he loves me, I guess) ;)...today I'm home, all day...until the kids get out of school...WHOOP! I think I'll go craft! :)

Hope you have a thoughtful Thursday! :)

Happy day!

Rocky Top Tennessee

2011-11-06T19:32:00.001-06:00

Wow...

NOVEMBER!

Did it sneak up on you?

I'm already starting to feel a wee bit of panic...

got to get this house decorated,

but yet I can't seem to even keep it picked up!!

Christmas shopping...

~~(hiss, spit)~~

nope,

nothing here yet.

I love Christmas...

but, I wish it was just about

the sweet little baby Jesus...

not gifts & stress!

Well, before I get on a soapbox...

this weekend we took our entire family to

the 2011 University of TN Homecoming!

This was Sneaky E's first college football game ever...

it was QUITE an event!

Here are a few highlights

(borrowing this instagram collage idea from Joy's Hope, love)

I think everyone in our family would agree that

the Vol Walk was our favorite part of the day...

photos with Smokey,

Derek Dooley sans the signature orange pants,

high fives from the players...

very exciting, especially for little E!! ;)

I have more pictures on my camera,

these were just the ones I took with my phone

(& edited with Instagram).

My favorite one from the day...

my new nephew. :)

Can't wait to meet this kid!

More news...

I think we have finally found a church to call our home.

Happy!

Hope you had a beautiful Sunday! :)

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T08:12:00.000-05:00

I'm heading out to go on a field trip with Sneaky E...

Field trip all day,

return in time for Miss O's class party,

trick or treating tonight...

I am definitely going to need a nap after school...

~~or a spa day tomorrow, ha!~~

We went out to a couple of parties this weekend

& spent time celebrating with friends,

I wanted to share a few real quick before I walked out the door. :)

This year Daddy P & I decided to go as Popeye & Olive...

I was shocked that hardly ANY of the kids at the party knew who we were...I guess my kids watch way too much of the Boomerang channel! LOL!


♥ Miss O & her hero, Popeye! ♥

She says she's Lady Gaga, I said she looks like Madonna, she says "who's Madonna?"...I've failed as a parent!

My hero, Daddy P ♥

NO pictures of Sneaky E...

the "Bumblebee Transformer"

he was not in the mood

& I didn't feel like fighting him.

I did get some Saturday night before we left out for our neighborhood hayride...he went as "Obi and Kenobie" wearing one of Big O's old costumes...I'll have to show side by side photos of them...they look exactly alike at this age! So funny!

What are you guys dressing up as this year?

Come post a pic on the Crafty Southern Mama facebook page,

I would love to see your Halloween fun!

& thank you to Miss E Bradford for your sweet message over on the facebook page...I ♥ my blogging friends! :)

Happy Halloween!

Baby Trent 6 Months Old...

2011-10-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

I have been missing my blog something terrible!!

For about a month now my internet service has been acting wacky...

it just runs & runs & runs...

never connects!

I've not been able to get any pictures to load,

sometimes I cannot even get my email to open!

I thought it was my computer,

but our neighbors have recently started complaining on facebook

& sure enough,

there was something wrong with the server down at the end of our road...

they've FINALLY gotten it fixed!!!

I'm getting ready to take Miss O out to buy new shoes...

mercy, that child won't stop growing!!

I wanted to share some quick pics that I took of baby Trent last week when he & Emily stopped by to visit. It was probably the last 80 degree day we're going to have for awhile & that stinker had the best time laughing at all my crazy animals running around in the yard. He is a hoot!

(this is my fave)

I haven't painted my kitchen yet.

I'm scared.

ha!

I'm scared and we have had SNOWBALL of stuff (& that's a nice word to use here) break down...in the past four months we have had to replace our pool liner, the dishwasher, my car battery, the COOK TOP in the kitchen...the garage door AND the central vac system are both still broken...mercy, I've been too scared to start a project...Daddy P has been way too stressed out with STUFF here lately, ha!!

I did pick a color though,

Alexandria Beige by Benjamin Moore...

I love!!

I'm going to get it done after the holidays probably.

I did get Miss O's bathroom done, now I'm waiting on Daddy P to put the trim on so I can share that board & batten adventure with you guys.

I cannot believe it's already Halloween,

next week I've got to start decorating for Christmas!!

(woof)!!!

What are you guys up to??

Stop in on the Crafty Southern Mama facebook page & share, I would love to hear from you. :)

Wishing everyone a beautiful Sunday!

Sherry's Run 2011

2011-10-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

Hi!

(waving)

Remember me??

Crazy, whoops I mean...
Crafty Southern Mama?? ;)

Gosh, I fell in a hole...

football,
softball,
the office,
this HOUSE,
ALLERGIES!!!!
the gym,
the laundry,
my insane paint projects!!!

finally back in action for a minute & wanted to pop in &

share what our family did last month.

~~*This entry was originally started on Sept. 17...about the time I became a member of Pinterest...LOL...good gosh*~~

For the second year in a row (my 4th),

my entire family participated in Sherry's Run

to raise money for cancer patients in our local area.

It is such an incredible community event,

so many people come out and show their support...

this year I was DELIGHTED that in addition to
several of my most precious friends,
our pals at Daddy P's office, my parents,

my sister, brother in law & nephew, William,

my cousin Emily, baby Trent, my beloved Uncle Douggie,

and my adorable mother in law, Little Debby all joined

me, Daddy P, Big O, Miss O & Sneaky E

our "team" was only 11 people last year...

this year we had 48 people join us!

SO. DARN. EXCITED!!

I was particurally excited that my daddy joined in this year,
I can remember him running in races when I was a kid...
I would love for him to lace up those shoes
& come run this race with me & Big O next year...

Come on, Poppie!!!

and speaking of Big O...

of course, I have not pictures of
Mr. "Way Too Cool Middle School" besides this family shot:

Last year he was just running this race for fun

& ended up being pretty upset when I beat him...

haha...

this year the kid was out for blood! ;)

His old lady was THRILLED to beat last year's time by one minute (ran this 5k in 31 minutes...let's see if I can get it in 30 next time!!)...

Big O ran it in 27:55...WHOOOOP!
Awesomeness!

And speaking of awesomeness...

my favorite girls joined our team this year,
I hope this is a tradition that our families will
continue to do together for many years to come...
love you guys!!

It was just a fun, fun morning...
I'm already looking forward to next year!

Well, I guess I've got to pop up here & get busy...
we are on fall break & I'm trying to pack for our annual trip....

Oh, heavenly goodness...
I cannot wait!!!

Hope you have a wonderful week...
back with words & projects soon!

Family pictures...

2011-09-09T16:46:00.001-05:00

I think I shared a shot from a recent family photo session...

here are a few more from that afternoon.

Kyla did such a great job,

she captured our silly crew perfectly!

I think I'm probably going to use some of these for

our Christmas card (because I'm going BLINK & it will be

time to put that together, you know).

I love these shots...

and these two just crack me up....

CLASSIC crazy family! ;)

(this is our marriage in a nutshell...never a dull moment)

We're headed to bed early tonight,

our entire family is participating in Sherry's Run tomorrow!

I am so proud to take part in this awesome race,

100% of the proceeds go toward cancer research and

helping cancer patients in OUR local community.

As it says in our paper today:

"It's small town America at its best. It's neighbor helping neighbor. It's about volunteers working together for a common cause."

I love it & it makes me feel ridiculously amazing to be a part of it!

Wishing you a ridiculously amazing weekend! ;)

Words on Wednesday...

2011-09-07T11:56:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been kinda busy here lately.

Daddy P & I were supposed to fly down to Destin

last weekend for a little anniversary trip...

Tropical Storm Lee put a stop to that. :(

Kudos to Southwest Airlines,

they gave us a full refund on our tickets!

I have been organizing...

little bit here,

little bit there...

nothing worthy of showing off though.

This morning I hit Spin class &

have been cleaning up in Miss O's room...

she has grown so much,

both she AND Big O have pretty much had

every piece of clothing plucked from their closets

for back to school...NOTHING fit!

This week we've had glorious (much needed) rain &

a bit of a cold snap...

THANK GOODNESS I thought to buy ONE pair of pants

for each of them when I was buying BTS uniform shorts!

Yesterday they were rocking the sweatshirt/shorts look

& freezing to death!

I've been looking at this blog...

FAVORITE PAINT COLORS

Oh, LOVE!!

I finally narrowed a few colors down &

ordered some samples from Benjamin Moore online.

My upstairs & kitchen are about to get a work over!

(but, SHHHH...don't tell Daddy P) ;)

Speaking of...

the wallpaper removal stuff is ready.

Gotta go bid the little frogs farewell.

(and yes, the ceiling is pink...ha)

It's time for Miss O to have a big girl bathroom.

Remember this project?

Yep!

It's board & batten time, baby! ;)

(but, SHHHHH....don't tell Daddy P..he'll get me! Ha!)

Heading back upstairs.

Happy Wednesday!

Wordless (Woof) on Wednesday!

2011-08-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

Pond Dreams

2011-08-27T17:18:00.001-05:00

For some reason I've gotten off dreaming of having a little fish pond out by my patio. They are so pretty & peaceful & I love to watch the fishes. :)

I found the perfect spot for it, right outside the backdoor & can even be enjoyed from our dinner table.

However, dreaming of a little fish pond is certainly not the same thing as building one...ha!

I'm doing some research, but I thought I would ask my blogging buddies if any of you have an experience constructing one. I would love to see pictures or tutorials if you have one. Please share a link in the comment spot or post it on my Craft Southern Mama Facebook page.

I'm trapped in the car for another hour...
Back to Pond Dreaming.....;)

Happy Weekend!

Mandy

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Words on Wednesday...

2011-08-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

Mercy, me!

I've been as busy as a bee!

But, sadly not with anything worth blogging about.

Daddy P has asked me to help him at the office

with his marketing/advertising

(neither of which I know very much about).

Last week I was hopping...

HOPPING!

Whew!

We are doing an ad in a local magazine &

needed some new family pictures made

(since Big O is now bigger than his daddy)...

here's a peek at the little family session we did last week:

I can't wait to see the rest!

and we have also been watching some football here

Big O is all about it!!

AND he all about his grades too...

pushing toward Principal's List this 9 weeks!!

We are SO proud of that buggar! ;)

Well, I'm jumping up to fix them a little breakfast

then heading in to Spin Class!

I promise, I'll be back to share something soon...

I DO share a little something DAILY over on the Crafty Southern Mama Facebook page, head over & be a fan so we can keep up there too. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Mrs. Potato Head

2011-08-11T13:29:00.000-05:00

I'm a proud potato head today!

I was heading out the backdoor to do something &

glanced over and saw these babies

coming up out of the dirt in my little garden!

I was so surprised,

I nearly fell down the steps!

Wooohoooo!!!

Love me some sweet taters! ;)

If you don't have plans this weekend,

go see The Help

(and take a tissue cause you will cry & laugh & cry & laugh...)

it was superb!

Hope you're having a great Thursday!

Words on Wednesday...

2011-08-10T08:13:00.000-05:00

It's just Wednesday...

so far it has been A FULL week...

Here's my run down:

1. A Clean Closet

2. A pedicure with a sweet pal

3. A Bubble Bath

4. A new "hobby"...SPIN class!

5. A mowed yard (so Daddy P can com home & relax)

6. A (much needed) Facial & Massage!!! (!!!)

7. A bunch of misc office work...DONE!

8. A Spray Tan (because smart girls fake it) ;)

9. A new "do"...Miss O & french braid adventures

(whew!)

and...

10. A First Win for Big O's Middle School Football Team!!

(see my blurry #13 there)

SO Proud!!

Now, I'm hopping up...

heading out for Spin,

hitting the grocery,

& looking forward to GIRL'S NIGHT out...

Oh, I can't WAIT!!!!!

Happy Wednesday! :)

Stamped PIllows & Twine Message Boards!

2011-08-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

Well, suddenly it's Thursday!

Today was the first full day of school for all three of my kids.

The first two days were 1/2 days &

I am SO glad...it is SO awful hot here,

a full day of school is torture in this heat!

I had hoped everyone would be really tired

& go on to bed last night early...

Wrong!

E & Miss O were up & down,

finally going to sleep AFTER 9pm

(wear me out).

Maybe tonight they will pass out early &

get a good solid night's rest! Ha!

My mother in law, Little Debby

watched the kids for a few hours over the weekend

& I got SO MUCH stuff done!!

First I decided to make a pillow for my "new chair"....

I really like that stamped look on a canvas pillow.

I wanted to make a statement in here...

like you walk in & you know up front that is room is the...

;)

But then I thought that might hurt Daddy P's feelings,

since he uses this room as an office too...

I didn't want to get too big for my britches there...

So, I ended up pulling a pillow out of the living room &

making a new pillow to put in there

(because I was dead set on making a pillow for something, darn it!)...

ha!

I found a set of foam letter stamps on the clearance isle at Joann's last spring...$1.97...I've been dying to use them for something! I had an extra drop cloth laying around from a previous crafting adventure. Cracked open this great pillow tutorial over on Candace Creations....

and hour later, I've got a new family pillow...

it's not perfect,

but I like it. :)

I really like the way it looks as you're coming in the side door.

Happy. :)

While I was in the craft room

I noticed this framed mirror that I had been meaning to do something with.

I bought two of these with the intention of putting them in our master bath,

but we decided they were too small.

I carefully (so carefully) removed the mirror &

took the frame outside to give it a nice coat of Heirloom White.

Then I stapled in some twine.

I got this idea from Sharae last spring...

her's looks great!

Now, I've got a nice spot in my kitchen to hang art work

(that was cluttering up the side of my fridge).

It was WAY easy to do...

grab your staple gun & take it to town!

It felt great to get some crafting time in &

I was tickled that I completed THREE projects for my downstairs

and it did not cost me an extra dime

(Daddy P was tickled about that too). ;)

Well, I would be even MORE tickled if someone had slipped in

and folded all my laundry while I was sitting here blogging...

but, I'm pretty sure they did not.

SO, off I go to the REAL "Mom Cave"!

Haha!

Happy Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday (First Day of School)

2011-08-03T06:34:00.002-05:00

Spray Paint Saturday!

2011-07-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

I am trying to get things organized around here for school.

I got bored with that yesterday

& sat down in front of the computer.

Looked down at my old, scratched up chair & decided...

this is really ugly!

LOL

One hour (& one can of spray paint) later

it looks like this:

Ah...

better!

The best part...

Daddy P walks in here this morning & says

"where'd that chair come from??"

Love it! ;)

I'm heading up to the craft room to

1. finish THREE sundresses that I started for Miss O in MAY!

2. Finish a pair of PJ pants that I originally cut out for Sharae's son back in 2006...they will now fit Sneaky E!

and 3. Making (starting on) a couple of pillows like these I saw on Candace Creations...are they not awesome!!

Hope you're staying cool & enjoying this beautiful afternoon!

Happy Sunday!

Flashback Friday...First Day of School

2011-07-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Back to school 2010...

A lot has changed with this crew since then!

I can't believe school starts back on Tuesday!

Part of me feels like I could run thru the parking lot screaming...

"I'm free"...

LOL...

But another part has been choking on a big lump in my throat...

Sneaky E going to school full time...

I've already cried about four times this week.

I can't go in there & start squalling my eyeballs out,

he would fall apart!

Or would he?

ha...

Happy Weekend!

Thoughts on Thursday...

2011-07-28T16:23:00.001-05:00

I kinda like this...

just thoughts...

on Thursday. ;)

1. Summer is winding down. I'm glad for football practice & basketball camp this week to get my little darlings up out of the bed earlier & wanting to get back IN THAT BED at night a little earlier too. It sure has been nice having peeps ASLEEP at 8:30 again!

Whew, mama has missed her quiet time!

2. I finished a GREAT book last night...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

It's coming out as a movie soon & I'm anxious to see it!

It's probably one of the best books I've read in a LONG time!

I bought it on my nook reader, but I'm already planning to get a paper copy.

It's GOOD!

Go get a copy & enjoy...you can thank me later. ;)

3. I picked up a NEW book to read yesterday...

I'm secretly hoping that Big O will want to read it. I'm not a big Gator fan (sorry) & I'm definitely not a pro football fan (bunch of greedy, whiney babies), but I'm for sure a fan of a young man who puts his faith first and sets such a positive example for young people. I'll keep you posted on this one.

4. A friend recommended to me this site: Plugged In Online. They share lots of reviews on movies, games, music, etc. If your middle schooler wants to watch a PG-13 movie & you're not sure about it, check there...you will find out everything you want to know, right down to the number of potty mouth words that are in there! Great site! Thanks, Michele!

5. Feathers.

Miss O broke me down. I took her to get some in her hair.

She's happy, but I miss my $30.

6. It's really hot here. Woof!

7. I'm hoping that my pal, Sharae will blog about her new baby nursery. I got to see it in person last month. Let's just say, I wish she would adopt me! ;)

8. I'm running out of thoughts here...I guess I'd better wrap this up. ;)

9. I had a reader share her Moss letter on my facebook page.
Great job, Monica!

Here's the tutorial if you want to make one too.

and 10. My blogging friend, Amber over at This Mommy Cooks is giving away a FREE e-cookbook on her site this week...do hop over & grab yours. The link is only good for the first 200 people.

I'm hopping up here & going to do some laundry (fun)
& get some dinner started.

Happy Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday (Canoe Fools)

2011-07-27T06:28:00.000-05:00

(what am I going to do with this girl & her birds nest hair??)

Poor baby wants to catch a fish so bad!

Miss O & her quest to find rocks shaped like hearts. Love her!

Look Mom, this rock looks like a pinger (finger).

Best part about canoe fooling...the day is scorching, but the water is like a bucket of ice!


Five hours & one fish later...we were heading home. :)

Happy Wednesday!

Updating The Little Office

2011-07-26T07:58:00.000-05:00

I've been SLLLOOOWLY approaching this project.

Real SLOWLY,

because not even five years ago I begged Daddy P to let me spurge

on those darling green dotty roman shades from PBTeen

(back when this room was my sewing/craft room).

~~& frankly, he thinks curtains & shades should remain in place for at least 20 years or more...especially if he bought them...~~

I have loved them,

but since I moved my happy craft drama upstairs

this room has turned into more of a quiet "grown up" spot

& an office for us.

Those wild dotty shades...

they were impossible to miss when you're downstairs &

I just really felt like in order to utilize this room

properly, it needed to flow

more with the rest of my downstairs decor.

I finally found what I wanted to put in here...

and caught them ON SALE!!!

I'm trying to keep this update budget on the slim,

since the window treatments were not on the cheaply side

(even if they were on sale).

I got the burlap drapes up this weekend &

I think I'm going to need one of these up there now....

they are SO easy to make,

here's a tutorial from way back...

super easy!

I'm thinking about dragging my girlfriends over for a craft session & make one after these kids get back in school. What to join me? Go gather your supplies & come on over! ;)

I still want to add a chair & a storage piece in there,

kinda want to take it in this direction...

but since I just spent what felt like a thousand dollars on

school uniforms & school supplies &

brand new shoes for three kids....

I need to lay low for a bit. ;)

But, I'll keep you posted.

Hope you guys have a great Tuesday!

I'm off to kickboxing! :)

Happy Red Table

2011-07-25T15:28:00.002-05:00

Finally got time to sit down & blog...

these kids, whew!

It is ridiculously hot here,

today it's 95, but feels like 110...

Sneaky E is wearing me out to go play outside...

it's just too hot to be outside, child!

Wear me down!

Today was Big O's first day of football practice...

so, he's upstairs resting.

& today was Miss O's first day of basketball camp...

so, she's upstairs resting.

Clearly, I should have signed E up for something this week too...

so, he'd be upstairs resting. ;)

But, my baby starts school next week...

so, he needs to be home ~~driving his mommy nuts~~...

I wanted to pop back in here to share that little table I got.

I never have any luck finding furniture

at our local community help center,

but here recently I found this cute little coffee table!

This was a day I was dropping things off there

& had all three kids with me.

As I was pulling out, I spotted it in the window &

had to go inside to see it was any good!

This, of course was horrifying for Big O...

as apparently he is too cool to shop in there...

tisk, tisk...silly boy.

Well, got it home...

Cleaned it, then
Broke out the sander...

smoothed it out good,

then, put on some Colonial Red...

The top had a couple of places that were water damaged,
so after these pictures I took the BIG sander out & completely
sanded the top...
it had such a neat design, I almost decided to stain it again...
but then I was wiping sweat drops out of my eyes &
decided I just really wanted to be done &
back in my AC house! ha!

I decided since there was no real drawer,

that I didn't need any hardware.

So, I just filled the holes up with nail filler...

sanded it smooth &

painted it again.

Now, it's a Happy Red Table in our

Happy Little Playroom

Great spot for dirty feet,

a game of checkers &

keeping up with the remote control!

(Sorry, had to run snap a pic with my phone...

but it does make the mess of the room look better.) ;)

All for about $15...yeah!!

So, what are you up to this week?

I'm starting to make my list of projects for when school starts back.

But right now, Sneaky E wants to watch Scooby Doo...

so I'm going to snuggle on the couch for a bit.

Happy Monday!

Thoughts on Thursday...

2011-07-21T08:04:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I just made that up. ;)

It's been a busy week here at our house...

because suddenly it's THURSDAY!

Monday baby Trent came to stay with us

while his mommy had teacher inservice.

He is a little dreamboat. :)

Then, we got a wild hair...

I had an appt set up for my kids to have pictures taken out in this beautiful field of sunflowers down the road...the perfect summer background!

So, I talked my sister into coming in for the day &

bringing Prince William to get into the pictures with us.

It was H.O.T!

Whew!

They turned out cute, I can't wait to get the prints!

So, we've just been visiting this week &

now Miss O has gone home with William for a few days...

this ought to be interesting, since she's never been away from home for more than one night...ever. I think she wants to show us that she can handle camp...she wants to go next year when Big O goes off for his two week camp stay. Um...I'm not sure *I* can handle being away from my baby girl that long yet. We will see. ;)

Yesterday, Daddy P & I celebrated our wedding anniversary.

15 years together!

How on earth did 15 years BLINK by so fast!??!

Blows my mind!

So, those are my thoughts on Thursday...ha.

I'm popping up here & heading to the gym.

Be back to share that little table makeover this afternoon.

Hope you have a great Thursday!

Brassy Lamp Makeover!

2011-07-18T09:26:00.001-05:00

My mother lives in a constant state of

"cleaning out"...

it seems like every time I go over there lately

she is loading me down with some goods...

some are really good,

some are um, not as good. ;)

I'm starting to think that she gives them to me

because she wants to see what I will make with them.

A couple of weeks ago she sent me home with these brass lamps.

I hate brass.

Blah,

Yuck!

I've seen a lot of bloggers paint lamps,

so I decided to give it a shot myself

~~the alternative to taking these lamps to Goodwill on the sly...~~

I used my favorite Rustoleum Painter's Touch,

this time I used Gloss Navajo White.

I have got to clean my camera/lens,

there is something in there because I've seen that same black spot on several pictures that I have taken lately. This is my old canon rebel, I'm actually lucky that it still works the way I have worn that thing out over the past few years!

and got that one moved inside with a shade that I had in the closet

(I think it would look better with a different shade,

I'll be looking).

But...for now, I'm tickled with it.

Now,

I wonder if my mother will notice what I did to her lamp. ;)

I also found a little coffee table for our playroom.

The kids have gotten to where they like to play cards & games gathered around our little coffee table in the living room.

I'm always on a quest to keep their STUFF upstairs!!

Here's a little before shot.

She looks a bit different now.

Be back to share (after I get the new hardware on).

Happy Monday!

Wordless Wednesday (Something's Fishy)

2011-07-13T16:19:00.000-05:00

We went to see our pals, Sharae & Charlie last week...

E & Charlie Mac really hit it off this time!

We are so blessed to have such great friends,

already looking forward to our next visit! :)

Happy Wednesday!

Sporty Teen Boy Room Makeover

2011-07-10T11:25:00.002-05:00

Well, well, well...

It's been a pretty busy summer here!

Big O has been asking if I would redo his room for awhile now

~~since our neighbor's daughter told everyone he still had Star Wars sheets & posters up...middle school kids are so evil~~

so, while he was away for two weeks at camp last month

Daddy P & I got BUSY!

He is your typical boy.

Busy playing ball & the playstation...

he likes all kinds of sports (especially football) and has recently started going hunting with his dad...typical southern teenage boy. ;)

I am going to show you the BEFORE pictures.

Viewer discretion IS advised.

The following images may not be suitable for mommies of young children.

Mommies of teenage children will probably find these images typical and consistent with normal teenage behavior. ;)

(don't say I didn't warn you)

Needless to say...

I don't spend a lot of time in that room.

Ugh...so nasty!

When we built this house, I had my boys rooms painted the same denim blue color. I try to buy things in reds, navy & denim so that I can rearrange & redecorate upstairs without having to spend any money.

But, Big O had grown tired of the blues & "all boy" colors.

I needed some direction,

so I had Big O look at this mural site

(www.muralsyourway.com)

and show me some pictures of things that he thought were cool...

you should have seen him come out of that chair when he found a University of Tennessee Neylan Stadium mural!

Yep, I knew I had a winner!!

After that big daddy arrived,

Daddy P & I took the mural down to Lowes & matched the paint colors...

then we spent a crazy Sunday painting!

The mural was pretty easy to apply.

It was HUGE, but we worked together...

~~& only one potty word was spoken~~.

And once we got the mess up & could see the carpet,

we decided that it had to go...

It was GROSS!!!

Now, Big O has a classic "man pad"...

even Daddy P is a little bit jealous! ;)

I still need to touch up the trim on that door...the orange paint got out of hand there.

I think we're going to add a bookcase behind the desk, we'll be tweaking this nook in the upcoming weeks to get ready for school to start...it's going to be a nice little study area for him.

Don't get me started about this poor goat...just don't, ok. ;)

The denim drapes came from Kmart 100 years ago,

I think they have hung in EVERY room Big O has had over the past 13 years...$15 bucks very well spent!

The quilt has been around forever, I can't even remember where it came from. The denim comforter is the same as the Sneaky E has,

it came from Dillard's...SUPER quality! Navy monogrammed pillow came from Ballard Designs.

and I love to show a before & after...

wow, SO much better!

I love to have a finished project!

I just finished filling up my calendar on my phone...

football starts tomorrow.

(Sob)

Where has our summer gone!?!?

In three weeks we start school.

I will be home alone...

all day...

monday thru friday...

Oh, my!!

What on earth will I do!?!

Do any of you girls stay home even though your kids are in school full time? What is your schedule like? Gosh, I've got to start making a list of things I need to accomplish with that time or I'm going to blink & it will be Christmas!

I do HATE to waste time!

I think I'll start on that list today...

Y'all have a

Beautiful Sunday!

Underwater...

2011-07-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

I've got a bedroom makeover to share...

but first, I wanted to show you

what you just might see

if Grandma buys your daughter

and underwater camera

for her birthday...

Haha!

Too much fun!

Miss O thinks this is the best gift ever

(second only to the disco karaoke machine mom & dad got her...

WHAT were we thinking!!)

This is the camera she has...

super fun gift!

Be back with the big boy room!

Happy Sunday!

The Twenty Year Blink

2011-07-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

Well, it's come & gone...

my big 20 year high school reunion!

Out of 305 graduating seniors in the class of 1991

only 80 of us showed up to celebrate the big milestone.

I must admit,

high school was a miserable experience for me...

I was pretty much this girl...

the first time I saw this Drew Barrymore movie,

I laughed until I cried...

it was like someone made a movie about my life!!

I love her summary after heading back to high school undercover:

...high school hasn't changed. There's still that one teacher who marches to her own drummer. Those girls are still there, the ones that, even as you grow up, will remain the most beautiful girls you have ever seen close up. The smart kids, who everyone else knew as 'the brains,' but I just knew them as my soul mates, my teachers, my friends. And there's still that one guy with his mysterious confidence who seems so perfect in every way. The guy you get up and go to school for in the morning. ... High school would not have been the same without him. I would not be the same without him. I lived a lifetime of regret after my first high school experience.

I guess some of us take a big longer to grow into ourselves...

the best part about high school for me was one Friday afternoon in April this very sweet (gorgeous, hunk) guy friend
casually asked me to go bowling with him...

and the evening ended like this

& it changed my world forever! :)

So, this summer some of us are celebrating

20 years out of high school...

but, I'm celebrating 20 years being in love with my best friend!

Happy weekend! :)

Here Kitty, Kitty...

2011-06-30T16:17:00.002-05:00

This kitty mama & I have a lot in common...

we're both trying to keep up with the action.

However, she seems to really have it under control...

and, alas...I do not. ha!

We have someone coming out to get a kitten this evening..

it will be sad to see them leave,

but I know they will have a great life at their new home.

(plus, six cats eat a LOT...gracious!!)

But, they sure have been fun to watch. :)

I had a reader ask if having the baby attend the baby shower was a southern thing. I'm not sure really who's "thing" that is. Here in the south it's called a "Sip & See", generally taking place after the baby has been born. We decided to do this because Emily had already had a baby gender neutral baby shower at her school & another gender neutral one in her home town in East TN. This was a small family shower that we had, giving extended family a chance to meet the little man and give him some personalized goodies like monogrammed blankets, burpies, etc. It worked out well. :)

The big holiday weekend is coming up, we're kicking it off tonight by having the little softball team out to swim. Tomorrow the entire neighborhood of moms & kids are meeting up at the gym pool after we workout.

Saturday night is my 20 year class reunion.

For some reason this does not blow my mind...I guess I'm embracing old age. Ha!

Then, Daddy P is off next week on vacation...

we're staying home...

gonna be canoe fools...

I love me some canoe fools! ;)

Wishing everyone a safe & wonderful weekend!