If Only...

If Only I had an unlimited budget & lots of time... This is what I would do....
Check out "The Old Painted Cottage" and OooooHHHH and AWWWEEE over her before and after! I am in LURVE with this house I could just EAT it up!!!

Oh to be 9!!!

Last week was the first week of school. As most teachers in elementary do, Mrs. Boswell (Blake's 4th grade teacher) handed out papers for the kids to complete about their first day/week of school.

Here are a few of Blake's answers (i'm still laughing)

1. What I like to collect: Roks

2. Something I do well: Play BaceBall

3. Famous Person I Would Like To Meet: Ozy Ozborn

4. My Best Quality: Play Ensterments

Ok, if that doesn't make you smile...

Bathroom Upgrade!

While Clint was out of town yesterday I decided to spend my time making curtains for my tiny bathroom. Our window is in a place that can be EASILY looked in when outside on our wrap around deck. I have always been scared someone is going to be walking by and "accidentally" see something they weren't supposed to see :)

So....here is a pic of my tiny bathroom before.

And here is the little window...I purchased a very pretty metallic shower curtain from Target and some great fabric and trim on sale at Hancocks.

Here's the "after"....



I bought these great pics at Kirklands. I have not hung them yet, but I love how they will "complete" the room!

Weekend Project

This weekend my sweet husband and his BFF Jeff are off to Kansas for a catamaran regatta. I'm going to miss my hubby, but I will TRY to enjoy a quiet house. hee hee hee

One of the projects that I have on my list to do is to spruce up my bathroom. I picked up this really chic shower curtain at Target ($24.99) and headed over to Hancock to check out some fabric. I got my hands on this piece (40% off) and some coordinating trim (also 40% off).

I have a few other things that I hope to get done this weekend... but we'll see!! Stay tuned for some after pics!!

"Journey to Motherhood" Part 3

Does anyone ever really stop and say, “I’m ready for 2am feedings. I can’t wait to change dirty, nasty, stinky diapers. I hope I get a baby with colic or that likes to fuss a lot. I want to stay home and not go on vacation for 1 year (or more). I can’t wait to spend thousands of dollars over the next 18+ years on things like diapers, wipes, toys, clothes, school supplies, sports, birthdays, vacations, cars, college, etc….”

I’m not sure anyone who is a parent really stopped and said that before they took the plunge and had a baby.

I have a feeling that those things (some temporary and some not) are just a grain of sand on the beach of life, love & happiness that a child will bring to our lives.
I’m turning 30 next month…no, that isn’t what is making me feel the “pull” to become a mother. I think I’m just ready; I’m there. No, I’m not looking forward to some of the things I mentioned…but no one ever is. I know how much love I had for Bruce, how taking him to the doctor once a week (because the poor guy was always sick), or cleaning some pretty explosive diapers, wiping up his messes after he insists on feeding himself, going straight to daycare after work because I couldn’t stand to be without him for another minute more, or all of the other things that Clint and I “sacrificed” for that little guy to be in our lives…..how that was a part of my life. It wasn’t something I ever wished would end or go away. We fought to keep those dirty diapers, crazy caseworkers, and interesting bio-parents in our lives. For what? For Bruce and the love we unconditionally had for him.

I know that Clint will be a wonderful father to my children. I see him every day with Laynie and Blake and I can’t wait for my children (our children) to get to experience that kind of fatherly love from him. He’s a wonderful human being, the best I have ever known and bringing children into this world, that God has blessed us with creating, is just pure happiness to me.

Yesterday I visited my “girly” doctor. She’s the same one that I have gone to since I was 19. She asked about our plans to start a family and I told her that we would like to have a baby in 2010. I wasn’t expecting her to “jump to action”, but she did. She prescribed prenatal vitamins to me and said she hopes to see me again before Christmas.

So last night was my first experience with something that was actually directly related to having a baby….my prenatal vitamins! Little did I know you should probably take them with a meal, so this morning I felt a little queasy! Now I know!!!

So this “Journey to Motherhood” may very well be something that we are ready to embark on!

First Day of School!

Wow, can you believe it's that time of year again? Seems like just yesterday that the kids were getting out for the summer!

This year Blake is in 4th grade and Laynie is in 7th! HOLY COW! It is crazy how fast time has gone by. It's great to watch them grow and learn new things. Laynie is playing softball this year for school and her first game is Monday!

Blake is playing baseball pretty much year round now. I'm not sure when their season starts, but I know it will be soon.

Our sweet neighbors, the Due's, will be joining us on Sept. 2nd for the "Ruff Rider Regatta" in South Padre. I can't wait for some R&R on the beach.

If you remember correctly, last year we had little Bruce (and he had the chicken pox). It was a crazy trip, but we made many cherished memories.

So here's a pic that the kids' Mom, Beckie, took this morning and shared with us.

Laynie is almost 13 (Sept. 10th) and Blake is 9!!!

My VERY OWN Headboard Bench!!!

Long time no blog...I know! We have been starting baseball & softball practices... getting ready for our ginormous garage sale, and working on this wonderful headboard bench!
I was so excited when, 2 weeks ago while "treasure hunting" aka "thrift store shopping", Clint and I went into this thrift store that was stacked from floor to ceiling with beds!!!! I didn't take my camera or phone in, but oh how I wanted to capture the sea of headboards and footboards for you!!! I picked this cutie out. It's a twin bed. In this picture, Clint had already cut the footboard up...but you get the idea.

After about 30 min, I came back out to find this.... he was almost finished!!! (This was the bench upside down btw)

Almost finished... He needed to finish the front posts and put some finishing touches on the front. I was SUPER excited! It was exactly what I had pictured!

I quickly made my way to Home Depot to buy some of the new Behr paint (with primer built right in!). I wanted to find two colors that would "go" with the wall color and the existing curtains I have in the laundry room (that you can see from the outside). So here's my bench all painted...Do you like it?? I laid the fabric from my curtains on it so you could see what I was shooting for.

Isn't she fabulous?!

Being the creative genius that my hubster is, this is what he created with the part of the footboard we cut off.....

A VERY handy hat/backpack/coat rack!!! SUCH a rockstar he is!

I have not started working on my gorgeous 1920's bench yet. Still picking out the fabric to recover the seat. That's my next project!!

Where Have You Been??

I know I have been MIA for a few days. Blame it on my 3 diaper cake orders this week, getting ready for a huge garage sale this weekend, buying a cute gossip bench, helping hubby make a bench out of a twin headboard (pics coming soon)! Oh, and I forgot...getting ready for back to school...shopping, information days, school supplies, etc.... and last (but not least) SPORTS. I think my next 3 months will be CONSUMED with sports. No, I'm not complaining...I'm happy the kids are getting involved and want to play sports (being good helps too), it's just that Laynie will soon have 3 (YES 3) games per week, on top of Blake's schedule... Oh, and school work, dinner, family time & R&R have to fit in there somewhere too!

Laynie starts softball practice today. She doesn't know anyone on the team yet and was a little negative about the whole thing. I told her to keep positive and be a kind, energetic, loving person (like she is) and she will make fast friends with the whole team!
Blake starts kid-pitch baseball this Fall and his first practice is tomorrow. I know he will do great! He is excited that it's kid-pitch and I think he's hopeful that he will get to try his hand at pitching as well!!

So anyway, it's been a little hectic in my house and it's not letting up anytime soon. I have not started on my CUTE 1920's bench makeover yet, but that may fall behind painting my new headboard bench for outside. Clint made it and it looks SO FABULOUS!

Pics and more posts to follow...promise!

P.S. Did you notice my new header makeover? I was sick of the other one, but this one isn't all that great. I'm playing around with it and hopefully it will be perfected soon!

My 1920's Bench Inspiration!

When reading my new fav blog... Poppies At Play... I ran across this bench...

I thought it was so cute... and what she did with it was even cuter!!

So imagine my shock and excitement when I found the SAME bench on Craigslist here in OKC! I was squealing with joy!

1920's Bench Makeover anyone?

I have been looking for a bench to makeover and put in my house or my garage (it is where most people come in and out). I have been combing over Craigslist and squealed with glee when I found this beauty....

The tag underneath the seat says manufactured in 1923! I do believe that the cushions are original! I can't wait to get to work on this and create something special for my home!

I can see it now... a pretty apple green, or maybe a distressed creamy white... I'm not sure yet. I think I will figure out what room it will be in and then get the fabric and go from there. I will start on it tomorrow!! YIPPEE!! Check back and see my progress!

TX Rangers weekend!

We had a great time in Arlington last weekend watching the TX Rangers! I surprised Clint and the kids with tickets to the game on Friday night. We had great seats with a terrific view!Clint was the most excited. It was really cute to see the 9 year old boy in him come out. He was truly giddy! No MLB game is complete without a 4 foot wiener covered in a heart attack! Clint was in heaven!
YUMMY!

After the 5th inning the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up!! I knew it was going to pour..you could smell the rain!

The field cover rolled out and the field crew took over! It was fun to watch them cover the infield. By this time it was already raining pretty good, so there were a few slips and slides!

Almost covered~

So what do you do when you are waiting out the 2 hour and 19 min rain delay? Well, pose for pictures of course!

And eat ice cream out of miniature baseball helmets.

After the rain stopped, the game resumed, and we were able to move down by the dugout! I had to take a pic of this guy and his boots! What was funny is that I got such a good angle, it looks like my boots!! He was a typical Dallas cowboy... crazy barbie wife and all! She was a little drunk by this point and proceeded to flirt with the Seattle Mariners. She was very persistent! Blake was happy to be so close!
The trophy wife's persistence paid off!! Blake was tossed a game ball at the end of the game by Ken Griffey Jr.!
It was totally worth the 2 hour and 19 min rain delay!!!!