New Year...New Start!

Yeah, I know! It's been a while! Teaching, mothering, and living got in the way! But we are about to start a new year AND I am amazed at how many people are reading/ following this little ol' blog even though I have posted in ages! So I am motivated to keep those readers and to continue sharing my thoughts, moods, activities and projects.

Here's to a new year and a NEW START!!!

Vacation

I know it's been a while since I have posted but we have enjoyed the end of summer and I have been getting ready for school for the past 2 weeks. I get my new kiddos tomorrow morning...wish me luck! I'll be back soon!

My Lovely Little Mirror

As you know, I got a bunch of fun, free stuff from my Aunt when we visited earlier this summer. Notice the mirror on the right side of the table.

I love the shape but not the color.

So, I taped over the mirror and spray painted it a bright, shiny yellow!

(Morning humidity = weird lighting)

I let it sit for a little while but then realized that it would take a year to dry in this humidity so I took it in to dry. This picture below was taking later in the evening and it was still a little tacky.

After all the waiting time letting it dry, I realized that it was missing the hanger on the back so I need to pick up a little hardware but otherwise....I think I want that beautiful punch of color on this gallery wall in my bedroom. It definitely needs to be expanded a bit.

The photographs on that wall are all a bit artsy... A picture of fireworks over Nashville, a closeup of a flower (both torn from a book bought at a discount book store), a map of Manhattan, and a photograph that I took of New York off the top of the Empire State Building. (Need to get a close up of those pictures to share!)

Next a yellow mirror and a few more things...

Happy 4th!!

What a wonderful weekend! I LOVE the 4th of July (I get it from my dad!!) It marks the middle of summer and who doesn't love fireworks! This year's celebration didn't disappoint!

Our church does a full musical concert and awesome display of fireworks every year on the 3rd. And when I say fireworks...I don't mean 10 explosions spread out over a few minutes. I mean...this rivals any small community firework display! I wouldn't miss it for anything. Simply amazing!!

Living in Nashville, you get the big city feel in a very managable-size! On the 4th, we always head downtown for the fireworks.

Twenty minutes of solid explosions...we just stood there with our mouths open!

We took lawn chairs and ended up standing. There are no words...you just have to visit and experience it for yourself!

Here is a shot from the pedestrian bridge where a ton of folks stood to watch the fireworks over the water.

Speaking of Nashville, today my daughter, Madeline, and I meet my dad downtown for lunch. There is a city bus that is free during the day, so we hopped the bus at my dad's office and headed to Panara Bread next to the Ryman Auditorium.

(Ryman on the left and Bridgestone Arena on right)

After we dropped my dad back off at the office, we walked back to the Farmer's Market where we parked our car...just another fabulous spot in Nashville!

I love this town!

Like I said...what a wonderful holiday weekend! If you are ever up for a road trip over the 4th...our door is always open. Come on down!!!

Framed Initials

A few weeks back, we visited family in IL. While there, we spent time at my aunt and uncles house. My aunt had a whole room full of items that she wanted to get rid of...and she let me go through it first. Here are some of the items that I snagged, for free!!


Notice the cream picture frame in the background. I knew I wanted to do my daughter's initials but the cream color was just not cutting it for me! So I grabbed some leftover black paint from the front door project and went at it.

It wasn't as easy as a paint brush and paint...way too intricate. So I used my daughter's water color, teeny, tiny paint brush and got in to all of those nooks and crannies.

I then cut out a piece of scrap book paper with a fun, colorful design to fit the frame...and printed her initials using a typewriter font.

I love how the initials match the frame.

Now it has a new home on her shelves.

Frame: free from my aunt

Paint: free (left over from previous project)

Craft Paper: free (already had)

Letter Initials: free (print from the computer)

Total spent for this project: $0!!

First Big Summer Clean Out

After a few weeks of my daughter playing in her room, packing and unpacking from traveling, and staying busy enough to let her room get away from us, this is what we were left with!

Things were literally falling out of her closet. And she had a ton of little containers filled with "stuff".

I had picked up a few small tubs from Target a while back but, as you can see, we really put them to good use...this one was a house for her pet rocks.

Another container held things like Littlest Pet Show critters and beads/ accessories.

Of course, we can't get rid of anything (sigh) but she did put her Pearler Bead creations in baggies to keep them organized.

My daughter does like to organize. She had started to organize her beads by color using some old organizing tubs from my classroom. So, we sorted the remaining beads in the metal tub.

The beads are colorful enough to display so that's what we did... you will see these again in a second!

She did decide that it was time to "hand-down" her Littlest Pet Shop critters to my niece.

Then came the Silly Bandz...heaven help me...she has these things laying around all over the house! We shoved those suckers into a baggie and will add to it each time we come across more!

(We are actually using those tubs from Target!)

Her shelves above her bed also needed some organizing.

First we emptied most of the items...the things felt on top were empty and we know they were going back there.

The shelves still have of a lot on them but everything has a place...notice the tubs and beads!

We still need to go through the items on the top shelf of her closet but everything off the floor is put away and the shoves are organized.

Now, on to the desk area...

House Crashing

We just spent a 5 day weekend in my hometown in IL visiting family. While there, we spent a lot of time at my Aunt Mona and Uncle Gregg's house. They had a big house to start with but recently added a larger family room and an enormous "party room" for when my mom's immediate family of 36 get together. So, I took this opportunity to snap a few shots and share.

Don't you just love their new entry way? And that blue front door!!!

This new family room was once their garage. They covered the ceiling with wood planks and beams and have a ton of built-in bookshelves. All of the new floors in the addition are stained concrete for easy cleaning and it looks great!

The large closet to the right, below, is cedar-lined.

Through the doorway, above, is the "Party Room".

The pictures do not do it justice...this room is HUGE!!! Off to the right, above, is an upper balcony to the pool! Concrete floors help with wet feet and just past the door to the deck is this full bath to clean up from a day of swimming. I did not get a shot of the shower because they still need to get the tile done...but it will be beautiful.

This is the side door next to the new family room. She lined both walls with these beautiful hooks...keep an eye out...snagged 5 of her left-overs!!

The open door in the background is the side door hallway that leads to the kitchen.

Love the pot-filler and cooper range hood.

This was the original family room that they have now turned into the dining room.

My aunt painted some of the original cabinets and wood-panel frig to blend with the new kitchen.

Off the kitchen is the living room at the front of the house.

The railing is stairs leads to the basement...just as big and beautiful as the

main floor but that will have to be a whole other post!

And did you see that big, beautiful, yellow piece in the corner? Probably one of my favorite things ever!!

Here is a shot from the party room balcony. Don't mind the swimmers!! We took advantage while we were there.

(Daughter in action!)

Thanks Aunt Mona and Uncle Gregg!

Makes me want to come home and blow out a few walls...