Blog much?

My answer would be apparently, no. As if you couldn't tell! I think this has been the longest spell of no-blogging in a really long time. Not that I'm some major blogger to begin with, but geez, I can't seem to get my act together. Bottom-line, it's been busy over here!

So a little re-cap: there's been lots of shower planning for this guy's arrival. Then there was the actual shower, and my-oh-my was that loads of fun! And I have no pictures. Boo! But don't you worry, there are pictures to come, I just figured I should leave it to Julie and Sarah, because they're the pros;)

As soon as I got home from the shower, it was off to California for work, and well...I just got home this past Friday night. I'm home for a stretch now, and we have so many FUN things heading our way. Which you know what that means? Lots o'blog posts in the future!

John and Kendall come out from Oregon this weekend, Matt and Beth come out (also from Oregon) the following weekend, and then it's time to start moving Becky into her very first apartment! Which also means we have lots of home decorating in our future! For her upcoming 21st birthday we gifted her with this couch and chair:





Pretty fabulous little set for a first place, don't you think? She loves it as-is, which I have to agree with...so we're working on the accessories to match. So, I've got lots to stay-in-touch about over the next few weeks, and I'll do my best to stay on top of it all, so check back often;)

Happy Monday!

Perfection

One of the fabulous blogs I read, From the Right Bank, put out a challenge asking other readers if they could define their style in one picture. And immediately I knew my answer. I know this picture has circulated the blogosphere more times than I can count, but since I saw it in House Beautiful all those months ago, I've seriously carried it around with me. Every time I look at it, my heart skips a beat. Maybe it's the mismatched chairs, the color (yes, I'd even take the pink, and I'm not a pink person!), that gorgeous chandelier, or the way the artwork finds its place without looking forced, it's simply perfection.

(Design by Windsor Smith - she is a genius!)

Don't you agree? What's your style in one picture?

Some housekeeping...

So I played around with the background on this thing today on my lunch, and I'm not really pleased but enough was enough, so I'm letting it stand for now:)

In other news, it's been far too long since I've shared my most recent set of before-and-afters with you all! This one is probably my most favorite to-date because it was EVERYTHING I had hoped it would be;)

I had been on the hunt for a breakfast table and chairs set since we moved to Texas, but nothing was just right. So the IKEA set we had brought with us from Arizona stayed, and stayed, and stayed...and stayed in place some more:) Till finally one day I was perusing the most fabulous website ever (Kingwoodyardsales.com), which is really just a micro-site of Craigslist specific to Kingwood, and there it was! We picked it up and took it home that day. Needless to say, it took a month or two since that time to refinish and cover the set, but now it's right at home.

And let me tell you - this was the best $50, I've ever spent! Can you believe that? Just $50 for a table and five chairs. Killer. Add to that the clearance paint and fabric - and voila! I'm in love.

A chair's humble beginnings:


Almost there...


A close-up of the fabric - the detail is gorgeous! I love the gray against the mustard/linen color of the fabric. Just wait till we finally get this kitchen painted gray, it will be GRAYT;) jk. Great.


The whole deal:


And last but not least, to appreciate the table, you have to check out the column.


It was finally able to get some love and be put to use with Kelley and Patrick's visit, many Cheerios were had:) We can't wait for everyone else to come and put it to the test...let us know when you're on your way!

Matthew Graduated!

This last weekend Matthew graduated from high school - CRAZY. I am getting old, y'all. Like certifiably old. I remember bouncing this baby on my lap like it was yesterday, but here he is getting ready to head off to college! *sigh*

Speaking of college - Matthew's decided to attend Arizona State University...so you know what that means?? More trips to AZ are in my future! Not only will I get to check in on the kid, but I'll get to visit with friends...win-win situation I say!

So I'll keep it brief and share some photos, enjoy!

I was trying to get Mom and Matthew as they first embraced, Mom was about to lose it crying. Note all the funny faces in this picture...there's actually four family members in this pic, can you spot em?


HAHAHA - Mom crying. This is funny because it's a family thing to wipe our eyes about as ungracefully as possible. Oh, and to cry at all family events. Cracks. Me. Up.


Dad, Matthew, and Mom...fresh from drying her tears (happy ones;)


The G-parents came in town, my Grandma is a pee-wee. She kept remarking how short she was all day, as if she just realized she's only 5'2" that very morning;)


The whole gaggle of us, save for Ty who was taking the picture.


My Mom wanted one with all "the kids" so here we are in all our glory;)


And last but not least, just one of me and the graduate. I'm so proud of him!

Well, look who finally showed up...

I've been stalking my magnolia trees (I have three) since I saw others in the neighborhood start blooming. I even (embarrassingly) grabbed two of my neighbors to proudly show of the start of "all my blooms" which actually turned out to be just the start of the new leaves. Really should teach me to keep it to myself till I learn more...I'm sure they were like "who is this crazy girl that wants to show me the leaves on her trees?" Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Since that time (of proudly showing off all my new leaves...) I've been watering/talking to my trees daily looking for signs of blooms and not new leaves, and all I got was more leaves. I started to freak out on Ty convinced that our magnolias weren't working, or we had a type that didn't bloom, which just wouldn't do...since one of my "dream house stipulations" was to buy a home with magnolia trees. He said I was acting crazy and needed to be patient...he must not know me well, because 1. I am crazy and 2. I am not patient.

So this cycle continued till finally I found one little bloom, all round and pudgy, clearly NOT a new leaf;) So I followed it closely over the last week, till BOOM, Tuesday morning I found this:

She's fabulous, no? Sigh. I've always dreamed of living somewhere with magnolias, so this is kind of a big deal in my world;) I blame it on watching Steel Magnolias one too many times...

Well in exciting follow-up news, this morning I found THREE new pudgy blooms! Really not new leaves, promise. Maybe, just maybe, they'll bloom in time for our special visitors next week!

Preach It

Bear with me friends whilst I wax poetical;)

So yesterday morning, I went on a run. Shocking - I know. I caught my shadow at one point and was like, "Who is that? Clearly not me, it looks like Shrek lumbering through trees."

Note to self: If your shadow looks like Shrek, perhaps running more should be on the menu? Yes? Okay then.

So back to the story. Most of my run went something like this (in my head):"Ugh this sucks...run faster...ugh I can I hear myself breathing (turn volume up)...ugh look it's the skinny blonde mom troupe again (did they lap me?)...I'm glad I wore two sports bras..." And so on.

THEN - On my way back, when I was right about here:

Jay-Z's new "Young Forever" song came on the ipod mix...and it was like a little sermon right there on the lake. No really. Maybe it was the fact that the song opens so beautifully, or maybe it was because I was already so delirious from the run at that point - but it was one of those moments where I was SO STRUCK by the moment I was in...And all of a sudden when Jay-Z said:

Fear not when, fear not why,
Fear not much while we're alive,
Life is for living not living up tight

And I was like, "Can I get an Amen!?!?" Maybe not to the part about all the pretty girls always being in my hood, or to all the pretty ass cars, but to the rest;)

I do believe inspiration can find you in the most random of places, so for me it was Jay-Z and the lake. I finished out my run and even added on some jumping jacks I was so enthused. Yes, jumping jacks. I ran out to this little pier and just had to jump out my excitement. I told Ty I did jumping jacks and he laughed. I don't blame him, last time I did jumping jacks I was in seventh grade.

Even then I didn't really do them, let's just say I was "abundantly blessed/endowed" by that age already and I was horrified at the thought of jumping up and down in front of boys who were already asking me if my parents had bought me implants for my thirteenth birthday...ugh kids are mean, aren't they? Anyhow, that's another blog post entirely;)

Moral of the blog post is that I hope you all find a little inspiration when you least expect it and just let it wash over you!

Peace out.

P.S. I'm not gonna lie, maybe I felt a little like Rocky doing the jumping jacks.

Beauty in Purpose

So, it's time for a little confession...

I'm going to be honest, I've been really ridiculous lately. I find that I easily swing from emotion to emotion with the ease of trapeze artist. **Newsflash** I'm dramatic. I am. I know it. I HATE it when people tell me I'm dramatic, but sigh- it's the truth. (And now I just wrote it down in bloggerville for posterity's sake, so I'm really never going to be able to deny it. Maybe not a good idea?)

Well, anyhow back to these confessions. Over the past few weeks, pretty much since we got back from our anniversary hideaway, it's been one thing after the other...you know, nothing insurmountable, but just one blow after the next. And holy smokes last night I threw myself a pity party. No really. It was awesome, I should have invited you all:)

And then this morning, I was reading my morning blogs (the list is growing, please help me stop!) and my new particular favorite is "Enjoying the Small Things" written by a beautiful photographer/mother who I've grown to admire in the very short time I've been reading her blog, which would be about a week;) Her name is Kelle Hampton and she's my new Nie.

She said this:

"It's taken me awhile to grasp it all, but I have finally arrived at the grown-up place of life-is-what-you-make-it and there are lots of things in life we go through that aren't comfortable or ideal, but they could be so incredibly worse, and a simple life of comfort does nothing to change us, mold us, make us into better, stronger more beautiful versions of ourselves..."

And umm, I started crying. Because that's what I do. (See above note re: dramatic) The rest of the post goes on to explain what beauty and joy surround us when we're living a life with purpose, a purpose and a capability to love and accept what life gives us at any given moment. In good, bad, mediocre, etc...

So that's what I'm going to do. And hopefully this blog will help hold me accountable. I'm sure many more meltdowns are in the future, but perhaps with less frequency? ;)

Anyhow, please please go read her blog. And bring the tissues. The birth story of her newest daughter, Nella, will break your heart - for the better.