Thrifting

This summer, I was craving a project like nobody's business.  I needed to do something creative. 

I searched and searched, but didn't know what I wanted to do, and I knew I didn't want or need to spend a lot. 

Sometimes I wander through this consignment shop that's either hit or miss. I found my purple couch there back in September of 2009 on the day I got my job.  A random purchase, but it works great in our apartment!

For $25, I found this little blue shelf with drawers at the consignment store.

Hooray for a project.  And a piece of furniture.   

Here it is minus the drawers.  I cleaned it up with warm water and dusted it off. 

And then I got my black paint out and went to town.

Now this little piece sits in our entry way. 

It was going to be a great spot for me to put my ever-disappearing keys. 

{What a great theory.  In practice, that's another story.}

The Nester's Secret to Thrifting reminded me that I never shared this little project.   I thought she gave great tips on shopping at Thrift stores and Consignment shops for furniture.

"When it comes to shopping thrift, the biggest secret to finding great stuff is persistence. Are you willing to pass by a ton of junk that you would never buy to find that one gem?" --The Nester

Christmas Magic

Traditions. 
Everyone's got 'em. 
This year, I got a peak into someone else's family traditions,
and it was so much fun. 

Adam's parents have this tree outside in their yard strung with big, bright blinking white lights.  You can see it from the road when you pull in, and from their kitchen windows where I danced at the fist sign of snow.

This photo doesn't really do it justice, but I'm telling you, I thought it was magical.

I'm pretty sure that was because it reminded me of this book that we always pull out around Christmastime, The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree.  This "neighborhood" lives in this huge tree in the forest, and the children are afraid Santa will for get them because he won't be able to find them deep in the woods. 

Aunt Mimsy (who reminds me so much of my Great Aunt Jenny) scrounges up all sorts of decorations for the tree so that Santa will be sure not to miss this bunch, and everyone works together to make the Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree.

See the resemblance?  Maybe it's just me.  But that's ok.

We love to pull out our Christmas books and read them by the fire every year.  It's so fun to flip through them and remember Mom and Dad reading them to us.

Another part of Christmas that I love is singing Silent Night.  I have this memory of sitting in Nanny & Papa's kitchen and learning the words to that song.  I'm pretty sure we harmonized at the kitchen table, and again...it was magical.

At some point, I began my career as an event planner and directed The Christmas Story.  Papa would read it to us in his deep, bass voice, and the four cousins would act it out.  I was Mary, Austin was Joseph, Anna was the Angel, and Troy had a costume change between the shepherd and the wise men.  Unfortunately, I was pretty bossy and probably overreacted at some point before we actually got up there (Great for the Christmas cheer, huh?).  But we're all friends now, and I think they've forgiven me.

Every year, Christmas is a little bit different for us, but it's things like these traditions that keep it ever-so-slightly the same.  And of course the best tradition of all is celebrating Christ's birth. 

Do you have a favorite tradition?

A Blizzard in Iowa {and not one from Dairy Queen}

Merry Christmas from Iowa! 

We just got back from celebrating Christmas a bit early with Adam's fam.  It was so much fun.

  I'm a big fan of celebrating throughout the whole month of December! 

After flying into Des Moines, we got out to their house, and I got the grand tour before a four-wheel ride.  It was still about 45 degrees then (read: warm), and we rode around in the ditches and the neighbors' land.  I got to drive just a bit, but I'm no expert on this four-wheel driving business.  I'm still trying to get the hang of a clutch.  Ha.

Meet Sadie.  In the back is Shelby the beagle.  Let's just say I'm in love with both of them. 

(I have another photo with Shelby but it got deleted, and I'm going to have to find it later.)  These girls rule the roost, and they are so much fun.  Adam loves his dogs, and I see why--they love him!  They were so excited to see him home. 

{AMP's brother & Sadie}

They love belly rubs and eating people food and curling up by the fire.  Saturday morning I heard a little scratch on my bedroom door.  I was already awake, so I cracked it open.  The girls were waiting just outside, and they were a bit confused to see me there, since it was Adam's old room.  Shelby hopped up on my bed to say good morning anyway.  What a way to start the day!

Speaking of starting the day off right, it snowed!  This was their first snow of the season, and it was beautiful.  They have big windows in their family room and kitchen that look out over rolling hills, and I got to see the snow start and cover the ground.  Exciting stuff for this Texas girl!  (Pretty sure I was hopping around and dancing at the window watching the flakes, much to their amusement!)

Adam took me on a tour of life around town, and I got to see his school and church.

This isn't the entire school, but some of it.  I loved seeing where Adam grew up!

Isn't it picturesque?  I thought so!

The snow just kept falling, so we went out to play. 

The dogs loved it, and they were totally worn out by the end of the day. 

Here's Paul Bunyon Adam out with the ax. 

Chopping wood is also a foreign concept to me.  (Ok, let's face it--it all fascinates this city girl!)

We celebrated Christmas Eve on Saturday night, and had delicious wild rice soup and then grilled pork roast.  They even grill in the winter up there.  Who knew?! 

Here I am, just a little overwhelmed by my pile of presents.  I had just as many as the boys, and couldn't quite believe it.  They went out of their way to make me feel welcome and included in Christmas festivities!

I learned that the Paulsons don't just wrap up gift cards.  Noooo.  They put them in big boxes and put things in them to throw you off.  This was my box from Adam, and there was a plastic lid in there, so that when I shook it, it made noise.  Envelope #1 had a photo of Adam dressed up for prom (that was a clue that we're getting dressed up to go somewhere).  It says "Keep Looking" under that, so I did.  There was another envelope, and inside that was an invitation to dinner and the Transiberian Orchestra at the Symphony for Christmas.  So excited!

After presents, the Blizzard started coming in.  Oh man.  I've never heard wind like that in my life.  The windows rattled and the wind whistled.  I was a little bit scared, but no one else seemed bothered too much by it.  Adam even went out in it!  (That's him with Shelby up there.  Nope, not a burglar!)

They've got bunnies in their garage from an FFA competition his brother had a long time ago.  Bunnies aren't supposed to live that long, but in a garage out of the wind with people feeding you, who wouldn't want to stick around, right? 

Sunday afternoon, we drove about an hour to Iowa City, and  I got a tour de Adam and saw his college campus and the fire house where he was a volunteer fire fighter in college.  Then we went to a party with friends from his church there.  (This was the same church where my favorite teacher/mentor from high school went while she and her husband worked there in Iowa, so I loved having that connection to some people there.  Small world!)  All his friends were so glad to see him and kept telling me how great Adam is. 

Duh!  :-) 

We laugh a lot.

At one point, my face hurt from smiling and laughing so much.

I'd say it was a good weekend, -2 degree weather and all!

Highlights

via

This has been a fabulous week--and I don't want to forget it.  Corner Bakery provided some much-welcomed laughter and sweet time with the most fabulous date on Sunday evening.  Tuesday brought my longest run ever, and it was even great running in the cold.  Walking back into the smell of ribs in the crockpot was divine (I'd highly recommend it).  And then getting bundled up for a Starbucks run and a light show set to music made for a magical part of Christmas with AMP.  An impromptu lunch with Sarah at La Madeleine was such a treat on Wednesday.  Today, I left my purse in a Walmart  shopping cart, and they went to great lengths to track me down.  Grateful for the good samaritan who found it.  I think I must've been thinking about a 4-day weekend that's about to start right...now!

Lovin' these Links

I thought I'd share what I'm diggin' these days...

Whenever I blog letters, the original inspiration came from a blog I found this past summer called Today's Letters.  It is seriously my favorite blog.  Each morning, Emily and her husband post a photo and a letter, and there's all sorts of fun stuff on there.  The coolest part is that I've actually met Emily at church, and she was so genuine and real in person.  I feel like that's my claim to fame or something. 

They try to communicate well, and it's a really cool thing.  Each week they ask and answer Tuesday Questions with each other.  They say it's one of the ten things that have made all the difference for them.

They also have other fun stuff on there like a 2010 Holiday Gift Guide.  They cook, travel and build forts together (i.e. they just have a lot of fun.), and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever. 

This blog, I just discovered more recently.  Young House Love is about a couple that bought an old house and remodeled it in Richmond, Virginia.  This intrigued me for a lot of reasons, one being that my dad grew up in that same city, and two, they have a lot of cool DIY projects and ideas that I just really like.  You should check them out, too.

And finally, in case you're in the market for a good online Defensive Driving class, I'd recommend Comedy Guys.  Unfortunately for me, I got a ticket back in August.  No bueno.  I had three months to take Defensive Driving, and the December 2 deadline was fast approaching.  I started off about a week from that date, and thought I was good to go.  Turns out there are 10 chapters, not six like I thought.

The six-hour course wasn't too bad--kinda cheesy, kinda funny, and I even learned quite a bit.  It times you on every page, so I'd read the page, let the timer run and would go do laundry or clean my room or something.  The only problem was that I literally waited until the last possible day to finish it, stayed up 'til midnight and had to be up for work at 5 a.m. the next day. 

But even when the program denied me access because I'd answered some personal identification questions incorrectly (I had the wrong VIN number on my car), I called the number and the owner helped me personally.  I talked to him two more times when I needed to expedite the mailing of my certificate so there wouldn't be a warrant out for my arrest.  Needless to say, I would highly recommend it, if you have to take something like this!

Happy Tuesday--let me know if there are any other blogs out there that I'm missing!  I'm kind of addicted...



Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sarah, yesterday was your birthday!  I hope it was wonderful.  I sent you a text at 12:20 a.m., because those first ones in the early morning of my special day were especially fun.  I thought you might like that.  :-)

We've known each other almost 10 years, and I'm grateful for every one of them.  Thankfully I don't have any photos on my computer from high school, because let's be honest...plaid uniforms with knee socks and slip on shoes were not my best style.  (I don't even think I had a digital camera Freshman and Sophomore year.  Man, have times changed.)  (And I feel so old saying that.)

You're a great travel buddy.  In High School, we went to New York with Yearbook our junior year, and to Hawaii on an all-expense paid trip our senior year.  Man, life is good!

I wrote about our experience visiting Baylor in high school here.  

It was at Baylor that we stayed friends & became better ones, as I knew we would after high school.  

As a grown up, I've come to appreciate even more your listening ear, your voice of reason and your bravery to try new things.  I'm so excited for you to learn more about pastries and sweets in London this next year.  (Although how can you improve on something as great as this birthday cake?!)

I think I get to see you three times in the next week, and I'm excited.  Gotta stock up on Sarah time before you go across the pond again!

The Christmas Card Challenge

A few Sundays ago, I went met "The Boys" and their mom & dad down in Deep Ellum to take some Christmas card photos.  I took 150 photos and got about five that would work.  Two seven year olds and a three year old make for quite the afternoon.  

Here are a few good ones and a few out-takes.  They're equally as cute to me!

They look like angels, but don't be fooled!  They're still precious, though.  I just love 'em to pieces.

Can you tell who's the ham??  He definitely enjoyed himself the most that afternoon!

See that yawn?  This was the end of the photo shoot.  Posing is hard work, you know!