Little Red Riding Door

I have a thing for colorful front doors. They are the first thing guests and passerbyers (yep, it's a word) see. Since people tend to make judgements in the first 15 seconds, you better give them something worth judging! That's why I decided my door needed a makeover. It was white which is nice a crisp, but not terribly inviting. I wanted a classic, bright color. Deep down I wanted orange, aqua, or bright green, but they were just a little too crazy for my house. According to Momma you are supposed to stay within the "look" of your house...I think she is just afraid of the color orange. It also wouldn't have led into my house very well, which is why I ended up with a red door. 

Isn't it cute?

It was still wet while I was photographing it, so the pictures aren't fabulous.

All I need is an exterior paint job and I'll be set!

:j

Bedroom #1

Remember this post from about 2 months ago? I keep meaning to update with the finished product of my bedroom makeover, but the truth of the matter is that my bedroom has not been clean enough during those 2 months to photograph. Pretty much it has been a hot mess of laundry, an unmade bed, over flowing jewelry and random photography equipment. I need to purge, Internet, but I just don't have it in me. Luckily, it's clean right now. I even made my bed this morning. That is 3 days in a row of having a nicely made bed. 19 more days until it becomes a habit.

Okay, back to the topic at hand, in September 2009, the room looked like this.

Drum roll please.

So much better! So what all did we do? Removed the icky carpet, re-finished the floors, insulated & re-sheetrocked exterior walls, painted - including the closet, made curtains, and viola!

I got the dresser at a garage sale for $10. My dad painted it blue to coordinate with the curtains and bird photo.

:j 

Minute by Minute

Saturday, May 15th

6:30 am - Wake up because Kody decides it's no longer time to sleep

6:45 am - Decide that since I'm up I might as well hit some garage sales

7:00 am - Look up some sales on Craigslist really quick

7:15 am - Hit up the ATM, and I'm off in the rain -- sign of addiction?

7:45 am - First sale - total dud

8:00 am - Go to a few sales side by side. Find high chair for my nephew, Cash, for $5. Score!

8:30 am - Find a few adorable outfits for Cash and my cousin, Eva.

8:45 am - Buy a door way bouncer for Cash -- Can you tell who benefits most from my garage sale-ing?

9:00 am - Buy a few books for Cash and a picture frame set for me.

9:30 am - Head home

10:00 am -Arrive at home to find my dad and Josh installing my security screen door.

10:15 am - Show Momma my garage sale finds

10:30 am - Vacuum with Mom & try to find a place for picture frames

10:45 am - Sweep front porch

11:00 am - Season cast iron skillet

11:15 am - Sweep patio

12:00 pm - Eat hotdogs from QuikTrip

12:30 pm - Windex front screen door

12:45 pm - Security screen is finished!

1:00 pm - Hand twinkle lights on my back patio

1:15 pm - Arrange patio tables

1:30 pm - Try out fire pit on patio

2:00 pm -Target and Lowes run because I needed more twinkle lights

2:20 pm - Debate at Target about outdoor table cloth

2:22 pm - Decide to purchase table cloth

2:45 pm - Arrive at home to see that Dad finished my vacuuming

3:00 pm - Decide that I should have bought 2 table cloths

3:15 pm - Hang new twinkle lights - replace the ones hung this morning because they are green, not white.

3:30 pm - Windex back door and new Security door

3:40 pm - Admire twinkle lights

3:45 pm - My cousin, Kristen, and Gpa show up randomly

4:00 pm - Start lasagna for tonight's party

4:10 pm - Change menu board with Kristen to reflect tonight's menu

4:15 pm - Make Kristen a bowl of cereal because she is hungry

4:30 pm - Jump in shower right after Kristen and Gpa leave

4:40 pm - Get a call from my cousin, Natalie, that she is in town :) and they want a family photo

4:45 pm - Frantically get dressed and put on make-up

4:50 pm - Take family photos for my aunt and uncle

5:15 pm - Hang out with Natalie while we prepare for tonight's family gathering at my house

5:30 pm - Butter bread, check on lasagna and unsuccessfully teach Natalie how to dice an onion

5:45 pm -Mom and Dad arrive. Try to figure out where to put all the food that is coming

6:00 pm - All of my family is coming over for our April birthday celebration. (You know what they say, "April birthdays bring May parties!")

6:15 pm - Get lasagna out and bake bread

6:40 pm - We eat!

7:00 pm - Enjoy time with family. Marvel over the fact that there are 20 people here and literally 10 different desserts.

7:15 pm - Fight over who gets to hold Cash

7:40 pm - Watch Cash play in his new walker

8:00 pm - Put away all the yummy frozen desserts

8:15 pm - Watch my cousin, Hayley, open up the super-cool zebra striped straightener I got her

8:20 pm - Gather around the fire pit with my cousins while the 30+ crowd converses inside. :)

8:40 pm - Make smores over fire pit

8:55 pm - Try to remember old camp fire games

9:15 pm - Try to tell scary stories. Stop because Ragean can't handle it. :)

9:30 pm - Attempt to keep Kody away from fire pit so he doesn't singe his tail

9:50 pm - Begin cleaning up

10:10 pm - Hug Natalie goodbye :(

10:20 pm - Finish cleaning

10:45 pm - Decide to post a minute by minute update on my blog because I like to think my 2 readers like to read about my daily life

11:00 pm - Finish updating blog and decide it is time for bed! I have a 2-year-old class to teach at church tomorrow.

:j

How Great Thou Art

:j

My Happy List

Everyday when my students walk into class they have a Focus, which is just a question to get them settled and ready to learn for the day. Some days their focus has to do with a grammar concept or a short story, while other days it is a free write or silly question. There are a few days a year when the kids' focus is to write a happy list. What happens is I set my timer for 3 minutes, and the kids make a list of things that make them happy. It is an instant spirit boost. 

It's all kinds of Monday, and I am in need of a happy list today! So here we go...

1. Long summer dresses
2. Sunset photo sessions
3. My nephew, Cash
4. Japanese Grills
5. Big Kody Dog
6. My huge number 9s that Daddy is making for my front porch
7. Hanging flower baskets
8. Flip flops
9. Books
10. God's Amazingness
11. Green doors
12. Big hair
13. A clean house
14. Green grass
15. Almost blooming peonies
16. New music
17. Teacher Appreciation Week
18. Jeans week @ work
19. Singing in the car
20. Well behaved classes
21. Summer drawing nearer
22. Baby photo shoots

Because every post is better with a photo, here's one of my nephew from our photo shoot today.

What would be on your happy list today?

:j

Photography

Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently. I've been busy taking these photos. :)

I'll try to be back this week.

:j