An Amazing Photographer and Our Family Photos

I hate to have my picture taken. I would rather get a shot from the doctor than a shot from the camera.  In fact, I have never allowed a photo of me to be taken with my family or with Max. Seriously, never...until now. I am in love with the emotion captured in these shots. If you need a photographer please call this amazingly talented camera whisperer. She lives in Tampa but will travel ;)

Be still my heart...

Thank You Elizabeth!!

~XOXO

*Elizabeth Holder Photography

A Quick Update & Happy Holidays!

I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I appreciate all the emails asking if I was ever going to blog again. My answer is YES!  However, I blog what I live and I don't live to blog. So, blogging has taken a back seat to the following:

1. I am moved!  As I type this the boxes are no longer in the bedrooms, living room & kitchen. I can't say this for the other rooms in the house & we still have not been able to park a single car in our 3-car garage.

2. The pool has been started.

3. The Christmas tree is up & decorated. The shopping is done ;)

4. No Christmas cards this year. I'm only sending cards out on even years (at least that's my story!).

5. Some new recipes I am going to be trying this weekend: BLT Dip, Meatballs, Bacon Wrapped Lil'Smokies, Cranberry Avocado Salad.

6. I have been glued to this blog & on my knees praying.

7. I have a "much needed I am too old to move" massage scheduled for Sat.


Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays. I will post pictures of the new house soon and promise to be back to blogging in the new year.
XOXO


My Inspirational Ideas for the New House: 5110
My Inspirational Holiday Decorating Ideas: Holidays

Have you missed me?

Blogging has been sporadic.  Pinterest is sucking all my free time, along with the following:

1. A second grader who is struggling with school & 1-2 hours of homework a night.
2. Soccer (for said 2nd grader).
3. I sold my house, in 10 days with 2 contracts.
4. I am building a new one.

Yes, I am going to leave you hanging. The kitchen needs cleaning & a little man needs to earn a boy-scout badge.

I'll be back soon!
XOXO

Getting it in Writing

I have so much to share with you but I just can't seem to get it down in a post. So, let me give you a glimpse into what I have to share and maybe this will get me motivated to "get with it!!" Actually, in my defense, it's more about my lack of time management!

1. I attended an Anthropologie Home Event (took lots of pictures!)
2. Book reviews & book giveaways. Including an amazing decorating book!
3. Recipes...some keepers!!
4. My craft room before & after
5. My backyard progressing...WOW, if I don't say so myself ;)
6. Some of my favorite products
7. Awesome blog spotlights - new blogs I am addicted too!
8. A patio table/chairs before & after
9. Pictures of my Mom's gorgeous lakehouse


Now, send me some time management {{{{{{{{{{{{{vibes}}}}}}}}}}}}}

-XOXO

Feeding the Wolf

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,

"Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied,

"The one you feed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a bad day.

My day started without breakfast.  I then found myself at the grocery store around 10am.  I had a long list of things to pickup. I hate grocery shopping and had waited till the last possible moment to go to the store.  Up and down every aisle. Back and forth when I would accidently skip an item on my list. I even picked up prescriptions. One of the prescriptions had to be ordered, which meant another trip in my future. Everything was pissing me off at this point. Over an hour had passed. My cart was so full that I had my purse on my arm and two extra bags in one hand.  A case of water, jugs of juice, soda packs....uugh, you name it I bought it.

My cart had a bum wheel as I rolled into the parking lot.  I was getting more pissed by the moment. Finally, I make it to my car and lift open the back to start piling everything in. My car is a disaster. It looks like a 1st grader exploded in my car. Where in the heck was I going to put everything?  I start thinking to myself, heavy stuff in first, eggs & bread in last. Drudgery. Pissery. I'm low energy and tired. Damn, why did I buy a case of water. Shit. Shit.

Then I hear it.  A soft spoken voice. "Excuse me, Maam but I just ran out of gas and need to borrow a dollar."

I feel my face get red. I whip around and square off with this man. "Don't you fuck'n lie to me." I snarl.  "If you need money then ask for it but don't fucking lie to me". I did not stop. I did not even take a breath. "Instead of asking me for money, why don't you do the gentleman thing and offer to help me unload this heavy water into my car?"  He was stunned. I was stunned at what I had just said. Then I saw it. He blushed. His eyes looked away. I saw his expression turn to humiliation and embarrassment.

I had been brewing arrogance, superiority and frustration inside myself all morning. I had been LOOKING for the worst in everything and everyone.  Instead of giving this man what he needed, I demoralized him and myself.  I was trying to make myself feel better by making him feel worse.  I decided at that moment I would no longer feed the wolf.

This story ends with me giving the man money and apologizing for my behavior.  I decided not to watch the man walk away.  I did not want to know if he was going to purchase gas for his car or alcohol for his body. It didn't matter anymore. What mattered was this:

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2

XOXO-

Guns and Overcoming Fear (and Stupid)

I am afraid of guns. There I said it. I am not proud of the fact that I am afraid but I just am. My fear doesn't come from some kind of personal trauma but more the kind that comes from the unknown.  After contemplating my fear and the root of the issue, I believe that I am afraid of not knowing how to use a gun, God forbid, I ever need to use a gun. You see, I have a gun in my home. I can't tell you if it's loaded or if the safety is on. I can't even tell you where the key is to unlock the box it is in.  Now, that's just stupid and I don't do stupid.

So this is what I did to overcome stupid.

I signed up for their Women Only Training Class. Fourteen women came together to learn. Some had their own guns & ammunition, some (like me) rented everything. Some of the women had handled a gun before, others (like me) had not.

We spent 45 minutes in a class environment. We learned safety. We learned how to grip a gun.

We learned how to stand with a gun.

We learned how to load a gun.

We asked questions. We laughed.  I wanted to cry. Seriously, I was that afraid.

The next half of the class was spent at the indoor range. I wanted to leave. I was sweating. I wore platform pumps and had this really big ring on my finger. What was I thinking? I was miserable.

It took me a moment before I could pull the trigger. I hate the element of surprise and I was anticipating the gun to act violently towards me. I did not want it to be loud.  I did not want to look stupid.

I did it. I pulled the trigger and then again and again.  Was it my Laura Croft moment? No. Did I start singing some AC/DC song in my head because I was a re-born bad-ass? No.

When the night was finally over, I spent a few moments in my car reflecting. I was proud of myself and I was going to continue with my training until I was comfortable.

~XOXO~

Just a note: This is not a post on politics, ethics, religion or whatever soapbox you would like to stand on.  This is a post about an incredible company (360 Tactical), that is run by an incredible staff (thank you Justin). This is a post about me.  This is a post encouraging you to overcome fear & stupid, whatever your fear & stupid might be.


I will write a part 2 next week.  Max rocked the Zombie Clowns!

Ye of Little Faith...a Lesson from a 7 Year Old

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26

It doesn't look good for our Daisy dog.  Monday, Max and I took her to the Vet. She has been constantly twitching on one side of her body, lifeless and in pain.  We stayed at the Vet office for almost two hours while they x-rayed, took blood and called another Vet in for a consult.  Their diagnosis, "A lesion on the brain or some kind of Neurological disease."  The Vet wants to send some of her blood off to a special lab and check for a Tick illness that can sometimes cause these symptoms but Daisy has been on Tick/Flea preventive her entire life so this is really a shot in the dark.  The test results will be back in a week. In the meantime the Vet is cautious that we don't get our hopes up. He believes that we should euthanize Daisy by the end of the week and I agree.  Max is hanging on the Vet's every word.

On the way home I ask Max how he is feeling.  He looks directly at me and says, "God will heal her, Daisy will be fine."  My heart sinks.  I am sad.  I think to myself, "not only am I going to have to explain Max's first lesson of death but now I am going to have to explain why God did not heal his dog. Great, a double whammy. My son's first lesson on faith and disappointment.  Growing up sucks."

For two days I have carried this whimpering dog around in a blanket. She can't jump or climb. Her tail remains tucked. She is trembling constantly. She cries out in pain. For two days I have talked sweetly to her, knowing her days are numbered. I keep telling her what a good dog she has been.  I say, "good dog", over and over again. I cry.

Today, Daisy is a different dog. She jumped on the bed, she jumped off the bed. The trembling is barely noticeable and non-existent at times. I caught her rolling on her back in the sunshine.  Is she cured? Is this temporary?  Are the medicines working? We still do not have the blood work results but the doctor is treating her as if she was positive. He said, "At this point we have nothing to lose." I am cautiously optimistic.

This afternoon, Max comes in from school. The first thing he does is ask about Daisy and go straight to her.  I tell him that she is having an amazing day and appears to be well.  Max looks directly at me and says, "I told you so."

Wow, faith.  Pure untainted faith.  What do you think God has been saying to me?

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20



XOXO-

Christmas

I am off the grid for the holidays but I am leaving you with some great links to enjoy.

*12 Drinks of Christmas
*Great Snow Globe Craft for Kids
*Rolo Candy Pretzel Recipe
*Christmas Morning Monkey Bread Recipe


Here's wishing you/yours an amazing holiday.

Much love-
XOXO

Katherine Marie

The blog community is an amazing place.  I have met some of the most creative, awe inspiring women and the world feels a little smaller since I have been blogging.  This week, one of my favorite blog friends sent Max a little *Happy* for Christmas.

This girl is so talented.  I am honored to call her my friend.

Thank you Katherine Marie for the wonderful snowball "recovery" kit! He was thrilled to open it (& eat it). Now if we can just get some snow :)

~Hugs & Kisses to You and Your Family this Holiday Season~

XOXO

Mini Moo Bookmarks

I am attending BEA in New York City this year and I wanted a cute idea for business cards.  

This was my inspiration...Mini Moo Bookmarks...

(click on picture for resource)

Here are my new cards...

Now I just have to punch holes and thread ribbon on 200 of these babies!

~XOXO~

Less

"It’s ok to do less. It’s ok to re-evaluate your obligations and to make room for the people that matter the most." - A Soft Place to Land

I am slowing down and doing less.  I am going to be making more time for family and myself.  I will continue to post progress on my remodel and book reviews.  My postings will be just a little more sporadic.  I am still reading YOUR blogs and I can always be reached here and here.

Much Love-
XOXO

My Craig's List LISTINGS

Do you remember when I said I was going to wish I had gotten rid of more "stuff" before I moved? Well, I reached this point today.  Get this stuff out of here!!

**Special Discount for Local Readers & Bloggers**

http://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/1962596854.html

http://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/1962634999.html

http://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/1962698238.html

http://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/1962645315.html

~XOXO~

24 hours Post Movers

The movers have left...left me a big ol'mess!!

Will I ever get organized?

XOXO

Breathe...

My moving truck comes tomorrow and I am already worn out.  We have spent the last couple of days picking out flooring, bunkbeds, private school, closet organization, a trampoline, security system, new carpet, new locks, a visit from an electrician, pest control, utility hookups and just generally finding our way around Houston.  Cable/Internet should be hooked up this week too.

Thank you for being so patient with me.  I am going to need some time to catch my breath.  Good things to come though, I promise :)

XOXO-

925 miles...

This is me smiling on Xanax :)

~XOXO~

It's Time...

~XOXO~

Two

2

more days...

~XOXO~

Three

3

more days...

~XOXO~

Snooze

I don't want to get out of bed. I just want to pull the covers over my head and hit the snooze button. Do you ever have days like this?  I'm afraid my days are turning into weeks.  The stress of selling a home, buying a home, hubby already traveling to the new job and life in general are catching up with me.  Then I went and scheduled what I thought was a minor procedure that was going to make my life better. Well, its turned out to be a real pain, literally.

So for now, I will dream about going back to bed because life keeps moving and I must keep up.

XOXO-

My List, Will You Add Your Blog?

This is my list. Sometimes it is very long (like now) and sometimes it is small.  Sometimes I link to more food bloggers, sometimes it is decorating. Sometimes the styles are very weighted in the DIY department, sometimes it is all about the eye candy.  The demographics of these bloggers change too.

Be sure to take a look at My List. It is my morning newspaper, my morning sunshine, my few minutes of downtime. It is the list that keeps me busy when hubby is watching Sci-fi (which I hate) and the list that makes me feel connected and less alone.  These are my people. Check them out...

Scroll Down and Click the "Door" on my Sidebar (for this post, you can click on the below picture, I have made linking a bit easier for today!):

If you have a blog or a favorite blog you like to visit, please add it to the MckLinky list below. I would love to check it out!