the little things...

As of lately... I'm appreciating the little things.  I {heart} them!  Reading... I think my husband might actually love me more when he sees me reading ;)  Cooking...  definitely getting points for doing that more regularly.  And I LOVE it!  The snuggles in the morning when she crawls into my bed.  The talks on the way home about his recess siege and Revolutionary War re-enactments. 

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Our new donut pan. 

I adore her!

 Heaven on earth!

{baked- so I feel better about making them more often}

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Thrift store finds... 

 I'm now at a stage where I need functional furniture... not just pretty. 

 Gone are the days where I can buy a rickety chair and it will last :(  

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Trying to offset the monstrosity of the state of my carpet in the master...  

with the help of a herringbone cowhide!!  

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Giving new life to the playroom... when help from an old friend!  

A-man's teepee has been up in the attic for years.  Now it's getting some PT- the kids love it.  I can just see him crawling into it when he was a babe.

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But now... he's big. 

 Or at least you would think he is if you were to be quizzed by him.  Momma who said "Give me liberty or give me death?'  Momma "who dumped tea into the Boston harbor?"  "Do you know what a sugar tax is?"  "I do!"

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And... only 2 more teacher lunches to go until I retire.  

It's gonna be a nautical theme.  Lord knows I have a few shells to contribute.  And I do so love a cloche.  So I decided to try my hand at making a few for our teachers out of wine glasses...  I'm loving them so far- only 57 more to go!!

looking for the extraordinary...

I have a small number of friends and of course Cooner, who think I can do things.  I'm about 10 % talent and 90 % try.  That's it!  I'm an ordinary girl who happens to love very extraordinary things...  I see something, know that I cannot afford it {or usually would not buy it at that price}, then scour thrift stores or cut up sheets, or dumpster dive, until I make something to its equal.  Also... this place. this blog- it's a highlight reel!   

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But I do so get convicted as to "what my mission is in this world?"  Surly the Lord has more for me than party planning and bows???  Then I read this...  

Amen!

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And.. while we are on the subject of creativity...  Prissy hosted an American Girl tea party. She made these little chocolate covered pretzels for the dolls {paper straws dipped into brown paint then sprinkled with paper confetti}.  Then she proceeded to wrap them up and add jute.  My cup runneth over!!

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.. and these ice cream sandwiches, little cakes and sundaes complete with cherries on top.
ALL BY HERSELF!!!
 I adored every last thing she made!!

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And not to be undone by his sister.. my A-man made me this!  He is currently VERY into the Revolutionary War.  I think these are totally framable!!

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And this... makes me smile.  I little Lego girl {handmade for me} in my jewelry dish.
 I {heart} him!!!

Don't miss the wonderful ordinary... while you're hard pressed to find the extraordinary! 

 Let's enjoy today and all of its wonderful!!!

now to the Pointe...

So... when you are a ballerina- you dream of getting fancy pointe shoes.  My little ballerina... has been dreaming of these said shoes since she was 3!

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She has danced around these halls nearly everyday of her life. 

{is this not killer precious??} 

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She eats, sleeps, and breaths ballet. 

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You have to be "invited" to join this elite group of girls.

  These "Pointe" girls, must display- strength, grace, and discipline.  

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Prissy got her invitation just before Christmas.  She has talked of NOTHING else since.  I assured her that we would indeed make the voyage into the city to get her shoes.  But, I had no idea!  First you must make a fitting appointment. Then you set aside 2 hrs to try on what seems like 1000 different shoes with 100 different specifics.  "How do these feel?" How does the bow grab your arch?" "Can you fan your toes?" "Now tondu and see if they slip."  Holy cow!!!

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  But.. she smiled the entire 4 hrs in the dance shop yesterday, and in the end... the owner settled on some Russian Grishkos.  Parents are powerless in these shops.  Your tiny dancers are mesmerized by the lingo, and you are reduced to just a bystander...  Depending on their feet and height and weight and dancing style- they determine the perfect shoe for your girl. 

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It was amazing!! It was expensive!!!  And.. it was a precious memory!!!!

CONGRATS Prissy!!!

Oh happy day!

Happy 2015 Y'all!!

  We are just 8 days in and I'm loving it already.  My sweet {patient} husband mentioned last month that "he missed me".  That was my FINAL wake up call {cause near death insomnia and 3rd degree glue gun burns just weren't enough} to start saying "no".  "I can do it!"  I have already done it!  I say "NO!"  Now don't misunderstand my good upbringing.  I say it politely...  I do.  I even practiced it before hand- knowing that when 01-01-2015 came... I was going to begin. 

 So when they ask.. I say.

"Oh I think that's a great idea.  I'm so sorry that I can't help right now. I know that it will be awesome.  I'm flattered that you thought of me."

It works!

The world does not in fact end!

I can make a hot meal for my family {regularly}

and...

I actually ran outside yesterday- it was glorious!!!!

Also.. I have a blue millions updates to put on here.. but in the mean time... As I was pleasure reading this morning {be still my heart}, I read this-