In Progress

So, I'm finally getting something done with my front flowerbeds.....a few months ago I called Brad and he came and pulled out all the holly stumps (remember the bushes I showed you that I conquered way back in May?). And this week we were finally able to meet and start on a plan.

I have been getting home close (or past) dark the past couple of days, so the pictures aren't the greatest, but I can't not take in progress photos.

First, down came the side fence/gate - it was very sad and hard to use. So we are replacing that small section.




















Marking the spot for new front bushes.....Brad is going to be able to transplant some dwarf yaupons (I think) from another client that is pulling them out. So, about half price for me. Yay!




















Today: fence supplies in and ready to go....

and some of the bushes, just hanging out, ready to drop in the holes!

So excited about the transformation to come.....

The Kitchn Cure

I subscribe to a number of home themed blogs....to see how other people decorate, to discover fun new crafty/thrifty ideas, to learn how to do new things.....one favorite is the Apartment Therapy group of blogs.

The Kitchn is focused on....you guessed it, kitchens....recipes, organizing, etc. They are hosting a Fall Kitchen Cure and I've decided to participate. I am blessed with a lot of cabinets and while I feel like my kitchen is in fairly good shape, I think I probably could stand to get rid of some stuff. Hoping that the next four weeks of kitchen projects will be fun and help with that objective.

I'm also toying with the idea of painting my kitchen....any ideas on color suggestions? You can see my cabinets below are a light mapley color, I have black granite, stainless appliances and yellow gingham curtains (that were originally in my nursery, I believe!). I also have purple pendant lights (that the globes could be changed).....

First assignment: take a photo of the kitchen cabinets.....so here are some shots of mine (incl some drawers)....

Saturday

Catching up a bit.....last weekend Heather & Emily came for a visit. It was so much fun!!


The ACU Today magazine features pictures of alumni children in their free onesie that is provided by the Alumni Association. So Friday evening we got Emily dolled up and went outside for a photo shoot.....it was so fun!











































Saturday, we boarded the DART train and went to the Dallas zoo with some free passes that I got from work and enjoyed some beautiful sunshine and cool breezes before the rainstorms blew in. I think Emily had lots of fun....course it will only get more fun as she gets older and can really talk to us about what she is seeing!






















So, to today....nothing much on the agenda, except heading over to Ft Worth in a few hours for a wedding....still not sure what I'm going to wear since it is outside and it is CHILLY today! Might have to suffer for fashion. We'll see.


But I did do some running around this morning:

• Chick-fil-a --- treat for two weeks of following WW exceptionally well, and having points to spare this week


• Wal-Mart --- normal stuff, plus a couple of surprises for Emily


• JoAnn --- more floral wire to finish a project, plus on sale plastic box to house audio cables


• Junkadoodle --- semi annual flea market -- some GREAT finds! total $30.....highlights are a glass punch bowl + 12 cups ($4); jingle bell Christmas tree ($4); and safety pin + clear bead lighted Christmas tree ($18)


• Hobby Lobby --- Sharpie paint pens

(some of my treasures......)

Fall into Reading

It's time again for Fall Into Reading over at Callapidder Days. I have a very small list right now, comprised of books I checked out from the library.

1. The Bourne Betrayal by Eric Van Lustbader
2. River's End by Nora Roberts
3. Hot Ice by Nora Roberts

Then, I think I will re-read at least some of the Twilight series and my Outlander series - a new book comes out in a few days!!!

Labor Day eve Cookout

It has been awhile since I entertained, so I decided to use the three day weekend to have friends over.....and decided to do it on Sunday so that I would still have my lazy Labor Day Monday to enjoy!!




















Using my back patio for it's intended purpose - for the first time in three years! It was a little warm still, but it was fun for a while. Then we adjourned inside!











































Kelly lending Jenny a helping hand by loving on baby Caden....

Panther Creek weekend

Went to Panther Creek this weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday and hang out with the fam....so much fun.

Emily had pigtails for only the second time....so cute!!

I took Friday off so that I was able to get there in time for their pep rally (it's been 15 years since I went to a pep rally!!!)

Emily LOVED riding over to the gym in her wagon. Mommy and Papa gave it to her for her 1st birthday.

She also LOVED the "buhvs" .... balloons are still favorites!

At the football game Friday night, she was all over the place!! Phillip has to work during the game, but the other four of us took turns letting Emily play and run....

These stairs were a favorite item....she thinks that she can climb them......not quite by herself yet!

You can see here that her current speed is RUN!

Emily now has 6 teeth and is eating pretty much anything and everything.....though sometimes she has to be reminded that she likes something.

We celebrated Mom's birthday ..... she got some fun stuff, including two saucers to replace broken ones from the everyday dishes she's had since their wedding!!

And of course, more family photos.....it has become a habit almost every time we are all together....

Second Annual First Day of School Dinner

Tonight I had my friends Sarah and Kelly over for the second annual first day of school celebration dinner. No, I'm not a school teacher, but they have both been teaching (7th grade math and elementary music, respectively) for around 10 years each! Last year we gathered at Sarah's and this year I volunteered to host. Of course, what I really needed was Kelly's husband, Adrian, to help me hang my trellis! But, whatever the reason, they all came over and we had a great evening.

On the menu tonight was a stir fry mix I had in the freezer, purple juice salad (served in my new thrift-store parfait glasses - found three more this past weekend at the Goodwill store for $0.79 each!), brownies and leftover home-made ice cream. Since they are family to me, it was a very low-key dinner -- which included me making the brownies as they were walking in the door -- very unlike me. I usually plan way ahead!

Here is the couch wall....before:

And as a reminder, this is what the trellis looked like when I bought it:

My amazing trellis-hanger, Adrian! (He really is quite the accomplished carpenter, so this was WAY beneath his skills.....I just didn't have enough arms and hands to do this alone!)

And the finished product, on the wall.....it will be so fun to see what different things I can do! I painted the solid portion on the left with chalkboard paint, so that should be very fun to play with.

And, of course, no project in my house is ever complete without a new tool or some addition to my hardware closet. You've already seen my new sawhorses, plus I picked up some more screws and anchors. Gotta have the correct parts to do the job right!

Views from the hammock

I enjoyed a lovely hour or so swinging in the hammock, watching the birds, and reading.....oh how fun this is going to be.