Uh-Oh!!!!

Holy cow!!! I made one wrong click and lost ALL of my blog stuff - all the formatting, layout, EVERYTHING!!! I don't know how in the world it happened, but I somehow got it all back... unbelievable!! I just wasn't satisfied with the black, white, and lime green look I had going. It was really cute, but way too hard to read. There are SO many choices for blog backgrounds out there, too! My goodness what a selection!! I'll keep this one for awhile. I'm too tired to keep searching any further.... at least for today! :-)

I got to go to the DFW area and do a little shopping earlier this week. It was a lot of fun! You just can't go wrong with shopping, Pappadeaux's and more shopping! While I was gone I was contacted by Misikko and was asked to review a Hana Professional Flat Iron 1'' - Pink Edition!!! I am so excited!! Be watching for that post!!!

New Look?!?!

Sometimes I get in a mood to redecorate. Usually that means my home. Today, it means my blog! I've been searching for a new look for awhile, but haven't been 100% happy with anything I've found. This is what I decided to try for awhile. I'm not sure if I like it or not. It might be too hard to read. Got any suggestions for me? Do you like this one or the old one better?

Snow Fun!!

Mallory woke up to over 6 inches of snow on the ground!!  Talk about EXCITED!!!!  The pictures speak for themselves!  :-)

SEW much to do and SNOW!!!

I couldn't wait to share with you the precious pin cushion my little angel made for me today.  With my mom's help, she hand-stitched and stuffed this treasure that I will keep forever!!!

The top of the pincushion.  If you look really close you can see the sweet little hand stitches in red thread.

The back - handwritten with her precious little 5-year-old manuscript.  I LOVE IT! 

Now.... I've got to put that pincushion to good use!!  :-)  I've got 4 projects just waiting for me!  Now, all I need is TIME!  Here's a sneak peak...

Tonight, I helped host a baby shower at my house for my good friend, Cindy.  Snow had been in the forecast all week, so we were really concerned that we might have to postpone it.  All day long, it snowed here and there, but nothing was accumulating.  YEA!  We had a great turnout and a lot of fun!  Fortunately, the major snow held off until the end of the shower.  Here's what we discovered as everyone started to leave!!  This is my backyard!!!

Since we hardly ever see snow in Texas, this is HUGE!!  I'm sure we'll have some playtime in it tomorrow.  Stay tuned!!

The Bachelor Blues

Well, since I found out a few weeks ago that there are MANY of you who tune in to The Bachelor every Monday night, I just had to check in and see what ya'll are thinking (and give my two-cents-worth, of course!).  I am really disappointed in this season.  I was really hoping for some really good girls for Jake to pick from.  This season just hasn't lived up to my expectations.  I pictured Jake as one who would go for the girls who were much more lady-like, self-controlled, and more "wholesome".  But, this is reality tv and those type girls just aren't on shows like this, are they? 

Tenley is definitely my front-runner for the best girl for Jake, but poor thing, she can't stop comparing him to her ex!  I'm not sure what I thought about the dance she performed for him either.  That had to have been so awkward for him!  Her family was definitely the most "normal" I've ever seen on the show, though.  They seemed to fit better with Jake's personality than any of the other families.

I don't know what Jake sees in Vienna.  She is just about to drive me NUTS!!  Isn't it strange that he hasn't listened to ANYONE about her, but he sure wanted Jillian to listen to him about Wes last season?!  Did you also hear that Vienna had been married before????  Had we been told that at some point and I just missed it?!?!?  I thought Tenley was the only who had been divorced.  That was a big shocker for me.

And Gia - when I saw her mom reading the "cards" at the end of the show - oh my!  That did it for me!  Enough said.

I guess Ali proved to be the most dramatic during this episode.  The crying fit in the hotel hallway was just a little much.  I feel sorry for her having to leave, but I think she was very wise to choose her job.  It seemed like she had her mind made up the whole time, too, but just wanted Jake to beg her to stay.  Did you sense that?

Well, I wonder what St. Lucia will have for us next week?  Glad to know I have some "Bachelor-watching-buddies" out there, too!  Thanks for all the comments last time!  :-)  Let me know what you're thinking this week!

Tour of My Home

Every summer, our town has a Tour of Homes which features about 25-30 brand new homes in the area.  They are usually furnished with the most elaborate, beautiful furniture and accessories and always have all the new, cutting-edge ideas, gadgets, and technology.  I love to go drool over all the gorgeousness.  And, I LOVE to get ideas that I can re-create in my own home.  I have so much fun rearranging furniture or placing accessories in different places and somehow it makes everything brand new and exciting!  I've been playing with furniture placement and rearranging some things today, so I thought I'd share some of my fun with you.  Here are some pictures of my entry hall, dining room, living room, and master bedroom. 

Entry Hall

Entry Hall Table - My daddy made this table for me about 8 years ago.  I love it!!  I made the arrangement and cross plaque.  The Lion & Lamb was a birthday gift from my mom and dad several years ago.

This is a bench that my daddy made for me.  My mom made the pillow.  I just love all things hand-made!!  Things made by hand are just so special and sentimental.

I don't have any formal dining room furniture, so I've made my dining room into a sitting/piano room.

The table skirt and curtain were made by my Nanny many years ago.

This is a curio cabinet I bought from a friend of mine.  She was getting rid of it and I just had to have it!  I collect blue/white pieces, so this is the perfect place to display them.

This is the view from my entry hall into my living room.

My living room is the place where we all hang out the most.  It's my favorite room in my whole house.  The coffee table and end table next to the couch were the first pieces of furniture Brad and I bought when we first got married.

I bought the corner curio cabinet from my same friend who I bought the other curio cabinet from.  I have all crystal pieces in it - mostly all things we received as wedding gifts.  I covered the lamp shades to bring some more warmth to the room and tie in the reds, golds, and blues.

This view is looking back towards then entry hall.  The grouping on the wall came from Kirklands many years ago.  Don't you just love Kirklands?!?!?!

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know how much I love to find a bargain!  Well, this little shelf is one of those big-time bargains I found at a flea market this summer.  I paid a whopping $16 for it!  It's in perfect condition - so sturdy and beautifully done.  It's so fun to find things like this that don't have to have any work done to them!!!

 

This is my master bedroom.  It has been a work-in-progress.  And, I think it still is!  Maybe I need to paint the walls a different color?

My brothers and sister gave me the clock for my birthday a few years ago.  I have really loved it in here!

I have displayed my wedding dress next to the wedding memories quilt my mom made me.  I stole this idea from my mom.  She has her wedding dress displayed in her house and I just love it. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my home.  I'll have to show you my kitchen, office, and kids rooms another time.  Come back and visit again soon!  :-)

Decorating for Valentines

Are you a big "seasonal" decorator?  Are you the type that puts out decorations for all the holidays?  I love to decorate for Christmas, Autumn, and Spring/Easter, but holidays like Valentines just don't quite last long enough for me to want to put a lot into them.  It seems like I've just got my house back in order after all the Christmas decorations come down and it's time to put somethine else out.  I guess I like to decorate for the seasons and not as much for the holidays (except for Christmas).  I like things that can stay out for awhile.  With that said, I don't have many decorations for Valentines.  In fact, I only have 1 wreath for my front door and a garden stake with our address on it.  I made this wreath several years ago.

What kind of holiday decorator are you?  :-)