Wants and Needs. And an awesome giveaway...

I want.  I need.  Let me break this down for you....

I want to go home and watch 24, paint unfinished furniture, and decorate for fall.

I need to go home and work out until all the persistent little fat cells in my body run SCREAMING for their lives.....


I want to have discipline enough to run every day after work, to cook a fabulous meal in pearls and a cute apron, and have enough time to whip up a cake from scratch.

I need to have someone there to TAZE me everytime I try to get out of physical activity, to learn how to manage my time wisely, and learn how to be Suzy Homemaker meets Betty Crocker meets Dog the Bounty Hunter hehe. 

Take this picture for example.  She looks so under control, her kids are so well behaved.  She's got a clean apron after making a meticulously iced cake for 3 hours.  The dishes are washed, the floor is swept......I could only wish that would be me....if it were me in that picture, the caption would be as follows.....

"Uhhh...yes, poison control?  I'm pretty sure my kids have salmonella"

Anyways, I don't know why I felt the need to share that but its just a thought running through my head today.  I still haven't cleaned up from the baby shower on SATURDAY.  It is now THURSDAY.  Almost 7 whole days since I cleaned the house.  I'm pretty sure the strawberry lemonade is turning into wine somehow.  I'm pretty sure that was mold I saw on a plate near the sink.  Oh dear. 

In other exciting news,  I just started following a FABULOUS blog...so inspirational and honest and real....and she's having a giveaway for her 300th post!  All you need to do is go here and first, take a look around...fall in love with her blog...and then leave a comment.  :) 

Here's whats up for grabs:

$150.00 Anthropologie gift card (I'm so gunning for this one...I need some fab shoes...)

$100.00 package from her boutique (WELL worth checking out, by the way.  I'm trying to convince my husband that I need a few things from there hehe)

$50.00 Restaurant Gift Card

and a sweet little surprise for another lucky reader. 

Well worth the time to enter!!!

Ladies, I will be attempting to start day 1 of physical activity this afternoon.  Complete with friend who has the tazer charged and ready to go.

Oh, Baby!

So last Saturday, I hosted my first baby shower.  I had such a blast decorating and making yummy cupcakes!  I think I've found another fun side job idea.  Mentally filing that away, along with "dental hygienist, actor, person who picks out music for movies (totally the official title).  Anyway, yes, I'm a bit of a dreamer.  :) 

The beautiful mommy-to-be had picked out a nursery theme of "green and aqua,"  so I decided to mold all the decorations around those colors.   That made it so easy!  I wanted to do something fun for guests as they were arriving, so I decided to set up a "photobooth" outside, complete with a vintage suitcase full of fun props.  I think we had a red feather boa, 2 cowboy hats, some funky glasses, and fake moustaches!  Thanks to my friend Mandy who headed up the pictures and forced everyone to get in on the fun!

To me, this was one of the most fun parts of the day.  To see everyone digging through a suitcase deciding who got to wear the handlebar moustache was priceless.  It was also nice because I was nowhere near done with my thick meringue topping for the yummy cupcakes I made, and it kept everyone outside just a little bit longer :)

I wish I would have gotten a few more pictures of the decorations inside, but someone has to be a Last Minute Lucy!

We made all the decorations that you see, besides the platters of course.  The  tissue paper pom-poms were super easy, and I'm thinking about posting a video tutorial very soon.  The pennant flag banners were made by my oh-so-talented friend Jennifer, you can check out her work at http://www.jennifernicolecox.com/ .  Anyways, here's some pictures of the decorations!

Gone in 60 seconds...cucumber sandwiches are my favorite.

The farmtable I bought 2 weekends ago is really getting some use!  I loved the way everything looked on it.  If I could, I'd sit at it all day and be happy with the sun streaming through the dining room window.  And then I'd sit at it at night while the ambiance of the chandelier would make it take on an entirely different look.  But not right now.  Not tonight.  You know why?  Because it is now Tuesday and I'm in total and complete DENIAL. The shower was on Saturday, and I still have not cleaned out the bowls full of leftover salad, the cups with sticky strawberry lemonade, or the trash that is sitting right in the middle of the kitchen floor.  To be quite honest, I'm a little afraid of my house right now...I wish I had a big rug to sweep it all under!!!

These little guys were too tired to play games, so we found a quiet place for them to nap.

The banner you see above their heads is actually paper on which I had everyone write a quick word of advice for Vanessa.  It turned out to be a very cute idea, and afterward, I punched a hole in it and tied a ribbon through all of the flags so she could thumb through them later.

But back to the picture journey, as I try to forget about the mess, and remember how great the day was ;)  We all enjoyed lunch, and then played a game, hurriedly named "draw a baby with the hand you don't normally write with."  Yes, in all my decorating preparation, I forgot to actually come up with a name and rules; but for a last minute game, it turned out to be hilarious.  Some babies looked unborn, some looked like blobs with eyes, some had amazingly detailed rattles in their hands, and some...well, i'm convinced they were drawn with the right hand ;)   

Here's Jenn working on her baby.  Well, I guess 2 babies since she's about 3 months along! tee hee.

I totally should have won.....look at the detail!  The baby even has buttons on its....skin?  Wow ok, I lose.

We turned to gifts after the laughter subsided, and I got some great shots of Vanessa as she was getting some fabulous gifts :)  The ladies in our church know how to shop! :)  Two that stuck out in particular to me were hats that she received.  These are no ordinary hats, these are hats that I would wear! These are hats that would make your baby more fashionable than you.  http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5190354  I suggest you hurry on over ;) 

TIME FOR CUPCAKES!

Ally and I made 2 types of cupcakes for the shower.  Mine were actually from a Trophy Cupcakes recipe, and they were almost like a s'mores cupcake.  Graham cracker crust, chocolate, and TOASTED marshmallow.  I got to use a blowtorch!  My husband's industrial strength blowtorch.  Yes, I had one cupcake casualty.  His little outer wrapper got burned and actually lit on fire without me noticing...until I smelt him.  Poor guy.  At least he got a proper burial in the trash can, underneath eggs and coffee grounds and used paper towels ;)

Ally made white cupcakes with buttercream icing tinted the perfect shade of green.  We made cute little cupcake toppers and set them out!  Without further ado, our cupcakes.  (You might want to grab a napkin before you look at these next pictures).

And here's my favorite cupcake of all, Gus.  He's a sneaky little guy, "supervising.." Uh huh, sure.  He'd supervise one right into his cute little tummy...

After gifts, after games, and after food, we gathered everyone outside for one last picture -- just for fun.  I had such a blast doing this for Vanessa and I hope to do more in the future.  I'll post up a tutorial on the tissue paper decorations and might even put up a recipe for cupcakes!  Thanks for reading!!!!

The "Lil'Hitler 'Stache  ;)

"I drink your milkshake!"

My home is a little bit heavier now!

I'm back from the Vintage Barn show! Hands down, one of the most fun things I've done all year. And guess what?! I found a table!! It was one of the first things I spotted, and it was BELOW the price I was hoping to spend. I a......you know what? I should really start from the beginning..... ;)

So we left out after work on Friday, and headed for Sandpoint, ID; a town about 45 minutes from the show. It was quite a fun car ride, and I always look forward to the conversations that take place. It's one of the best ways to bond that I can think of! We got into town pretty late, but decided to watch a movie. I think it was called Northanger Abbey? Yep, just googled it. Anyway, I'm not really a fan of Jane Austen movies...partly because I have never read or seen any of her work, and partly because I hate having to put on subtitles when I do watch. But this one was surprisingly good! So maybe after all, I just need to broaden my horizons....

Morning came pretty early, we were up at 7 and out the door by 7:45ish. After grabbing a hot cup of joe and some pastries, we started our journey. Each of us ran through our lists of what we needed to buy but after getting there, they pretty much went out the window ;) (Oh, do you like my polka dot tote? I got that at Montana Coffee Traders....I LOVE IT!)

The line was quite a bit longer than we had anticipated but it was well worth it. I didn't think about bees beforehand, and I am DEATHLY afraid of them. I think I'd rather be attacked by a bear. With a gun. Yes, a bear with a gun. (Its Monday and I didn't have coffee.....)

As soon as I started shopping, I had to stop for a minute and just soak it in. The sun was shining, I had a good cup of coffee in my hand, my friends with me, and an awesome bluegrass band playing in the background. A couple deep breaths later, I started on the mission.

The first booth we came to that I really noticed (and kept going back to!) was June bug. I told the girls before I got there that I really wanted "stuff with letters and numbers on it" and this is where I found it. Chairs, burlap treasures, trinkets, rusty wire, chippy paint.....oh my. It was my favorite booth! You should definitely check out her blog.

About 5 minutes after that, I spotted my table underneath an array of flowers and glass domes and some very "Anthropologie" inspired decor. It was wood on the top, distressed from years of love, and the bottom was a greyish-blue color. Perfect! I sprinted around the rest of the show just to make sure, and then raced back to claim it. I was so happy I found it right away, because I felt like I could actually take my time and enjoy the little purchases for the rest of the day :)

Yes, I took a picture of myself.

I came away with an apple bucket, a wire locker basket (FINALLY!), a metal scoop for my potpourri, and Ally, one of my best friends bought me one of these cute little nests from The Rusty Bird. This gal creates these unique pieces that really look amazing. She's so talented! And she's gonna be at the Country Living Fair so if you're going, check her booth out!

We had a little run in at the end of the day between Mandy and another shopper that had apparently been sold something Mandy had already purchased. Poor Mandy held her ground though and after confirming with the vendor, she came out victorious. The rest of us girls were ready and waiting to ruffle our feathers if need be though ;)

On the way home, we stopped by my mom's house (youd have to see it to believe this house. She is just amazing in her decor. I'll try and get her to take some pictures!) and I picked up an old church pew that was sitting in her shop waiting on me. Its going against the back wall in the 2nd living room (we don't really know what to do with that space...it has a fireplace but its in a really random spot, so we call it the 2nd living room).

Anyway, we got home, said our goodbyes, and I got all my goodies unloaded and set up. Its not totally finished, in that I want to repaint the chairs, get a different bench for the table (or modify the one in the picture) and get all decorated for fall! That should be next week. I'm gonna leave the summery decorations up until after Vanessa's baby shower this weekend. Blues and greens will just go a little better with the summer decor I've got going on I think. I'll post a blog about the shower...it should be so exciting! I've had a ton of fun planning it. Well, I better get back to work, hope you all have a splendid Monday!

Oh dear. It's really been over 3 months since I've posted?!

Yes. It has.

This is terrible! I totally made the resolve to post once a day, and here we go...my typical dwindling. Although, I don't think I have very many people reading....hmm wonder why Jana?!

Anyways, I really hope to get going again...as I will hopefully have some new stuff to blog about! The summer FLEW by..and I miss it but I am way too excited about fall to really miss it that much :)

This weekend, I'm taking some of my favorite girls, and we're going to Rathdrum, Idaho for the "Vintage Barn" Antique Show. I can't even express in words how excited I am!

I can spot at LEAST 10 things I'd buy in that picture alone, and there are over 40 vendors. Oh dear. Guess its a good thing we're bringing Tanner's truck! Poor guy, apparently he had forgotten we were taking it until last night. I could sense the hesitation in his voice, so I told him I would protect it with my life; do you know what he said?

"I'm not worried about you doing anything to it, I just want to make sure you'll be safe" Be still my heart...I LOVE my husband! Ain't he a looker....... ;)

Its funny how some days, I just wake up loving him more than I ever have, and I wonder if that will ever go away. I don't think it will. I love the fact that I still get butterflies thinking about him. I'm SO GLAD that God put him in my life!

Anyway! So I'm looking mainly for a plank top farmhouse table for the kitchen this weekend. If I can find it cheap enough, I'll just get it there, and if not, Tanner will build it for me! Isn't he sweet?

Girls, let me tell you, I thought it would be SO easy to find some tables for inspiration on the net, but I am having a tough time! Here are a few that will show you the rough idea that I have in mind.

I say, the more rough, uneven, and distressed on top, the better! CAN I GET AN AMEN!?

I think it goes against every fiber of Tanner's being to do this! haha. I can't decide whether I want it all white, or leave the top wood and the bottom white and chippy...I guess we'll just have to see if I can find anything this weekend!

I really hope that if I start writing more, I'll have more followers! Is that shallow? Maybe ;) But I can't help it! I've sold most all of my stock from Twig, save for a few big and small items, so I'm just trying to decide if it's worth my time to keep doing it. It's such a good winter project! My problem is that I tend to want to keep what I refinish or find. Hard to part with some of that stuff!

Well, I'll keep it short for today...I bought a small cottage chair for 10.00 at a garage sale about a month ago, and I plan on painting it soon. I will post pictures!

Later gators ;)