improv

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i looked for months, and i mean months, for a nice, thick full length mirror for our bedroom. this mirror from ikea for $100 was the closest thing I found to what I was looking for. had the closest ikea been less than 3.5 hours away, it might have made its way into my house. but i wasn't particularly happy about the price and truth be told, i wasn't sure I was ready to give up my 'i don't own anything from ikea' status.

so, when i spotted this mirrored door on craigslist for $19 (random price, i know), i decided to improvise on my full length mirror search. 

i am oh so happy with the look. annnd i still have that extra $80 and my  'i don't own anything from ikea' status. win-win.

perpetual advice

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since we've been married, i've been in a few situations where i've been asked to write/give marital advice - mostly at bridal showers. my advice is always the same; it is a nugget of knowledge that someone once told me and I have carried with me. it is the perpetual advice that I give to myself in my marriage and in life: give more grace.


When he leaves a sink full of dishes, give more grace. When he's running late, give more grace. When you find hairs in the sink, give more grace. When he forgets that one thing you needed from the store, give more grace. When he loses his temper, give more grace. When he eats your choco taco, give more grace.


It's not always easy. But I would say it's made the biggest difference in my marriage. I came into marriage with unrealistic expectations of this picture perfect life we would make for ourselves. My greatest realization was that we are two imperfect, intrinsically selfish people living together both needing to give and receive grace for our actions and attitudes. Many times my instinct is to get upset or complain, but grace goes a long way. I've found myself just doing those dishes or cleaning up those hairs and adjusting my attitude to think of it as an opportunity to serve my hard-working husband. giving grace.

It really does make all the difference for us. And we are only able to do it because we have first been given undeserved grace. ("But he gives more grace." - James 4:6)

I still fail at this all the time. that's why it's perpetual advice, i need to constantly be reminded. thankfully, i think he'll give me grace.

seeing green

Not too long ago, Josh and I picked up this beauty at a local thrift store. I love the shape, the size, the antique details, i love it all. I did not however, love the top, it was it horrible condition.

Josh confidently told me that he could refinish it. I was skeptical, I'll admit. But he stripped and sanded, and repaired and restained. The top now looks like it was always in ideal condition. And I can't believe he found a stain that matches perfectly.

I just saw this picture, and now I'm seeing green.

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I wonder if he's gonna want to kill me?

what i missed

we didn't live in our house at this time last year. i took a walk the other day to check out what I had missed.
















beautiful, huh? this is my mini-field of flowers in our woods.

also, when we moved in last may, we received some kind house warming gifts. I am pleased to be able to say that I did not kill them!

our peonies (my favorite flower) making a come back!


oh yes, the lilac bush from my mom has some buds.

borrowed beauty

my neighbor has forsythia planted all around the perimeter of his yard. he recently trimmed all of his bushes, as they are starting to bloom.



I may or may not have taken some blooming sprigs out of his brush pile while taking baxter for a walk.

Thirty minutes, two boxes, salty & sweet

If you shop at Kroger at all, you know that from time to time they have great deals on cereals. Well, recently they had their Chex cereal on sale for $1.99 and I was able to use this coupon to get each box for only $1.

With only thirty minutes and two boxes of cereal (plus ingredients I already had), I was able to make two of my favorite snacks at home.

The Original Chex® Party Mix (1/2 Recipe)

3	tablespoons butter or margarine
1	tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4	teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4	teaspoon garlic powder
1/4	teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2	cups Corn Chex® cereal
1 1/2	cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 1/2	cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1/2	cup mixed nuts
1/2	cup bite-size pretzels
1/2	cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces

1.	In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. (As you can see, I skipped the bagel chips ingredient - still great without it!)

2.	Microwave uncovered on High 4 to 5 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 5 minutes.

Store in airtight container. (Friendly tip: I found this airtight container, which looks almost identically to the pricey OXO storage containers, for only $6 at walmart)

Seriously, that's it! It takes no time at all and it's super delicious and budget-friendly! :)

Next up,

Chex® Muddy Buddies® (aka: Puppy Chow)

9	cups Rice Chex®, Corn Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2	cup peanut butter
1/4	cup butter or margarine
1	teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2	cups powdered sugar

	Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
	In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. 






Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.


And there you have it, salty and sweet treats all in the matter of 30 minutes. A worthy time-investment if you ask me!

a place to call home

Despite what my husband may think, I am not in the line of collecting junk. I try to be intentional about the things I purchase, and if I can't think of a place for it, I don't buy it (for the most part, some things just make their way into my basket somehow).  So I thought I'd show you the new homes of my recently found treasures.



This beauty now graces my fireplace hearth.


This antique tin complements my kitchen food scale quite nicely.


This wooden box is being filled with seeds and bud vases in preparation for spring planting.


My large mason has found its place amongst the turquoise collection for the guest bedroom.


This globe found its home on my desk next to an old-school stapler, and while I think knick-knacks serve a beautiful purpose....


...this globe is actually a functioning pencil sharpener. Something I needed!


This vintage tray also found a home in my office, corralling papers/bills to be filed. (The lady that sold me this tray told me she actually remembers buying it in California in the 70's - I like that I know a little of its history).


So, there you have it.

my weekend & treasure hunting

oh how i wish weekends could stay a little longer. this one in particular.

we had such a great time at the brian regan show. we were eight rows from the front and i was a little star struck. i just think he's hilarious and he did not disappoint.


i also spent much of my time trying not to trip over these two lazy turkeys in the kitchen.


Josh didn't have to work during the day on friday, so we decided to go hunting for treasures.


here are some of our recently found treasures:











Grand total: $14.00

If only life could be made up of weekends...

the weekend

hello friends, i hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

here's a glimpse of the highlight of my weekend:

brian regan live. can't wait!

inspired by: ashley ann photography

one of my favorite blogs that I read is ashley ann photography. she takes gorgeous photographs of her kids, and is super crafty and creative. honestly, her pictures are what made me ask for my canon dslr for christmas. i dream of having beautiful pictures like hers of my future children. she often posts photography tips, which are quite helpful to a beginner like me.

here are a couple ashleyann inspired projects that might inspire you as well:

i saw this monogrammed tote on her blog and loved it, but time passed and i forgot about it.

so when I saw it again in my woman's day magazine, i knew it was a sign.

totally enamored by the look of the 'w', i made this tote for my friend sarah for christmas - her last name starts with w. 

i forgot to take a picture of the completed project (i wasn't blogging yet), but it looked surprisingly similar to ashley's version. trust.

next project is ashley's hairpin vase. 

i make this quite often as i think it's a great gift to bring to a last minute birthday get-together, as a hostess gift, or a simple way to say thank you. it's a great use for those old mason jars, and then all you need is a bobby pin, some hot glue, and some craft paper.

ashley likes to buy decorative hair pins from etsy, but I decided i could spruce mine up just using a scrap piece of fabric.

be sure to check out her blog, you're sure to love it. thanks for all the inspiration, ashley.