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Classroom Reveal

CLASSROOM REVEAL

In my July Favorites post I told you guys I was changing jobs and heading to public school to teach third grade. Now that school has started and I’ve gotten into the swing of things (kind of), I’d like to share the makeover I gave my classroom.

The Before

I came into the classroom after the Beautiful, wood floors had been waxed maybe one too many times, so my classroom was in a bit of disarray. Please forgive the atrocious state of the room with the ladders and pile of literally everything in the middle of the room. The floors look wet. They are so dark and lacquered within an inch of their beautiful lives. The hallways are a lighter color, but still a lot of varnish there too. It is such a charming building, and I love that it is a place that has educated many, many people. I can’t imagine how many teachers have been in just this one classroom. I love that it’s a building with so much history. I do think Nicole Curtis needs to take a trip down to Alabama and come feature my school on Rehab Addict. She could make this place amazing!The picture below shows how bad the paint was peeling off. It really needed a face lift.
Okay, so I have to say that bright blue is one of my favorite colors. I mean, don’t y’all remember Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in the Sex and the City movie…perfection. Also, my teenage bedroom was four walls of that same lime green as the cabinet. I love bright colors, but I wasn’t feeling it when I walked into the classroom. So I decided to head to Pinterest to find some inspiration. I saw this image and new right away that I was headed in a farmhouse direction. Of course Chip and Jo would do something as adorable as awnings and window boxes INSIDE the classroom.My search led to many more classrooms with a farmhouse theme. You can check those out on my Classroom Ideas Pinterest Board if you’re a fellow Pinterest nut like I am.

I started to get a vision of what I wanted, and with the help of my parents and my husband, the room was painted and things were on their way! I decided to go with a neutral palette for the room and accent with mostly yellow, but also some green. I used Kilz brand paint in Starched Linen for the walls and Kilz paint again for the built-in cabinet and free standing cubbies but in the color White by Glidden. All the paint came from our local Walmart. I mention the Kilz brand because, Holy Moly, did it cover those bright colors well! The walls only took two coats, but I did give the cubbies and the cabinet three coats. For the black trim, we just used a little quart of Rust-Oleum in Glossy Black for touch-ups.

You can see that the built-in cabinet has been painted many times in it’s day. I can totally understand painting a built-in, but when I opened this thing and saw the luscious wood inside, my heart sank. I can’t believe how gorgeous it is. Why would anyone want to paint that?!?! My dad did say he would try to get the outside back to what it was originally, but there just wasn’t any time. Maybe next summer…right Dad? 🙂

The After

Let’s start at the entrance. Out in the hall we have a Hollywood theme. Back to Pinterest I went for inspiration. I pinned so many ideas on my Bulletin Board Ideas board, so feel free to visit and see them all. My mom wanted to know what I was thinking about doing, and when I showed her the picture of the marquis I liked, she said she had everything and would gladly make it for me. Bless you, Mama! I love how it turned out! And, bonus, none of my students forget where my room is because of it.
Now come on in.

The director’s chair came from Mrs. Ellinor who was at that giant yard sale that goes on for miles. (I can’t remember the official name.) Mom told her to be on the look out for one, and I prayed she’d find it! She must have too, because she did!! Thanks for finding this for me, Mrs. Ellinor, and bringing it back home! It’s so fun and easy to move out of the way when I need them to see the entire board.

The rug is from At Home and makes the room feel a little warmer and welcoming. Mom and Dad scored that one for me one afternoon. I love it. Okay, let’s talk for a second about the SHIPLAP bulletin board paper! I saw it on Pinterest and just assumed I’d never get any. I saw it on Amazon, but I thought it was a bit expensive, so I decided I’d just use regular paper in black, green, or yellow. But a trip to Davie’s in Montgomery made my dreams come true! I love it so much! I’m trying to find a way to make it work in my house. 🙂 The cubbies look so great painted white. I know they’ll get so dirty by the end of school, but I just love how bright and clean they look right now. The sunflowers are those tissue paper pom poms from Dollar Tree flattened down. I made the rest of the flowers from bulletin board paper. My boarder is napkin squares stapled very close to each other. You just buy about 250 cocktail sized napkins, unfold them, and cut each napkin into four individual squares. I suggest watching Netflix while you do it. Haha! 😉 I just wanted something visually interesting, and when I saw this idea from Mrs. Sheila, who retired last year, I knew that I had borrow her idea. I found these precious numbers on a shiplap background on Teachers Pay Teachers. They were so cute, and being that they were shiplap, I had to say yes. And just a quick before and after of the built in cabinet.

Before AfterIt sure is an absolute delight to walk into a space that makes me happy. I want to thank my family again for helping me make this happen. I’m so grateful they are willing to help take on projects that I come up with and indulge my creative side. It was a lot of fun getting it all done, and I couldn’t have done it without them. To my fellow teachers who are in the throws of the first few weeks of school, I raise my coffee mug to you! Lord knows we are tired and need all the caffeine to get us going in the morning and sometimes keep us going in the afternoons. I know they say there’s no tired like end of the year teacher tired, but beginning of the year teacher tired is real and worse. I wish you all a wonderful school year. I’d love to hear how your first week has gone in the comments.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone, and thanks for stopping by today!

Anniversary

Seven years ago on a very, VERY hot July day, I made my whole wedding party take outside pictures, stand on a stage for a very long ceremony (there was a lot of music and several readings), and then I didn’t even give them a party afterwards! I had a church wedding with a church reception (Baptist church, mind you, so there was definitely no dancing or booze). I’ve been to some great weddings where the music was loud and the wine was flowing, but I have to say, our wedding is my favorite wedding I’ve ever been to. And even though everything was done exactly to my liking and every detail was attended to, the guy waiting for me at the end of the aisle was my most favorite part. He’s my favorite person in all the world, and I am happy that we’ve reached year seven.

As I reflect on our actual wedding, I appreciate how he let me choose the music but put his spin on it at the end with some James Taylor. I appreciate that he let my preacher give a message of faith to us and to everyone in attendance, but he asked his dad to actually officiate the ceremony making it one of the most special parts of that day. I appreciate that he let me choose the decor for the reception but that he still insisted we have pigs in a blanket to eat. (And for all you people thinking that’s tacky-those were the first things to disappear at our reception.) I appreciate that he let me have the readings I wanted during the ceremony and then he asked some of the most wonderful people to read and selected some of the most moving passages to be read. It wasn’t just MY day as a bride. It was our day as a couple. It was a beautiful day.

I thank God everyday that He gave me Paul to love in this life. It’s so evident that God puts people together for a reason, and that there really is one person for you to spend the rest of your life with. God knew I needed him. And God knew he needed me.

Thank you, Paul, for taking me in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, loving me and cherishing me for richer and for poorer. I am immeasurably blessed.

I tell you, Ian did not want any part of this wedding. Not even the pictures. And those of you who’ve seen Grace, Ian, and Alex lately…they were just babies here and are so grown up now. 🙁 The dress Grace is wearing is one of my Easter dresses when I was little. My Aunt Sharon made it for me, all by hand.
My favorite picture of my girls. I remember everyone telling Ian something about Superman in order to get him to take pictures. They’re probably plotting the best way to talk Paul out of marrying a psychopath that would make them stand out in the July heat to take pictures in tuxes.Roo Doo always making him laugh.
Sweet Mason 🙂Granddaddy getting him to smile. I wonder what Grace just said to Christy. Probably my favorite picture of the whole day. I don’t know what we were arguing about, but I know it was something. What’s that line in The Notebook? “Well that’s what we do, we fight… You tell me when I am being an arrogant son of a bitch, and I tell you when you’re being a pain in the ass. Which you are, 99% of the time. I’m not afraid to hurt your feelings. You have like a 2 second rebound rate, then you’re back doing the next pain-in-the-ass thing.”-Noah That sums us up in a nutshell. 😉 Seriously didn’t think Ian was going to do it. So proud of him! Our brothers. Ben wrote us a song and performed it. He also played and sang another song during the ceremony. My forever favorite picture of Trawick and me. Sport! Those pigs in a blanket, y’all. They really were the biggest hit.Happy Anniversary, babe! I love you!

Currently Loving- July 2017

CURRENTLY LOVING

Well, I hope you didn’t forget about me. I’ve been a little MIA this month due to lots of things, but a lot of it was because I’ve been enjoying my last month of summer vacation before school starts back.

I’m here to share a few things I’m currently loving this month and just to fill you in on life. There’s been a lot going on here around the Norman house, so let’s dive right in, shall we?

Let’s Start with the Negative

This month had so many wonderful things and still more wonderful things are happening the last few days of this month, but one pretty negative thing that happened was that I fell and sprained my ankle. I was walking down the back stairs to leave, stepped onto the stepping stones at the bottom of the stairs, but I stepped on it just right to roll my ankle off of the stone and go down to the ground. Arms flailing, dropped everything, hit the dirt. Paul wasn’t home, of course, so I called my mom to come help me. I couldn’t get up on my own and was scared to since I heard my ankle crack when it rolled off the stepping stone. She only lives a few minutes away, so she came right over carrying a walker that my grandparents’ used when they couldn’t get around well. And all I could thing was, “You’ve got to be kidding me. She brought me a walker?!” Turns out, it helped, she got me up and inside, and she even gave up her whole afternoon to drive me around so I could be x-ray’d and seen by the doctor. Thankfully, no break or fracture! I did get crutches, and, y’all, those things ain’t no joke. I’ve never had to have crutches before, and I feel like I’m a pretty coordinated person, but they were hard to maneuver and quite frankly, a pain in the you-know-what.

Another good thing about this situation, I was looked after and cared for and checked on by my wonderful family and friends. I greatly appreciate their worrying about me and taking care of me! I’m still in the brace in the picture above, but those crutches are long gone! (Praise the Lord!)

Now the Bittersweet

Last year when we moved back to Alabama from Louisiana, I was fortunate to get a job teaching at the school from which I graduated. I had the best class and the best experience at a school during a year of transition. But all good things come to an end, as they say, and my time there has ended. I pursued a job in public school, and I got it. I’ll be teaching third grade, and I’m looking forward to the new school and new age group. I’ve only taught Pre-K and Kindergarten, so third grade is a new challenge for me, but I know this is the right thing for me to do at this point in my career.

With that being said, to Mrs. Ellinor, Mrs. Debbie, Mrs. Susie, Mrs. Kaye, Mrs. Alicia, and Mama, thank you for taking me in and helping me out in every way you could. I literally couldn’t have done it without your help. I am so blessed to have come into an environment that truly felt like family, that was supportive, that was fun, that was never boring, and that had such dang good food! I’ll miss birthday celebrations! 🙂 And when things were so tough for our family this year, thank you for taking care of me and my mama. I love y’all so much!

Current TV Faves

It’s no surprise to see that heading. If you’ve been here more than once, you’ve probably seen something about television shows or movies.

Last month I mentioned that I was into Gossip Girl. (Paul likes to call this “trash tv”.) Apparently I really like “trash tv”. I managed to watch all episodes of Gossip Girl, all episodes of Southern Charm on Bravo (the past seasons are On Demand), and a few other shows that rank up there on his “trash tv” meter…I guess…I happen to quite like these shows and know that other people do too, so shut it, Paul. 🙂

But the truth is, Paul likes TV as much as I do, and though we may not watch “trash tv” together, we do watch a lot of great shows together. One we really got into was Stranger Things.

Holy moly, y’all! I don’t do scary, but this one was so good! We couldn’t get enough. Funny story, we watched it, finished the last episode, and the next night out bathroom light started flickering non-stop. *Gasp* I needed Eleven!! 🙂 Turns out, we just needed to change our light bulbs. And I heard they released the trailer for season two! I’ll definitely be watching.

Then we decided it was about time we jumped on the Game of Thrones train.

What a stinking emotional roller coaster! Anytime you like someone, they die. When you hate someone and they finally die, you cheer because they were so horrible. We have one episode left in season six, then we can catch up with season seven and be live with everyone else. I watch a lot of it through my fingers because it’s pretty graphic with the violence, but the story is interesting, and I totally get the hype now.

Also, the Mother of Dragons…favorite character, hands down.

Then Tyrion. He’s so funny! All three of these characters are really great, actually.

One more, maybe more wholesome and culturally educating thing I’ve been watching is the Smithsonian Channel. I decided maybe I was watching too much “trash tv” and needed something educational in my life, so I found the Smithsonian channel. My brother was in town a while back and found a show called Aerial America and that episode was about Philadelphia. He and my dad just went there on vacation, and he was pointing out all the things that they had done and seen. I became intrigued and looked up more shows that are on this channel. My most favorite so far is First Ladies Revealed. Amazing show! If you get this channel, just watch something. It’s so informative. And if you love history, you’ll love it.

Speaking of First Ladies

I’m currently reading Laura Bush’s memoir, Spoken From the Heart.

You can see the crutches propped against the wall in this picture. I stayed off of my ankle a few days and was really able to dive into this amazing book during that time. I bought this from a thrift store and very long time ago and, like so many other books on my shelf, I’ve never gotten around to reading it. But in that effort to have more wholesome things in my life instead of the “trash tv”, I decided I’d give it a go. Laura Bush is excellent with words. She can describe a Texas landscape in a way that I know if I looked up that area, the picture in my mind would be exactly what I saw in a real photograph. She is a well-read woman who writes like a seasoned author. I am not finished yet, but I am absolutely loving it. I wish I had been old enough to truly follow, understand, and appreciate this administration as it was going on. I highly recommend this one.

Beauty Product

I’ve spoken about Beauty Counter products before here on the blog. I have been using their charcoal soap and charcoal mask for several months now. I am also using their sunscreen and have started using a foundation that I’m really enjoying. I apply it with a brush and find it very blendable, and you can build up coverage if you aren’t satisfied with the first application. It doesn’t feel too heavy, and the best part is- it’s a safe product for your skin. If you click the picture it’ll take you to the page about this product. I encourage you to look around the site if you are looking for safer beauty options.

Last but Not Least

I sure hope y’all are still reading.

Here’s just a few more random things I’m currently loving this month (most of these are recaps from Instagram, but I did thrown in a few I haven’t shared): Still obsessing over watermelon. Most of my local people are nearly out of their watermelons, though. Hopefully our local grocery stores have some good ones. These were an early anniversary gift from Paul. Aren’t they fabulous?! They speak directly to my leopard-loving heart. You can get your own pair from the lovely boutique called Simply Chic Baton Rouge. They will ship to you here in Alabama. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook. Absolutely amazing! I have loved visiting the Alabama Shakespeare Festival since I was kid. (The bathroom still has the same wallpaper, y’all! If any of you remember from field trips, that is.) This summer I was the third wheel on my parents’ date night to see Mary Poppins. It was a fabulous show, and if it’s still running, get your tickets now and go! And that gorgeous building…I just love it. I recently got to experience BBQ 65 right off the interstate at the Pineapple exit. I got the smoked chicken sandwich with white BBQ sauce and friend green tomatoes. Just go. Do yourself a favor and go. You won’t be disappointed, and I’ve not heard one person say anything bad about what they ordered. DO IT! My mom’s birthday was this month and we had a delicious supper. My brother came home, and we spent the afternoon in the kitchen cooking for her. I gave her a Mary Kay Andrews’ cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook, for Christmas. There’s a recipe in there called Grits and Greens, and it’s southern deliciousness like you’ve never tasted. We thought it’d be good to put shrimp in it, so Andrew, my brother, made the shrimp, I made the casserole, and of course you have to have some Conecuh sausage to go with it. Birthday banana pudding for dessert, and we were all full as ticks. (That one’s for my daddy!) 🙂 So much goodness on that table right there. Mmm…And just for fun…I love me some Snapchat. This filter is everything, and I can’t get enough of it. Its as fun as the one that gives you big lips and teeth. It’s the little things, right?

I sure hope y’all had a great July and a great summer. Enjoy these last few days before school starts for you and/or your kiddos. I know I’m going to!

Currently Loving- June 2017

CURRENTLY LOVING

How is June over?! That means summer is halfway over. For teachers July always means you have to really start thinking about school again. Because, contrary to popular belief, teachers really do have to do work in the summer. There’s a lot of planning and putting your classroom back together. It’s no joke. So don’t hate on your teacher friends during the summer. They do a lot of stuff in those two months to prepare for your kiddos to come into their classrooms the next school year (on their days off, no less).

Watermelon

Another favorite this month- watermelon. Oh my goodness. There’s a man selling watermelons for $10 across the street from the country club, and I first thought it was steep for a watermelon, but I’ve changed my tune because they are absolutely worth every penny. Watermelon is maybe my favorite thing ever about summer. So delicious!

The Tony Awards

It’s no surprise to people who know me that I love award shows. I am a major lover of The Golden Globes, The SAG Awards, and The Oscars. But probably my most favorite award show is The Tony Awards which honors the accomplishments of people in theater. I have been fortunate to see Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway. I saw The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway as well on Mr. W.S. Godwin’s trip he used to take every year to D.C and New York. I was thirteen years old and did not know how huge this was to see such icons on stage. I wish I had kept the Playbills! And then while in Louisiana I was able to see Wicked when it toured through New Orleans. Holy crap! When is this movie coming out so more people can love it?! Someone please make a movie!!!

The reason the Tony’s are one of my favorite things is because Ben Platt, the lead actor in Dear Evan Hansen won for best actor in a musical. You may remember him as Benji, the weird roommate of Jesse in Pitch Perfect. He performed in their finale in the first movie and reprises his role in Pitch Perfect 2.

Google Images/ Click the image for a link to his acceptance speech.

But during his acceptance speech at The Tony’s he said, “The things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”

I thought that was such a profound statement. Perhaps I’ve watched too many teenage/high school dramas lately, but being strange is often something that really hurts people and something they try to hide because others don’t seem to understand their “weird”. But Ben says to do it anyway. And I agree. If you’re the theater nerd in your group of friends and they think that’s crazy, let them think that. One day, that strange thing is going to help you do something that makes you happy. I’m here doing it now by writing a blog that probably only a handful of people read.(Thanks, Mom, Mrs. Robyn, Aunt Sharon, and Christy) 🙂 Ha! But you know what? I don’t care. If it makes me strange then that’s okay, because who knows? One day it could be the most powerful thing I’ve ever done.

Google Images/ This is actually an image from a blanket. I need it!

Home Improvements

My next two favorites come in the form of home improvements. I don’t go too many places over the summer. This is a pretty busy time for Paul’s line of work, so I spend a lot of time at home relaxing, reading, watching Netflix (I’ve gotten into even more shows, y’all.) I think I’ve officially got a problem. But I also get projects on my list out of the way in the summer because I have lots of time to do it. So, I can’t let June go by without mentioning my two favorite home improvements:

The Rug Switcheroo

The Leopard Curtains

More TV

So, I said I’ve gotten into more shows, but one that I’m rediscovering as an adult is Designing Women. Y’all…..I can’t get enough! It is so witty, and I am loving the strong woman that is Julia Sugarbaker. She is fierce. And how funny is that show? I know some of y’all remember it, and if you don’t, just search it on your cable box. I bet it’ll give you the times and channel that it’s on. And look at that 80s hair and fashion! Love!

Google Images/ Click this picture for a link to a “Where are they now?” article.

The Shack

I also have to reiterate my love of The Shack. I posted a review of it on Thursday, but it has been sticking with me since I finished the book. And I encourage you to watch the movie too. The library here has it available to check out for one night. And it’s free! Support your local library!

Professional Golfer

Cam with his mom and dad, Todd and Ginger.

Lastly, I was able to watch my husband’s cousin win his first professional golf event. Paul has been coaching him through videos, countless texts and phone calls, and every now and then in person while Cam was at college and we were in Louisiana. It was great when we moved back that they could do more lessons in person. So when Cam went to the regional competition for the NCAA and then on to the national championship competition in Chicago, it’s an understatement to say how proud of him we were. Cam knew he wanted to go the pro route, and Paul has been able to be there every step of the way since we’ve moved back. It’s been a lot of fun to watch. Then Cam was able to win his first event as a pro! I shared a golf cart with Paul and his Aunt Ginger, Cam’s mom, to see him win, and it was very cool. I feel very honored to have been allowed to be there. I’m not sure if Cam knows how proud Paul is. He didn’t stop laughing and smiling until we got home from the tournament. He was in the best mood and all because he was so happy for Cam. Can’t wait to see what else is in store for this guy. He’s the real deal, y’all!

So, my June was fun. How about yours? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Here’s to another month in the books and to a great July!

Book Review- The Shack

BOOK REVIEW- THE SHACK

I have a long list of to-be-read books that I keep filed away in my brain. A very long list. I have been looking for one in particular that’s been on my list a while: The Shack. I looked at thrift stores and Goodwill stores for a very long time, but I never was able to find it. (I think I know why I wasn’t able to find it; it’s a hard one to let go of.) So when I first moved back to Alabama and visited the Goodwill and actually found it, I was very excited. But true to form, I was already in the middle of another book, so I decided to put The Shack on my shelf until I could get around to it.

Then Came the Movie

I knew I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie and had big plans to quickly read it once summer started so I could head to the theater. That didn’t happen. I started the book, was pretty captivated by the story, and had every intention to finish it quickly. But when a book is deep or super thought-provoking, sometimes I get intimidated, so I set it aside for a few weeks. When I picked it back up, I finished it in two days.

Here Comes the Religion

Okay, not really religion. 🙂 But I do want to tell you why this book made such an impact on me.

The main character, Mack, is dealing with The Great Sadness that has descended on him after the disappearance of his child. He receives a letter from “Papa” (God) in his mailbox asking him to meet him at the shack, which is the scene of the crime. He ultimately decides to go to the shack and there he does indeed meet Papa. But he doesn’t just meet Papa; he meets the entire trinity in the form of actual people. Jesus is there and so is the Holy Spirit. The way Paul Young writes them is what really peaked my interest. Papa is a black woman, Jesus is a middle-eastern looking man, and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) is an Asian woman.

Here’s why this is so interesting to me: God was exactly what, who, and how Mack needed to see and get to know Him. It was eluded to in the book that sometimes “religion” is sort of formal, and that God really just loves His children and wants them to love Him too.

Now, I also want to say with a very loud voice- THIS IS NOT THE BE ALL/END ALL BOOK ABOUT GOD!!!! Please go to your Bible for the most true version of God and for the most inspiring stories about God and all of His wonders and promises and goodness. I’ve never gleaned more truth, inspiration, and information about God as I have from the Bible.

With that said, The Shack is an outside of the religion-box way to look at a relationship with God. And that right there, relationship, was the biggest thing I took away from this book. I like this quote by Jesus from the book:

“Because we want you to join us in the circle of relationship. I don’t want slaves to my will; I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me.”

I just loved that. And it is reinforced throughout the story. God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, they want to be a part of our lives. They want us to include them in everything we do. Because whether we remember it or not, they’re always there. Why not have a relationship with the one who created you, the one who died for you, and the one who guides you on your path of life?

I think that’s what I walked away with-a bit of a challenge- to not forget to keep the lines of communication open at all times with God. Remember that old hymn that goes, “and He walks with me, and He talks with me”? He’s always there, why not talk to Him? As a result, in your personal daily walk with God, you find yourself thinking about Him more. Your thoughts become His thoughts. You start to want to do things that would be pleasing to God.

The other thing that really stood out to me about the story was that everyone’s relationship with God is unique. We are all in different stages of life, have different spiritual maturity levels, have different backgrounds and life circumstances. This is what makes our relationship with God so unique. My story will not be like yours, but I promise that my God is also your God. We may talk to Him differently; we may go to different churches; we may read different adaptations of the Bible. But God is God, and He loves you, and He loves me, and He just wants you to love Him too. Your life will be so much better if you do.

So, if you’re interested, I encourage you to read the book. It is such a beautiful story of one man’s journey through a very great sadness and the relationship he develops with God as this terrible situation is redeemed. And if you’re not a reader (shame on you), 🙂 then you need to watch the movie! It was expertly cast and follows the main theme of the book perfectly. It was very well done. It’s available at the public library here in Greenville for free with your library card!

If you’re interested in more information about the movie or book, please visit the website. It is a great resource to find out more about this story.

If you’ve read this book and would like to discuss it with me in the comments, please do. I loved it so much! It definitely went on the list of my favorite books. If you’ve not read it, I really encourage you to. You won’t be disappointed.

Porch Update

PORCH UPDATE

Before school was over in May, I posted a Before post on our back porch. I had all of these wonderful plans set in motion to really update it and make it an awesome place to hang out this summer.

Before

It was a hot mess (still is). I have done a bit of cleaning and rearranging, but we still aren’t finished yet.

I bought this beautiful black and white striped umbrella that I just knew was going to look amazing and fit our umbrella frame that we already own. Well….That was a big ol’ no. I spent $50.00 on the umbrella thinking it would fit our frame, then I thought I might as well just buy the new frame and stand, but that was $50.00 more, and I just didn’t want to spend that much. I can do better than that. (Just so you know, I’m still looking.)

Then, in my rearranging and cleaning process I was moving our water hose out of the way and found this! Yep, that’s a snake skin. Now I’m paranoid about snakes being coiled up along with the hose. But to look on the bright side-at least it was just the skin and not an actual snake. Pretty sure I’d have told Paul to start packing because we were moving.

Progress

Basically I’ve rearranged the furniture. I put the table in the middle and the bar cart off to the side.

Yes my dead ferns are still sitting there. When my niece was staying with me one afternoon, she wanted to go outside. Well, she took one look at my ferns and said, “Oh, we need to water your plants.” 🙂 Bless her heart!

I don’t have a pretty pot for my Zinnias yet, which aren’t doing so well. My mother-in-law is an amazing gardener. She just has that green thumb that I was not blessed with. She planted the colorful flowers in the terracotta pot on the cart and gave me the zinnias on the table. She said to water them and talk to them. I do both, but I don’t think they like what I have to say.

My pineapple rug got so dirty from all the rain and water runoff. 🙁

So that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Maybe by the fall, when the weather gets nicer, it’ll be ready for some al fresco dinners and entertaining. Until then, I’ll enjoy the air conditioning and searching for a cheaper umbrella (preferably one that will fit my existing frame) and keep my eye out for more slithery friends. Let me know in the comments if you’ve seen any striped umbrellas that are cheaper than $100. Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great one!

Recent Home Updates

RECENT HOME UPDATES

After I completed my leopard living room curtains, I kept feeling the itch to check more things off of my summer to-do list. I decided to start with the kitchen curtains.

Breaking Out the Sewing Machine

For these curtains you’ll remember that I was planning to use this fabric.

Waverly Sun-n-Shade fabric “Seeing Spots”

I am not very well-versed in the use of a sewing machine, but I got one for Christmas a few years back and busted it out for this project. I have to read the directions every time I get it out, and sometimes I have to search a YouTube video or two. I thought I was ready to go so I took my picture expecting my next one to be of something complete. And then something just didn’t seem to be going right and here’s what I managed to accomplish: Oh boy…..

So, I regrouped, reread my instruction guide, and tried again. I also put my camera away at this point and decided to just focus.

New Curtains

I sewed the curtains, hung them on a tension rod and hated them. They were gathering like Granny’s old kitchen curtains, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the gather at all. My original plan was to hang them from hooks like I did the leopard curtains, but I did not like the look I was getting. The fabric, to me, looked better when it was flat. I decided to cut them to fit the width of the window and hung them on small tension rods. They just add a little bit of accessory to the white kitchen. I have enjoyed having them up. And enjoyed even more that I didn’t have to ask my mom to make them for me. 🙂 She was probably glad too.

I just love this fabric, and I recently saw it in black as upholstery on a chair. It was beautiful. The above picture doesn’t do it justice. My camera and editing skills are not up to par at all, but you get the general idea. I think it’s better than the before that you can see below.

Another Rug Switcheroo

I also switched a few more rugs around this week. You can see in the picture above the old orange rug I’ve had for way too long. It doesn’t really “go” anymore and, honestly, needed to be retired.

I think I have enough room for a runner along this stretch of cabinets, but I just can’t pull the trigger so quickly on rugs/runners. Plus, “shopping” my house is much easier on the pocketbook, so that’s exactly what I did.

If you remember my first post that shows the entry foyer to our building you’ll see that I had a rug at our door. Since we don’t use this door much anymore, I decided I would bring this rug inside and put it at the back door. I took the rug I was using at the back door and put it in front of the sink to replace the old orange one.

Not a major transformation, but something different to enjoy. Always shop your house first! You’d be surprised at what you actually have that works in new ways and in new places.

I Tried to Better the Painting

A few posts ago I showed you an abstract painting that I did to go in our dining space. But if you remember, I didn’t love it. So I decided to add a bit of gold brush strokes around the edges to help it look a bit more like it was “framed”. I didn’t want it to be perfect like I was trying to actually frame it, but I just kept thinking it needed something. I am still deciding if I like the changes. I like it better than before, but I’m still not sure if I love it.

BeforeAfterLike I said, I don’t know if I love it, but I definitely like it better than before.

Anyone else crafting or having fun playing in your homes this summer? Share them with me in the comments.

Sometimes I think something as simple as switching a piece of furniture with another from a different room or rearranging your bedroom furniture is just as much fun as a full on room overhaul/makeover. I encourage you to do that! Especially for your kids. I was always asking to rearrange my furniture when I was little. Putting my bed on a different wall or in a corner. It gets your creative juices flowing and inspires you to make your home a place you truly love. And bonus to you moms who find it keeps your little ones occupied in their rooms while you get some downtime. 🙂

As always, my point here on this blog is to encourage you to make your house a home, a place that you loved to be, a space to express your creativity, and a safe haven for you to be yourself and make mistakes along the way. That’s part of the fun. Lord knows I’m making plenty of them, especially in the way of decorating, but I’m definitely having fun doing it.

Thursday Thoughts- Movie Reviews

MOVIE REVIEWS

Welcome back to Thursday Thoughts. I should welcome myself back; I haven’t written a TT post in a while. One thing I have done is watch a lot of movies, and I wanted to share my thoughts on two of them.

La La Land

I remember reading something when this movie was coming to theaters by Tom Hanks that said this is what movies are all about. Someone else told me it was so beautiful and would change your life.

Then, I never made it to the theaters to see it. (womp womp)

I knew that seeing this movie was going on my summer to-do list. So when I stumbled across it at our local library, I picked it up and decided I would watch it that night since Paul was at poker night. (He’s not so much into the musicals.)

It immediately made you feel like you were watching an old movie just because of the way it was shot. The opening musical number set the tone for the film in that there were several song and dance sequences. All were beautiful, and all of them sucked you right into the story and swallowed you whole. I tend to get very lost in musicals. I get caught up in the emotion and the talent and the feeling. There’s nothing like that feeling. It was truly a moving film and deserved every award and nomination it received.

Ryan Gossling and Emma Stone have so much chemistry together on screen. People have compared them to Fred and Ginger and Bergman and Bogart. Theirs is a believable romance and relationship. There is a scene when they go to the movies, and it is the very beginning of their relationship. They are stealing glances at each other and inching their fingers closer and closer until they are holding hands. It so accurately depicts that new, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling you get when you’re about to enter that territory with someone new that you really like. I was smiling the whole time from the nostalgia that crept up inside because you know you’ve been there too. Those early, excited feelings with your significant other. That thrill it is to touch their skin in such an intimate yet innocent way for the first time. Like I said, they’ve got chemistry.

I can’t end this review without talking about the music. The songs are beautiful. Ryan Gossling and Emma Stone have great voices and then they threw in John Legend. So…yeah…winner in my book! And it’s not just the singing that is great, but there’s some amazing piano music, mostly jazz, that is all throughout the movie. Gossling plays a jazz pianist trying to make it, and the piano playing is a huge part of the movie.

I realize musicals are not for everyone. But I feel that even if it’s not really your speed that you’ll enjoy it. It’s definitely not something being done regularly in Hollywood, and I love that.

Hidden Figures

I realize I’m much too late to this party, but this was one movie I will not soon forget. I was left completely moved by this film.

These three women were looked over time and time again. They were the best at what they did, so unbelievably smart, witty, strong, and determined. I knew a little about the story just from all of the publicity it got when it came out and during awards season, but I didn’t know everything. I have to say I was truly inspired by this story, by all three women, and by the portrayal of these women by the actresses who played them: Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, and Taraji P. Henson.

One of my favorite things about the movie was the backstory they told on all the women. Mary Jackson, played by Janelle Monae, was such a spitfire! There’s a scene where she puts her husband in his place at a church picnic, and I laughed out loud at her assertiveness and how he closed his mouth so fast. And she stayed like that the whole movie. I loved her outspokenness and her determination to never give up and to get into a course she needed even when it wasn’t geared toward women and certainly not African American women. She was smart and capable, and she knew it.

Dorothy Vaughn, played by Octavia Spencer, was a genius. She got the IBM computer for the space mission up and running correctly and effectively and was later put in charge of that. Another victory for women and African American women. And in the movie she was portrayed as being self-taught in programming. That just blows my mind! I know we live in a digital age and it’s almost expected that each new generation be more technologically inclined, but in the 60s? I was so impressed and inspired by her drive and mental capacity. Smart girls are awesome!

Katherine Johnson was a math wiz. Taraji P. Henson played her flawlessly. She was a widow with three young daughters trying to make a living. Then she got sent up to the land of white men and had to fight her way to prove that she was worthy of that desk and that her math skills were up to par and even better than they ever expected. She played an integral part in putting John Glenn into space. She is a true roll model for girls of all ages.

I cried watching this movie. It moved me in ways that made me proud to be a woman. It broke my heart to see how they were degraded for being women and for being black. It didn’t matter that they were wearing skirts or using a “colored restroom”; they were the smartest, most capable people for the jobs at hand. And they proved themselves to be successful and perfect for their jobs. In this modern day wave of women’s liberation, it’s stories like this that make me proud to be a woman. And stories like this one that inspire me to go after what I want and not back down because I may not have the skills or be qualified. It inspires me to take the opportunity to educate myself and acquire those skills to be successful in whatever I want to do. Isn’t there a meme that says, “In a world of Kardashians be a ___________________”? Well, in a world of Kardashians, be a Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, or Mary Jackson. Because these are the women you should strive to be.

Thanks for sticking around for my long post. I get so passionate about movies and entertainment. I hope you have a fabulous rest of your week and a wonderful weekend. Hope to see you back on Sunday for more home decor projects. I’m off to work on more curtains! 🙂

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Leopard Curtains

LEOPARD CURTAINS ARE FINALLY UP

This past week I decided now was as good a time as any to start dressing my naked windows. I knew that these would most likely be the most labor intensive since I was going to have to hem them by hand. This is how that worked out before I got into the groove of stitching…

I have family members actually cringing at this photo. Haha! Anyway, I quickly realized this was not going to work, so I cut out these stitches and started again. Those stitches aren’t perfect either, but they hang by clips and hang up pretty high, so hopefully no one notices that those aren’t straight or very pretty. You can kind of see them in this picture.

Lucky for me I was able to binge watch more shows on Netflix while I was sewing. Let me just switch gears really quickly to tell you about my two, okay three, new obsessions. If you’re wondering what to watch since summer prime time television is less than desirable, here you go.

The OA

Holy crap! I can’t even begin to explain it. It starts weird and gets weirder and then in the last episode you’ll be left with chills all over your body wishing there were more than eight episodes.

Riverdale

Did you ever read Archie comics? You know, with Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica? Well, this is a dark and twisted spin on these characters. There’s been a murder in the town of Riverdale, and these four main characters just might have something to do with it. It’s really great! They even incorporated Josie and the Pussycats, and I remember watching that cartoon as a kid. The acting is amazing, and all those teen/young adult actors of the 80s and 90s (Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, and Luke Perry) are all parents in this one. It’s really very cool and very well done.

And last but not least- Gossip Girl

I know. I know. Shallow, lame, teen-geared television. This was popular when I was in college, but it is so fun. I only got into it toward the end of the series when it was being aired originally, so I am catching up and refreshing this go round. It’s a mystery as to who Gossip Girl really is, so it’s interesting to have that knowledge and watch from the beginning. Mindless entertainment, for sure, but fun.

These shows helped me through the sewing! Hope they are good suggestions for you if you’re in any summer TV slump. Any other suggestions are appreciated! Leave them in the comments!

BACK TO BUSINESS

So, after sewing and measuring and cutting and sewing some more, I finally have curtains hanging. I will say that I knew I wanted leopard print, but I wasn’t sure how it would look. As it turns out, I really like them and think they are quite fun. And why not? It makes me happy and Paul likes them too.

I like that they’re shear and don’t block out the natural light that I so love about this apartment. It’s filled with natural light all the time, and I didn’t want that to be covered up in the living room.

The curtain rod is not the original rod I was going to use. I had a smaller one that was a silver color. I knew I didn’t want silver, so I spray painted it black, hung it up on the wall, and it was too small and just didn’t work. Luckily, I didn’t get rid of my old curtain rods, so I tried this one, and it worked! (Sometimes it pays to keep things.)

I also like how it pairs with the rug. I think that since both are neutral colors that they don’t compete with one another. And again, they make me happy. That’s what’s important when it comes to decorating your home.

Jack wouldn’t move out of the shot, so I just told him to sit. At least he’s obedient.

Thanks for stopping by today. What are your thoughts on leopard print curtains or anything leopard print for that matter? I’m kind of in love with it and hope to one day have a leopard rug and, of course, a few leopard throw pillows. 🙂 Let me know in the comments. I hope y’all have a great week!

New(ish) Rug

Hi, friends! Remember those summertime projects I said I had planned in my last post? Well, I got started on them. I showed this picture and was very excited to get this all started, but the more I thought about these curtains in my living room the more I began to second guess myself. I am all for mixing patterns, and I love bold fabrics paired with even bolder fabrics, but I couldn’t seem to make the leopard print work with this rug. I just felt like it was too much. The rug is huge and so are the windows, so there’s going to be a lot of fabric up there. And I just wasn’t feeling too good about it. CRAP!

But Wait….I Think I May Have A Solution!

In our Louisiana house I was dipping my toes into the rug world for the first time, and I went with this one.(Forgive the screenshot; I didn’t have an actual picture on my phone or computer.)I don’t remember where I found it. I think somewhere online like Overstock or Wayfair. But after learning more about the “rules” (that don’t really matter, y’all) to certain areas of home decor, I decided it was time for a bigger rug for our pretty-large living room. Enter the blue ikat rug that allowed my furniture to “float” like it’s supposed to. (It did look better, so that’s one rule I did decide to follow.)

Then We Moved

I moved in to this apartment naturally wanting to use the blue rug, so I just put it down in the pretty-much 8×10 living space and placed all of my furniture on top of it. (Side note: You know, I don’t know all the rules, nor do I really care about them, but I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’m guessing it didn’t adhere to the “rule”. Oh well…whatcha gonna do?)

Then The Light Bulb Turned On

So one day this week I was reading The Magnolia Story that I mentioned on Instagram. And I don’t know if I was just feeling inspired or what, but out of no where I thought, “Your blue rug does not fit in your living room, but you still have that old one, and you should totally try it because those leopard curtains are going to look way better with that rug.”

Ha! I was so happy! I could keep the curtains and not spend any money on a new rug!! That’s a win/win in my book.

Because all of my furniture sits completely on top of the rug and doesn’t just “float” on top of it, I knew I’d have to enlist some help to lift the furniture and pull the rug at the same time. Paul happened to be in a golf tournament this weekend, so my parents came to help me out. Those two were the biggest help! I definitely couldn’t have done it without them! They even vacuumed and helped me shake out the blue rug and roll it up and reset my furniture, and so much more. Thanks, Mom and Dad! You’re the best!

The New(ish) Results

Don’t look too hard back there at my stack of dishes.

So here’s where those rules come back in. Not one piece of furniture floats on this rug. BUT, I feel like the space is brighter and is definitely a better fit for those leopard curtains.

I like it, and ultimately, that’s all that matters. And just to affirm my decision, when Paul came home, he immediately said how much better he thought everything looked. 🙂 Score one for me. So, rules or no rules, I think this is a better fit, and I’m happy with the outcome.

Even Jack And Bernie Approve

I can’t wait to get the rest of this project (the curtains) going so that I can be one step closer to an actual complete area in our home. Have a great week everyone!