Sweet Hands, Abby Lee Miller, and a word of encouragement!!!

I went around during centers yesteday and took pictures of what was going on during their daily rotations. Those little hands belong to some sweet babies working hard and learning so much!




I came home to find a little surprise from my dear friend, Carrie Beth! :) Gotta love an encouraging note! I need to do more of that!


We ate supper with the back door open tonight...it felt really good out!


I hope I can stay away long enough to watch my newest reality favorite, Dance Moms. Abby Miller cracks me up, and so do all of the dance moms. I know many people can't stand the show, but the girls are such beautiful dancers and I sure do love anything that has to do with dance, let alone a reality show! ;)


This week is flying by and I have a pretty long to-do list! I'm so thankful for the Lord, and His guidance and peace.
James 1:5-7
If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves.

My Monday

I had some fun with red stamp today if you can't tell. :)

James 1:2-4 (The Message)
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Pecan Waffle, New Floral, and White Flag!

I just want this weekend to slooow down! I just need one more day!!! :)

For weeks I have wanted a pecan waffle from Waffle House. Well, I have now cooked every night for 2 weeks (even on Friday nights!), so I got a treat on Saturday morning!! It was so good!


Saturday is typically the day we will try to go on a date. We decided to go on a date to Belk's...ha! We were just going to see if we wanted the comforter set that we have had our eye on. We've literally been up to Belk's about 8 times just to look at it over the past year, then we leave empty handed because we just weren't sure. Well, we both noticed something new there...a pretty floral quilt set. There was no pricing because they just put it out. We knew at first sight that it was exactly what we were looking for (after I tweaked it of course), and inexpensive (for a king size bed). PERFECT!

We went and ate taco salads at barbs and then went home and set up our new room! I love all the colors, how it matches the southern plantation style without being woodsy, and that the greens coordinate nicely!




This weekend was DNOW weekend! And we had the pleasure of hearing the Brett Younker Band again this year! I almost passed out when they sang "White Flag" at the end of the service! It is my favorite song from Passion this year!


Blakely made herself comfortable real quick!


This afternoon I've been switching things around. I love our little picture collages above each of our night stands, but they were too black for our new bedding. So I did some exchanging around my house!! Each picture is very meaningful and describes us and our favorite things! The lamps are going to go upstairs (minus the shades) in the Pickin' shed that is red black and white. I will now be on the hunt for a pair of new matching lamps!! Lamplight is near to my heart! :)





We moved our old frames into the laundry room. Then I also hung up this bulletin board in our mudroom that I've had just sitting in a corner. The pictures are of the big oak here in town, Matt and Blakely in our favorite spot in coastal GA, and then us in front of our new house! :) The striped buckets are for loose change, bobby pins, and anything else found in pant pockets before washing. Matt really wanted them there! haha!



Have a wonderful week!!!
Psalm 142:1-3a
I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.

Ready for a change...

I've wanted to re-do my bedroom for about 2 years. And now, even Matt is on board with me. We ordered this the summer that we got married and have loved it for almost 6 years.


I guess after being dry cleaned so much and with a golden retriever laying on it (she doesn't sleep on it at night, she has her own bed, but she will jump up on the end of it and snuggle sometimes)it is just really faded and worn out.

I would love to do an all neutral room (but I already have a room done like that) and it isn't really practical for our bedroom.

Plus, I definitely do not want to re-paint the walls or bathroom, so it has to go with the Benjamin Moore avon green color from the historical collection. That makes it a little more tricky.

When we first got married, the one thing that I didn't want was floral. But now, I think that is definitely what we both want. Floral and some neutrals. We have the money put away to do it, but have not been able to find anything that we LOVE. What I really want is to pick the fabric from Trolley's downtown and get everything custom made...yeah right! :)

I saw these two master bedrooms recently on Southern Living's website. I really like them! I guess I am sort of going for this look.



Maybe we'll find something today!!

I've come a long way...

with what I keep in my purse and packing to go away on trips. Really, I have. :)

I am feeling so proud about what all (or really what I don't have in my purse right now) that I decided to take a picture. I am switching from one Big Buddha bag to another.


I have become smart and keep some things in my classroom and at home, that way I don't have to tote them around. I even keep some of these in my car too. Like: my thermometer, advil and tylenol, an umbrella, koozies (essential right?), lotion, a brush, a lint roller, gum, room spray, dental floss and toothbrush, and a change of clothes. I even have a Bible in each of these locations.


Right now (and pretty much at all times) I am carrying around: A yellow legal pad for taking notes, Bargain Bazzar tickets, Vera Bradley pens and a few other favorite kinds of pens, my TJ Maxx wallet that I love, my keys, my classroom/school keys, whistle, and id tag, my camera, several jump drives (one is broken and stays open at all times), my iPhone, some Firefly and John Wind jewelry that I took off at work, my Costas, some hand sanitizer, my Kate Spade cosmetic bag (that was a gift from one of my babies) with some make-up basics and lots of lipstick colors inside, more lipstick and Blistex, bobby pins, pony tail holders, and my new favorite all nighter hairspray.

Now, of course...at any given time you might find: shoes, a Tervis tumbler, perfume, a book or two, a scarf, gloves, vitamins, my planner, a flat iron, or other items in my purse too. It just depends on the size of the bag that I am using. I will never live down keeping a pair of high heels in my purse at a church function.

Gotta love staying organized! Now, I am going to tackle my school tote tonight while I watch my favorite...yep...Dance Moms! :)

A 3 day weekend is good for the soul...

I walked around downtown a little bit on Saturday. I got this! I haven't written in a prayer journal since, well since I started this blog I think. I decided I needed one to take to church (instead of always carrying my little yellow legal pads :)) Although, I will still keep one of those in my purse.


I found these too! I love the pattern!


We are determined to go on dates more often. So we faced the cold and crowds to eat dinner Saturday night at Longhorn. There was an hour wait at 6:20pm. Goodness! We sat in the car until our buzzer went off. I think I preached a sermon to poor ol' Matty on my new book that I'm reading. Haha! I was also asking him tons of questions about his golfing trip. I wanted updated on everybody, since I am friends with them too!



I added things to my calendar and planned out our menu for the week. I sure was happy knowing that I still had one more day off! :)



I am about to fix dinner, so it will be ready when Matt gets home. Then we will go on a walk, and watch the ever so entertaining...The Bachelor! :)

My thoughts from the last few days...

Snow Day makes for one tired kindergarten teacher! :)


I've had the worst sore throat and been so achy...hanging on to the hope of my 3 day weekend! I'm so glad that it is FINALLY here!!!

The loud wind was quite frightening on Thursday! I felt like we were going to lose our faded garden flag. Wind scares me!


I cooked every single night this week! I love planning and STICKING to what we have planned.

I took a picture of my "view" each morning and afternoon/early evening. The sunrise is breathtaking on the back road. This is what I see each day. Sometimes it takes my breath away...not because of the beauty...but because of what I feel when I walk out of work or into work each day. Sometimes I can't believe that I'm lucky enough to be teaching at my school...or that I even have a "real" job or that I'm old enough to be teaching for my 5th year. I remember walking out to that parking lot when I was student teaching in the HOT August sun humming Watermark's Purest Place. I've laughed on that walk, cried, stopped to enjoy the warm sun, or pretty spring and fall breezesran to my car scared of lightening, tried to avoid the freezing winter winds, my Tahoe was even a surprise delivery in that parking lot! I've been nervous, excited, thankful, and ready to get out of there at times. :) I moved all of my stuff out of the school to teach at a new school, and then moved it all back in when I came back to teach kindergarten. I don't know. I just wanted a picture of it.



My classroom is ready for Tuesday and so are my lesson plans. Please tell me why I brought so much home with me!? I haven't been bringing work home at all this year, but for some reason I just loaded up my bag yesterday!


I have LOTS of burlap in my trunk. TONS!


I was pretty proud of my spur of the moment plastic mug creation! :) Haha!


Matt is golfing with some college friends this morning. I am so glad that he gets to do that! How fun for him!

I wish that more of my friends liked Twitter and updated often. Maybe that would make me be better at it!

I couldn't not share part 2. :)