MILESTONES...

I hit this milestone yesterday at Curves!  1,000 recorded workouts!  Woohoo!

I say "recorded" workouts because I've been a member since 1999 and probably have much more than that.  When I joined way back when we didn't even have computer check in...we signed a sheet of paper and I didn't always remember to do that. A few years ago when they started handing out shirts for each 100 workouts, I thought it might be fun to get in on that, so I started checking in on computer.  Unfortunately, they quit the t-shirt rewards, so I won't get the 1000 shirt! I've been through 3 different owners of this business and  1 move to a different location.  Even if you don't give this ladies' workout place much credit in the world of fitness, it's been the most consistent thing I've ever done in my life.  Yes, I do other forms of exercise to stay fit, but stopping by Curves to exercise and visit with other ladies swapping recipes and advice is a good thing.  

SHADOWBOX GIFT...

A friend of my daughter just gave her a lovely gift!  She made a shadowbox for her of mementos from the wedding!  In it there's the invitation, 2 programs (showing both the front and back) silk flower petals and greenery, one of the custom coffee sleeves, a gold napkin, and a tag that was on the pears we gave out.  I love scrapbooks and I have a feeling the girl who made this does too!  

DOUBLE NICKELS...

That's the birthday my husband celebrated over the weekend.  He and his brother speak a different language...double nickels?  Anyway, we enjoyed celebrating and he was even featured in a news story a few days before that about his accident almost 10 years ago, so that was cool!  I'm so glad he's still around!  Love you, Honey!

 On the News

We celebrated at BJ's - he loves their Jambalaya!  I also made his favorite Banana sheet cake.

 Blowing out the candles on an electronic card!  My Sis gets the best cards!

 Also, my Sis gave us this leather jacket of her late husbands - it fit the Hubs really well, so I'm glad he has something like this to remember John every time he puts it on...

PAINTING FOR A CAUSE...

A friend of mine held a fundraiser this week to help patients who can't afford insulin.  She called it "Cupcakes and Canvas."  Personally I had never gone to one of these painting parties because it seems like they all involved wine, and I choose not to drink.  But this one didn't - it included cupcakes!  So I was all in - a good cause and a cupcake and an evening of fun!

 Me, my friends and my little sis - so glad she agreed to come with me for this evening!

I wasn't sure where I might hang the cross art we made, so I put it in my closet and every day when I get dressed I am reminded that I'm forgiven!  My sister loves red so I wasn't surprised she wanted to do hers in red!

The studio had this really cool piano in it!  The paintbrushes were real ones hanging on the wall with the paint spilling down onto the piano.  

VEGGETTI REALLY WORKS...

My sis got me this for Christmas and I can't believe I didn't try it before now!  It really works and is easy to operate ( I used a zucchini here).  There's not much waste, either!  You can see the little stub that was leftover.  I warmed them up for a minute in the microwave, then added them like noodles to my favorite spaghetti sauce.  Definitely doing this again!

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN...

It's a SNOW DAY today!  What I've been hoping for...even for someone who's kids are graduated from high school and is a SAHM, I've been wanting a snow day!  My exercise class did get canceled - hope it's not reflected on the scale tomorrow.  A snow day represents a little break from the norm, permission to stay in my jammies longer than normal, not so much rushing around in the world outside.  For a few hours it's a quiet, beautiful, pure white world.

So many times I come to my little blog and I don't even notice the picture of my kids, the sub-title, and my description.  My days of having teens is about over and one is even married now!  (As if you didn't know) Maybe today is the day I will look to the future and update.  Or maybe I'll just relax in my jammies and do nothing.

We are calling ourselves EMPTY NESTERS, even though Son #1 is still living upstairs (making bank off us).  We enjoy having him here, although we don't see him much and I don't have to really worry about making him meals or anything.  When we do see him he is updating us on the latest trend or meme.  So he keeps us in the know!

We are finding ourselves with more evenings free and enjoying our Saturdays so much!  Almost every weekend this year so far we have "worked out" by walking, running, or climbing stairs with our friends then eating a big breakfast.  Sometimes we don't get home until 1:00 p.m.  It's great!  We've also been able to serve in ways that we were too busy for the last few years.  God has blessed us with this time and we plan to take advantage of it.

Breakfast at Around the Corner 

We decided to take a break this year from planning too much and just enjoy each other and nurture more friendships.  So no big trips and no big house projects for us!  Just being more IN THE MOMENT.  

I guess that's really just more snow days for us.  So if you haven't figured it out by now, we are loving the changing times and EMPTY NESTERHOOD!

DIY MESSAGE BOARD...

I had a little sign with hanging hooks in this spot and it had gotten knocked down and broken, so after not seeing anything I really wanted to put in its place, I saw this idea on Pinterest:  a kraft paper message board!  

The best part:  it cost about $12 and took maybe 15 minutes to install.  

 We used a 12" masking paper roll, found in the paint section of Lowe's and then we used curtain rod brackets with pvc pipe instead of the dowel rod/screw eyes shown on Pinterest.  I painted the ends of the pvc black to match.  Whaddya think?

300 WISHING STARS AND THE PRINCESS TEA...

One of the things that I've been busy with this week is the Princess Tea party at church.  I hadn't ever helped with it before, but now I have a little more time so I can!  

They needed sausage ball stars made so I agreed - had no idea they would need 300, but I managed.  Took me 3 nights.  Anyway, hopefully I never have to make 300 of anything again! :)

The Princess Tea is for little girls and their daddies.  It was decorated really pretty and I had a ball helping with it!  They had activities around the perimeter of the room, and the tea party tables in the middle.

What a great way to have some Daddy-Daughter time!  So glad our preschool department at church makes the effort to put on these special events.

HOO-BOY! START OF A NEW PROJECT...

The last time we started a bathroom remodel it took 6 months.  So can you sense my enthusiasm?

We decided to update our master bathroom, but not do any new tile or really big things this time...just paint the walls and all the woodwork.  So hopefully it won't take us too long!  We got a good start this weekend texturing over the existing wall paper.  It already looks much better to me!

 We put up this wallpaper when we moved here in 2000 - there was navy striped wallpaper in here and I wanted to lighten it up.  I liked the gold swirly in the pattern.  Now I'm ready for neutrals.

The gold oval mirror originally came from the powder bathroom near the kitchen.  I just couldn't give it up so I moved it to the master bath just for decoration.  Not sure what I'll do with it now!  I only have the plants in here half the year - the rest of the time they are on the patio.

We put joint compound (mud) over the wallpaper to cover it and add texture to the walls.  So clean and fresh looking!  Exciting!

WHAT NOT TO GIVE FOR VALENTINES DAY...

If there were a contest for the ugliest craft ever, I think I've got the winner.

My aunt gave this to me recently...she found it in some things that belonged to my grandmother.  It's from the 70's - I remember seeing it but had long forgotten about it.  I think I could have lived without having it back!  

It's part of a book with the middle section torn out, covered in pink foil or foil painted pink, then antiqued.  Add a poem and a snapshot of my sister and me with burnt edges, then some fake flowers...I'm sure in the 70's it was lovely.

CRAFTY COUPLE...

Son #1 and his GF have spent the last few days just making cool stuff.  In fact, my son told me recently that in the year or so they've been dating that they've never been to a movie in a theater!  We did meet her and her family at the movies on Christmas Day but I guess that didn't count.  Anyway, this is how they like to spend their time...

Making a canvas flag

 Making a cement barstool

They're kinda fun to have around.  :)