Ready to Delve into 2012?

I love new beginnings. They always offer hope with no boundaries. I get excited about the beginning of a new month or even a new week, so it's no wonder that I'm almost giddy at the prospect of a whole new year! I think God intended for us to feel this way about each and every day since each new day is certainly a gift from Him.

"His mercies....are new every morning." Lamentations 3:22,23

In 2012, I want to Do More, Be More, and Live More!

I also like to think I'll blog more, but that remains to be seen.

Tip of the Day: Take 30 seconds and hit the Unsubscribe link in one of your emails. (Although I'm really hoping you won't unsubscribe me. But, hey, the last thing I want to do is hold you back from accomplishing your true goals). The past few weeks I've been overwhelmed with the constant bombardment of my inbox. I've decided to unsubscribe from one email newsletter or blog feed each day until the inbox and Google Reader count gets manageable.

Old Window into Chalkboard

We had most of our windows replaced last November. Now eleven months later, we've finally finished the first project with the old windows I wasn't about to pay someone $100 to haul off.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know I have more ideas than I have time. But finally our chalkboard is complete! Oh...well not really....we still need to attach the hooks and wire on the back and actually get it up on the wall. It's going to hang right above this bench the kids use for their backpacks, dance bags, soccer bags, and anything else they need to take our the door with them. Usually there are so many shoes on that bottom rack you wouldn't be able to see that I've neglected to clean that baseboard or vacuum underneath. I'm hoping we can use the chalkboard to write down weekly/daily schedules or making a chore list!

What's on the Menu?

After whining on Facebook about coming up with dinner ideas, I decided to go ahead and get it all laid out there this week in time for Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday (well, almost in time). I finished up the grocery shopping tonight while Addison was at dance so here's what we're planning:

• Monday - Totally a fend-for-yourself night since I was in the car from 5:30-9:00. The kids had chicken nuggets after school and cinnamon rolls for a bedtime snack. Carl made a quesadilla with leftover roast beef, I had a cinnamon roll and a dill pickle. *I know you're rolling your eyes*
• Tuesday - Kielbasa, noodles, green beans.
• Wednesday - Crockpot nachos - I have been meaning to try these for 6 months now!
• Thursday - Grilled chicken strips, salad fixings & garlic cheese toast. Some will have salad, some will make wraps, some will have it all separate 'cause they can't stand their food to touch each other!
• Friday - Fall Fest at the elementary school. If we don't eat there, we'll make French Toast.
• Saturday - Pulled pork stuffed potatoes, Salad.
• Sunday - Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and corn.

And just a note for next week's planning....Kroger has whole chickens on sale for $0.79/lb. this week. Go ahead and grab one then check out this recipe for Rotisserie Style Chicken. It is so good. As you can tell, I get alot of recipes from the other Laurie.

A Little Creativity

Trying to get some mojo back! It's been way too long since I've spent any time crafting....

I saw this blog post on Tip Junkie the same week we were deep cleaning Addison's room. I realized the pink knobs on her white desk really don't work any more since the little girl pink has been long gone. So I used some butterfly stamps and made these. The two larger ones will replace the ones on her closet doors.

I also am trying to make some scrapbook pages for Clark. You know what they say about the second kids....it's absolutely true. I was such a good scrapbooker when Addison was little, but life has gotten so crazy and poor Clark has so few pages just of him.

I've had fun spending little snippets of time here and there playing with paint and stamps and papers. I just need to realize the little snippets are all I have right now and remember to take advantage of them.

Wishes for Bella Blog Hop - Week Four

I'm so glad you joined us for Week Four of the blog hop for Bella. You should have arrived here from Katharina's blog. If not, head on back to Denise's blog so you don't miss a single thing in the Week Four blog hop. I can't wait to see how many cards will be heading to Bella this week!

I used the Card Patterns sketch 72 as a jump off for the card I'll be sending to Bella. Everything on the card is from The Angel Company except the button I snagged from my stash.



The next stop on the blog hop is over at Pat's. Please be sure to hop over to to see what she's created for Bella. Then after you finish hopping, if you decide to make a card for Bella, be sure to hop over to Erin's blog where I know there's a place to link up for some goodies from Chrissy Armstrong, Whiff of Joy, firecracker designs by pamela, and Whimsy Stamps. There is also a GRAND PRIZE so make sure you link up at the Grand Prize post too!

You can mail your card to Bella at:

The Bella Tucker Fund
P.O. Box 199
Londonderry, NH
03053 USA

I'll be drawing a name from all comments left on this post for THREE new and uncut (although retired) stamp sets from The Angel Company. If you want to see some of the images, the sets are Marvelous Mottos, Dropping Boxes (great for stamping labels to wrap up chocolate nuggets), and Salsa Flowers. You have until Noon (EST) on Monday, July 19 to post your comments here and post your link on Erin's blog for the week four prize and for the grand prize. Winners will be posted on Tuesday July 20.

I really hope you'll send a card to Bella so she knows how much she is thought of.

Giving you a month's heads up!

Erin put out the call yesterday for blog hop participants for Bella Tucker. Please read her story. As the mom of an active 8 yr. old girl, I just had to sign up. I won't be part of the blog hop for another 4 weeks or so, but that means I've got 4 weeks to pull together an awesome package of blog candy to be given away on my blog post during the hop. I already have some brand new, uncut stamps set aside. We'll see what else I can come up with between now and then. What do you need to do? Well, I don't have all the details yet...but go ahead and get started on making a card to send to Bella! And meet me back here on July 13.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

The Great Flood of 2010 - Our Story!

Rain on Saturday. This is a view from our covered patio of our backyard. If you enlarge this photo, you might be able to see the white-caps on the creek behind the treeline. This creek bed will be dry rock during the hot summer months.

The view from our covered patio toward the neighbor's backyard. Notice the water pouring off the awning over the door of our bonus room --- which is nothing more than a converted garage. You'll see inside that door in just a minute.

The view from our front door. I have never seen that little creek around the circle of the cul-de-sac before!

Here's inside that downstairs door. Addison and Carl are sweeping the water out as it pours in behind that door. It's coming from the crawlspace which is actually higher elevation-wise than the floor of the bonus room.

Here's where the water is coming in from the crawlspace. You can see the ripples in the half-inch of standing water.


Sunday morning we didn't go to church. But my children gave their best performance acting out the story of baby Moses. There is a Cabbage Patch baby in that styrofoam cooler.

Addison setting up the props:

Here comes the baby in the basket!
More rain!!
During a break in the rain we got out to drive around the neighborhood and take some pictures.
In front of some houses in our subdivision:

Brentwood Country Club golf course:

From the bridge of the Little Harpeth River (just south of Brentwood Country Club and north of Murray Lane):

And a zoom in of that tree above. Yes...someone is innertubing!!!

Cal Turner's farm which is my favorite landmark near our house:






We are fine! A little water damage and about 7 hours without power, but we are very lucky. The news coverage of some of our neighboring towns and communities is just heartbreaking. Please pray for Nashville and Middle Tennessee as we recover from this disaster.

Railroad Depot

Four months later, I finally got my depot sign hung above the back door today. Not sure if you can tell, but that little ridge behind the treeline is the CSX short line. I do love this sign...it was my Christmas present to me!

Wordless Wednesday