Put away your hazmat shoes!

Caramie and Matt may just be the biggest bomb.com of the year!

You see, we just moved into a new abode. The main bathroom in that otherwise lovely abode, happened to have c.a.r.p.e.t on the floor. In the bathroom? Really? Don’t think too hard about it, it may make you hurl a lil upchuck.

Now, I can't say much about the gold loveliness, seeing how I had it in my bathroom in the old house too. And get this, we paid extra for that loveliness back in the 90's. It's funny how styles change. How long til we're covering up our new look?
Look closely at the loveliness of the carpet. I know you wish it was in your bathroom too.
And here it is now. You just go right ahead and put those hazmat shoes back in the closet cus we've got ourselves some lovely tile. Matt did a fantastic job. I knew he would because he is such a perfectionist. Well, credit where credit is due needs to add Caramie's name to the project. She is the chief manager of every step.
Painted cabinets. And how much do you love the new oil rubbed bronze trim.
I must get a better picture of the light fixture in the day so you can see how dang cute it is. It's amazing what a can of spray paint can do. They framed the mirror too. Yummers!

Welcome to this century, my lovely room. Many happy poops ahead!

Come Sit With Me...

I'm so, so, so in ♥ with my patio furniture re-do.
It turned out so happy. It makes me smile every time I look at it and I can't wait for all the great memories ahead in it's beautiness!

Sure wish I had a pic of the shiz it was before, with its shredded cushions, rusty spots and painted glass. Here it is without the aforementioned loverly cushions, so use your uglymagination to picture what they were like. Too many days out in the weather caused it some wrinkles and age spots. Wait - that sounds like it's about me. This story is about the furniture...

I purchased myself some new cushions on clearance to recover. I thought it was a dang smart idea, cheaper than I could have bought the supplies to make my own. Sometimes the old gal is smarter than she looks!

So after about 4 cans of primer and a bazillion and a half cans of my favorite catalina mist, yards of absolutely to die for chevron print, and a few {hundred} hours of sewing, here she is.

What a b.e.a.u.t.y!! I love her!
Uh huh! Uh huh! Uh huh!

Can you stand it?

add some evening ambiance...

So won't ya come sit with me? If you come over I'll have all my favorites: you, me, some diet d.p., maybe some cookie dough, some good stories, or just a lovely Perry sunset.

Hope you love them as much as I do!

May Showers...

Here's a post I drafted last fall, but never posted. Maybe it will help you hold on through the rain. You know the adage: May showers bring Fall flowers (just go with the adaptation).

This little vase of sunshine is from the 'seeds' Hadlee and I planted this spring. They actually were bulbs (very big seeds) and turned into some beauties!
Matt says this picture looks like a funeral remembrance for Riley. Sorry girl! Haha!

Easter 'Hopp'enings...

My blog is retarded and won't ever let me write above the first pic (insert growl)
The Easter Bunny hopped right into our house
and left lots of treasures.
Ayzlie likes the easter grass the best...
Hadlee and Rapunzel are a pair
Riley got some rings
He left 'Woo-ey' for Cora, so now Hadlee can have Jessie back

All the girls got the cutest owl purses ever!

Is it not the truth that our eggs win the most personality award!!

Our funny chickie brownie pops

The best Easter egg hunt EVER
...everybody WaItiNg...

On your marks, get set, GO!
Is this the perfect yard for a hunt?
It went on and on and on!

These are the Easter Egg Hunt Makers
As if the coolest e.e.hunt wasn't enough,
Uncle Wayne hands out even more goodies
Brittney, Hannah and Jarom - the worker bunnies

You wouldn't believe the haul in these baskets!
Besides the mounds of candy, there are
bubbles, hatching animals, jump ropes, frogs, more, more and more!

Amazing Grandma and Grandpa
The real Easter miracle
Don't they look amazing!

The reason we were in Driggs
This is NATHAN, fresh home from his mission in San Diego

Party Planning

Caramie was asked to decorate for our RS Birthday shin-dig. She 'let' me help (haha). We still haven't conquered the art of keeping it simple. It takes so much planning for things like this, mostly because you try to do it for the least amount of $$ possible, but still have it cute. Between the two of us, we may have logged a few online shopping hours. Or days. Or weeks...

Above is the serving table. It looks a little bare without all the food. Below is a place setting. Can you see the cute damask print we painted on the corners of the burlap. Love it! The napkins are extremely darling - a perfect find!

This is the whole table view...
You'll have to imagine the cutest orange/pinkish drink in the jars.
It was so cute with the striped straws.

Here's a close-up of a centerpiece. We took various vases we had at home and the DI and mod-podged wrapping paper on them. The flowers are made from napkins thanks to the creativeness of our helper friends
(I hope they are still friends after this!)

Here's a closeup of the cute little favor. Barb had made those awesome bookmarks with the Savior on one side and the theme of the night, 'His Hands' on the other side, which we alternated at the place settings. We wanted a cute way to display them for the gals to take home.
We made some super yummy brownie pops with toffee crunch on the top with those cute striped straws as the stick. Then we made paper flowers to adorn the straw, and hung the bookmark from the flower.
Yummy treat, amazing thought, and cuteness all rolled into one.

The program for the night was more incredible than anything I've seen.
Our Enrichment Leader (I know that isn't the real name), Barb is unbelievable.
The program went from one amazing thing to another.
My life is changed from the happenings of the night.
Thanks to everyone who made it so amazing!

Tegunn's Baptism

You'll have to excuse my tardiness. If you know me you know I work too many hours for the first four months of the year. It would be an understatement to say I get behind.

I can't let the opportunity to brag about this little guy slip by.
Gunner is the first of the grandkids to get baptized.
He's such a great kid and look at the fantastic example he is setting.
A very very good looking young man!

Here's his family who helped get him to this day.
Families are Forever!

Great Grandpa Hartshorn had a big accident last fall, and it's a miracle he was able to share this day with Tegunn. Tee asked him to talk at his baptism shortly after the accident. At points, it didn't look like Grandpa would make it, but through the same faith and prayers that Tegunn exhibited by being baptized, Grandpa was healed. This will be a special memory forever.

Tegunn's cousins and brother and sister who love him and look to his example.

Jada Ryann

Our beautiful baby Jada and her beautiful Momma. They are two of a kind!

I'd Snap at the chance...

I'd snap at the chance to be YOUR Valentine! These are what I made for my little kiddos and filled them with prizes and candy. Somebody remind me next time not to make enough for the whole world. I do that with every project I get myself into. But aren't they CUTE!

C

The Curse of the Black Pearl

If you know me, you know I have a thing with my car. I don't know what it is or why. I've never been like that before and chances are pretty great that it won't happen again. But it is what it is. The Black Pearl.

"Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails; that's what a ship needs…but what a ship is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom." - Jack Sparrow to Elizabeth Swann

The Pearl with its chrome package is as striking as the black masts of the real Black Pearl. Well, at least it was when it was new. I can't say if there is a relationship with the speed of the two, as we know the original is known to be 'nigh uncatchable', its speed derived from the large amount of sails she carries. There may be some relationship there, I shouldn't say.

But one thing if for sure: The curse of the Black Pearl lives. My Pearl has been redeemed time and time again from it's various curses:

• The first happened when it was still new and I got backed into leaving church one Sunday.

• Next it got the back end wiped out when it was parked at a high school game and a kid turned his trailer too sharp.

• Another time I left work to grab a sandwich and heard crackling as I drove. Come to find out someone was doing yard maintenance and flipped a rock and shattered the sunroof. Are you kidding me? How does that happen.

• And now the latest damage from a girl thinking she could beat the Pearl through the intersection. Evidently she was unaware of the Pearl's great speed. She knows now.

So the Pearl is again sunk at the bottom of the ocean. Hopefully not for long. Soon it will be raised better than ever and will once again be known as the fastest, most dangerous pirate ship sailing the seven seas.

Until then- this cursed crew will survive. Until then we will settle for real life.

Haha - ok I'm a dork. But I really do miss the Pearl.

"but what a car is…what the Black Pearl really is…is freedom."