Birthday Dinner, Tennessee Trip, and Christmas : Part 1

Hmm.....let's see. Now where do I begin?

Last Sunday I started off my adventure by heading to Meridian to celebrate my grandmother, Marlene's birthday. Me and the family met up at Saki Sushi (spelling?). It's a great little Japanese resturant. The food was delicious as well as the show they put on while cooking your food. We all had a great time! Here are a few pictures.

Here's a shot of Marlene's ice cream cup. You can kinda see they waiters in the background banging a huge gong while singing 'Happy Birthday'. Too funny!

The Family.

Me and sweet baby Evan! He is truly a Grimes with his blonde hair and blue eyes! All us Grimes' have those distinguishable traits!

After dinner my grandmother and I headed back to Philadelphia. Later that night we went to her church to watch the youth put on a Christmas Cantata. They were wonderful! I spent Sunday night with them then headed out for Tennessee on Monday morning. Early Monday, before I left for Tennessee, Marlene, Vicki (my aunt), and I ate breakfast at the cutest little coffee shop- The Coffee Bean. The food was good, the decor was great, and the coffee was even better! I will definitely have to stop by there next time I'm in town. I LOVE coffee shops!

I ended up taking part of the Natchez Trace into Tupelo- then headed up Hwy 45 to my mom's house. The scenery on the Natchez Trace was spectacular. I wish I'd had time to stop at some of the historic points. I'm a HUGE history buff. Oh well, maybe I'll save that for a later road trip! Once I got to mom's house we headed out to do some shopping. I was on the hunt for a cute dress to wear on Christmas day. I found the perfect dress- cream colored cashmere, knee lenght, with a turtle neck collar. I paired it with some brown leggings and cute brown heels. I did Christmas with mom then headed out Tuesday morning for home. I was EXHAUSTED by the time I arrived home- I was sick of being in my car! Overall it was a good trip and I enjoyed seeing my family for Christmas!

I'll post about Christmas Eve and Christmas day in Part 2. Stay tuned!

My New Favorite Toy

One of the things my husband got me from 'Santa' was a steam cleaner. I've been wanting one of these FOREVER! After shopping around and finding just what I wanted (it had to have good upholstery attachments), I decided on this one. After getting home tonight from the movies, I decided to give it a try. I'm in love! I vacuum every other day- that's a gurantee. So, I was disgusted to see how filthy our carpet really was! I steam clean every few months, but obviously I need to do it more! Now, instead of having to borrow or rent, I have my own! In six months, I'll have steam cleaned so much that our carpets will be an entirely different color! =)

We settled on the Hoover SteamVac Turbo with Clean Surge. This thing does it all! Plus, it drys the carpet almost completely - no more having to wait for it to dry! Plus, it applies heat directly to the carpet to get out those tough stains!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I had been dying to go see this movie. Finally, it came out and we went and saw it this afternoon. MESMERIZING - to say the least! It stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Brad Pitt is too sexy in this movie. Too sexy! I'm hoping to go and see it again with one of my girlfriends. This is definitely one I plan on picking up once it's out on DVD. If you don't watch but one movie this year- watch this one! I laughed then cried, then laughed, then cried.... It was breathtakingly beautiful! This is now my all time favorite movie! I think it even surpasses The Notebook and several other classics.

Here's a quick preview featuring highlights from the movie. I NEVER go to the movies- today was the first time I've been in about 2-3 years. I'm definitely going to see this again! You should too!

The Aftermath

To me, the worst part of Christmas is what I call 'The Aftermath'. This is where the hype of Christmas is over, and it's time to clean up, organize, put away, and prepare for the upcoming Spring. For some reason, the minute Christmas is over I begin daydreaming of those early Spring days. I know I still have about 3 months to go, but hey, a girl can dream can't she!

Every year I clean up the aftermath on Christmas night. So, true to form, last night my husband and I spent a few hours taking down the Christmas tree, decorations, putting gifts away, and organizing a few things. I'm always so ready for things to go back to normal! I know, I have a complex! It's just that after gifts are opened and breakfasts/dinners are eaten, it feels like Christmas is over- so might as well clean everything up. I know some people who leave their tree up until New Year. That would drive me crazy- I would need medication!

This year it was particularly bad. I have been so ready for Christmas to be over for weeks now! I'm not sure why. I usually get really into the season. This year I just wanted it over with! And now that it is, I'm so relieved and ready to enjoy the remainder of my break. So, today Bobby and I are spending the day together in Meridian. We're going shopping (those Visa gift cards are burning holes in our pockets! haha), eating at Outback (of course), and we're going to see 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'.

Sometime tonight or tomorrow I'll blog about my week full of Birthday dinners, travels to Philadelphia and Tennessee, and, of course, Christmas!

So, here's to Christmas being officially OVER! Let the countdown to Spring begin!

Merry Christmas

The Handmaid and the Carpenter

The Handmaid and the Carpenter
by Elizabeth Berg

This is a wonderful book that I read last Christmas. It focuses on Mary and Joseph and their relationship. It's a semi-fiction book on how they met, fell in love, faced challenges, and raised a Savior and King- Jesus. It's a great book to read during the holiday season! I HIGHLY recommend it- I score it an 8 out of 10.

Here's a snipet from a critique:

"In this wonderful novel about love and trust, hope and belief, Elizabeth Berg, the bestselling author of We Are All Welcome Here and The Year of Pleasures, transports us to Nazareth in biblical times to re-imagine the events of the classic Christmas story. We see Mary–young, strong, and inquisitive–as she first meets Joseph, a serious-minded young carpenter who is steadfastly devoted to the religious traditions of their people. The two become betrothed, but are soon faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Aided by a great and abiding love, they endure challenges to their relationship as well as threats to their lives as they come to terms with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the birth of their child, Jesus. For Mary, the pregnancy is a divine miracle and a privilege. For Joseph, it is an ongoing test not only of his courage but of his faith–in his wife as well as in his God."

Another Semester Under My Belt

WARNING
This blog contains a bit of bragging on myself for a job well done in grad school. Continue at your own risk!

I'm just over halfway finished with my Master's degree. Grades were posted this week and.....drum roll please.........I'm still a 4.0 graduate student! Did you ever doubt me? haha I'm taking classes this Spring and then I'll take comps this summer! I should finish up the end of June! Hooray! I'm ready to finish it AND get my pay raise! I'm beginning to get burned out with school- I'm ready for a break. But, true to form, I'm not letting myself relax, stop and smell the roses, and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Instead, I've applied for admission into the Educational Specialist program- which I will start on in August. Admission is a guarantee, I'm just waiting on my letter to arrive so I can stop fretting over it. I'll finish up my Ed. Specialist in a year- so, July of 2010. Yay me! Then it's off to school somewhere else for my doctorate (by then I'll only lack 60 hours)- not sure where yet, but I'm leaning towards University of Alabama.I wish I could stay with Mississippi State - but I want to work there. (They prefer to hire employees who completed their doctorate elsewhere- they want a 'diverse' faculty. Most universities are that way. Crazy, right!) I talked with one of my professors last week about applying to become an 'adjunct' teacher at MSU. I will only be able to teach undergrad, but hey, it's a way to get my foot in the door in case something more permanent opens up. Plus, I'd make a nice little stash of money on the side. Who knows where this road will lead me! Okay, enough bragging!

Ahhh...mazing

Tuesday I wore the cutest pair of boots to work. Love them! However, I've slacked on wearing heels and have been opting for flats to save my feet from sure agony. So, by the end of the day, my feet were killing me. While browsing around in WalMart, I came upon this thing. I immediately put it in my cart and headed for the checkout! haha




It's ahh...mazing! I sat in the living room, read gossip magazines, watched tv, sipped a glass of blackberry merlot, and was in heaven! Bobby wanted to try it out so I was kind enough to let him try it (it was hard for me to part with it, even for my husband!). He fell in love! We're now fighting over who's turn it is to use it! haha

Seriously, it was only $15 dollars! It vibrates, bubbles, and massages your feet at the same time. Go and buy one- you'll be in heaven!

Spoiled

I've decided to spoil myself. I hired housekeepers! I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now. This is the best thing I've ever spent my money on. It's WONDERFUL! I can't explain how nice it is to come home to a sparkling home- and know that you didn't have to spend all day cleaning! When I first pitched the idea to my husband, he wasn't too thrilled. He finally agreed on one condition: our housekeeper had to be someone we know and TRUST! They came Monday and stayed from about 8:30 to about 2:30. I left a list of things I needed done- they did them all and then some! They cleaned everything from my oven, to my blinds, to my base boards, to my washer and dryer, to my ceiling fans and light fixtures, to folding laundry. You name it and they cleaned it. When I came home Monday night and saw how wonderful they did, I cried. Now that I'm working full time and going to grad school, I don't have time to clean as much as my OCD requires. I really hate spending my Saturday's cleaning and doing laundry. Well, problem solved and my OCD has been calmed! I'm in love with my housekeepers! I can't wait for them to come again!

I AM IN HEAVEN!

The Atonement Child

I finished this over the weekend and it was GREAT! I wasn't as good as Redeeming Love, but then again, nothing could top that book. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book! I've always been against abortion, but this book reinforced my opinion through scripture and the main character's struggle.

To sum up the book: Dynah was the perfect, all American girl. She was a devout Christian attending a notable Christian College. She was engaged to a fellow college student, and she was saving herself for marriage. Then, one night she was raped. She became pregnant and from then on struggled with what decision to make. She visited abortion clinics and adoption agencies. I won't ruin the ending by telling what she decided.....but you should definately read this book!

Yesterday I picked up STORI TELLING by Tori Spelling. I am a huge fan! I've been wanting to read this book for months, but it was sold out EVERYWHERE! I finally got a copy and I started on it last night. So far, so good!

Oh Where, Oh Where Has Sylvia Grace Gone?

This week I disappeared, lost 6 pounds, and slept AT LEAST 18 hours a day. What could cause this? THE FLU! That's right- I have the flu. Thus far, I've severely lost this battle- no doubt, the FLU has gotten the best of me. No, I didn't get the flu shot. I've never gotten a flu shot- even when I worked in a hospital during the middle of flu season. This week has changed my view on this topic. Here's a recap of the last 5 days- which will not be much being as how I don't remember much but sleeping!

Over Thanksgiving holidays my Daddy had the flu- I'm assuming this is where I caught it from. Monday and Tuesday I had a stuffy 'head cold'. I felt bad, but not bad-bad. Tuesday I started getting chills- it went downhill from there. Tuesday night my right ear starting hurting really bad. I took some NyQuil (which I am a firm believer in- it cures everything) and went to bed. Wednesday I woke up and hopped into the shower- fully trying to go to work. While in the shower, I felt soooo dizzy and weak. I laid on my bed for a bit and realized I was too sick for school. I had a completely stopped up nose, headaches, chills, body aches, an ear ache, fever of 101, and nausea. So, I called in and went to the doctor. After doing lab work etc...he informs me that I officially have the flu PLUS fluid on my right ear. I get two shots in my booty- for which I cried like a baby in the middle of the Doc's office- a wagon load of prescriptions to take, and a stern warning to go home, stay home, and rest.

I got home from the doctor around 10:30 ish. I took my prescriptions (I have to take then twice a day) and the next thing I remember is waking up at almost 5. I've discovered that one medicine in particular knocks me out cold. Every night I take it and sleep like a baby. Then, when I wake up I have to take it again- remember, twice a day- so then I sleep till late in the evening. I slept this way all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and it looks like today will be no different. I've lived off of Campbell's soups, orange juice, and tangerines. Hey, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud- I've lost a bit of weight!

Yesterday I began feeling a bit better- I could slightly breathe through my nose, so I felt as if I'd accomplished something. I haven't had fever since Friday, so supposedly I'm not contagious. Saturday I ventured out for about two hours and had my hair cut- it was all I could do to make it back home. Once home, I passed out! Here it is Sunday, my congestion is gone, along with my ear ache. Now, the issue is my lack of energy. I'm sooooo weak and tired. I feel so weak and weary- I'm almost certain you can see through me, like a ghost! haha I'm DETERMINED to go back to work tomorrow. Today I need to work on getting some serious strength back.

This has been a yucky week. I hope I NEVER catch the flu again! Next year, I'll be the first in line to get the flu shot!

How did I not know about this.....

How did I go so long without knowing that Christmas stocking stands existed? I've been hanging our stockings on the back of our bar stools/chairs. Not the most attractive way, but it was my only option. After browsing several sites, I came across this wonderful invention. After doing some price checking etc, I settled on this one from HSN.com. Too cute!


*NOTE: This item was priced at 15.99 - I paid $21 after shipping and handling. It will arrive on or before Dec. 9. I did check out the ones at WalMart.com. They were about the same price, however not as classy. BUT, if you want one in a hurry or don't want to deal with shipping etc., I'd suggest picking one up from WalMart. Another option is stocking hooks. They're really cute- but would still have to be hung from a counter etc. Target.com had a nice selection of stocking hooks, unfortunately they didn't have any stocking stands.

Newest Finds

I'm an addict when it comes to Bed Bath and Beyond. I LOVE this store! I'm not positive, but I'd be willing to bet money that it was a WOMAN who began the franchise! Last month I completely redecorated our guest bathroom- today I went and did the same for our master bathroom. Here are some fabulous finds I fell in love with!

I fell in love with this wall decor! I ended up putting it over the toilet in our master bathroom.

I also fell for these face towel stands! A unique way of displaying them! I found them much more attractive than the rings/bars that screw into the wall. I bought one brushed stainless steel last month for the guest BR. Today, I got the venetian bronze for our MB.


This is perhaps my favorite! I LOVE these toilet paper caddies! You store extra rolls in the canister. Once again, much more attractive to me than screwing the bar thingy into the wall. The GB has the brushed stainless while the MB has the venetian bronze. Too cute!


I thought this cute waste basket went well with my other buys!


After picking out more candles, clocks, and other decor, both bathrooms are officially redecorated! I'll post pictures later this evening!

On another note, I was finally able to pick up our armoire today! I couldn't be more pleased with it! It adds that finishing touch to the room! I'm just amazed that someone could build something like that! All of the details are hand done- to me that adds more character to the piece. I'm definitely going to post pics tonight (I've got to hang a few last minute sconces, etc.) I'll also blog about the adventure my brother and I went on to get the piece!

It's been a great day filled with shopping, eating, and best of all- DECORATING!

My love affair with a trash can

For months and months I've been looking for a new trash can. I had specifics that I wanted: stainless steel, fingerprint/smudge proof, large size, and a flip top. Well, the one I found had everything I wanted except the flip top. It's the kind with the foot pedal (ugh..). It's supposed to be child friendly in that the lid closes very slowly to avoid smashing kid's fingers. Okay, I haven't any kids so I'm not sure why that idea is so appealing to me. After doing my homework as far as features and pricing, I found this one at Lowes and I'm in love!

Simplicity

Today I decided to go ahead and change my blog. I was originally planning on using one of my Christmas designs. (See previous blog). However, I drastically changed my mind! For a while now I've had big, showy blogs. For the first time ever I opted on a simple blog. Surprisingly, it's my favorite design of all! After all, it's not the look that makes a blog great- it's the content! I was a bit apprehensive about saving my changes and showing it off. I've updated just about everything- so take a look around and tell me what you think!

It's no surprise that this week's Quote of the Week revolves around simplicity.

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”
Frederic Chopin

Rain, Rain don't go away......

...because I want to wear my new rain boots to work tomorrow!

After standing in the rain, getting splashed by puddles as cars drove by, and having my pants soaking wet around my ankles during car duty this afternoon, I headed out in search of some cute rain boots! Found these at my favorite shoe store! I can't wait to wear them for my kindergarten kidddies tomorrow! Please, please, please let it rain!

From our nest to yours.....

I've been doing a bit of blog designing for the holidays and here's what I've come up with....







I won't decorate my blog for Christmas just yet....but it's on my mind! I love these and can't wait to change my blog for the holidays! Hmmm...but which one will I use? What do you think?

I can't believe it's over....

My six month reading affair with an Old Order Amish girl, Hannah Lapp, has come to an end. Okay..... before you jump to crazy conclusions, let me explain!


Back in May I began reading the first book of the 'Sister's of the Quilt' book, When The Heart Cries, by Cindy Woodsmall. It was awesome! I ended up reading books one and two in three days! I couldn't put it down (which is my criteria for whether a book is good or not)! I was heartbroken to find that I would have to wait from May until the end of October to read the last and final book. Well, I finished book three with tears spilling down my cheeks a few minutes ago. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend you read this series! This series is what got me so hooked on Christian Fiction about the Amish! I've read dozens of Amish series since this summer- can't get enough! See my previous blog on this subject!


The story ended very well- I hate getting attached to good characters and then having the story end badly! It's one of those books where you think about the characters and miss them once you've finished the book! Well, I'm definately going to miss Hannah, Paul, Luke, Mary, Matthew, and all the other people from the story.

So, go and pick up all three books and read them! Or, visit this link to learn more about it!

Over the weekend I picked up my next book on the list to devour. I fell in love with the author, Francine Rivers, a few years ago when I read her story Redeeming Love. This was actually one of the books I did for our Merry Heart's Book Club at church. Redeeming Love is my all time favorite! So, I picked up her book 'Atonement Child' and will start on it this evening! Click on this link to learn more about it and the author!

Here's to all who share my love of good books and finding friends in characters! Happy Reading!

A fortelling of what's to come?

Today my kindergarten class held a mock election. We made super cute banners with streamers as we discussed what election day means. As I was hanging them in the hallway I asked each student who they wanted to vote for. The results...... Obama 15 and McCain 4 - Obama wins! While my kids were excited about Obama winning and we had a good time, I sure hope the real election doesn't turn out that way! So, who has my vote?

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my favorite holiday! Happy Halloween Everyone!

Pumpkin Patch Fiasco

Today I could very well lose my mind.

Today I experienced my very first field trip as a teacher. We took our kindergarten class to Circle S Ranch pumpkin patch. Well, let's just say it was interesting to say the least. On the way to the pumpkin patch our school bus broke down. Keep in mind that were are about 25-30 minutes away from school, stranded on the side of the interstate, with about 6o 5 year-olds, three foster grandmothers, three parents, and three teachers. Fabulous.....absolutely fabulous. While riding along on the interstate I made the comment that jinxed it all- "This hoopty sounds like it's about to break down." Five minutes later we're all smelling diesel fuel. Ten minutes later the bus is boiling out smoke so bad that you just about couldn't see the other traffic. Twelve minutes later we're on the side of the highway......stranded. As we're pulling off to the side of the road, we go over the 'grid' or whatever it's called (the shoulder part that makes the loud noise). Well, when the kids hear this and see the smoke, they go crazy! Fabulous....absolutely fabulous. To top it all of I'm car sick and about to hurl everywhere. Fabulous....absolutely fabulous.

So, the bus driver radios back to base and assures us that help, and a better bus, is on the way. Then state troopers arrive- better known as the "po po" by the students. Suddenly, the bus if filled with comments like: "Oh no, it's the po po" and "Ooooo, someone done called the po po". I could have died! We waited about 30-45 minutes for another bus to come. Then the fun begins. We're having to transfer all of our coolers, boxes of sack lunches, and students from one bus to another safely- while interstate traffic is whizzing by. Fabulous.....absolutely fabulous.

Once we arrived at the pumpkin patch things started looking up. The students had a wonderful time! I would recommend Circle S Ranch to anyone interested in taking a field trip or family fun day! They had hay rides to the pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a hay pile for playing in, limbo, bean bag toss, sack races, horse shoe games, space jump, basketball, and an animal farm.

Here are a few pics.....

Pic of the school bus hood up...complete with smoke and all.....this was waaaayyy after the heavy smoke had disappeared.

Me...amidst the chaos. Fabulous....absolutely fabulous.

The students received small pumpkins while the teachers were given one large class pumpkin (or puh-kins as the students call them!). I carved ours this afternoon before the students went home. Tonight, I'm baking the seeds to take as a 'treat' for them tomorrow!

Tomorrow everyone is allowed to wear their PJ's to school to celebrate READING! This evening I found the cutest pair at the mall. Tomorrow I'll post pics of PJ day and of the CUTE, CUTE, CUTE fall art projects we've done this month!

Stay tuned....

Girls Night Out

I'm horribly late on posting this being as how it happened 2 weeks ago......but I'm posting it nonetheless. My fellow Sunday School member and kindred spirit, T, and I decided to have a girls night out. For months we had been planning on visiting Paint & Pals in Mobile. Well, we finally got around to it. We spent the afternoon eating, shopping, having girl talks, and then painting. So, here's a quick recap of our fabulous trip!

After driving for 2 1/2 hours to get to Mobile we were starved. T introduced me to this fabulous Bar-B-Q shack. It was adorable! The food was amazing and the atmosphere was unique! I will definitely pay this place another visit! Those hot wings and baby back ribs were sinful!

I loved this picture next to our booth.
"Husband: Where's all the grocery money I give you?"
"Wife: Stand sideways and look in the mirror!"

Antiques were everywhere! Hope this isn't where they keep the food!

After stuffing our faces we headed to the Bel Air mall to do some shopping. I will admit, I took my entire month's shopping allowance thinking I would find some super cute buys. Not the case! It never fails- when you have money and are wanting to go shopping, you never find anything you want! Case in point, I left the Bel Air mall with only three items- a cute pea coat jacket, PJ bottoms for the hubby ( I always try and bring him something home), and the SATC movie! I was a pitiful shopper to say the least!

After shopping as much as we could, we headed over to Paint & Pals studio- which is located right behind Bel Air mall. This place was fabulous! You check out their website and pick a night you would like to come. Each night they paint a different canvas. We happened to sign up for 'Open Canvas' night- this is where you pick any canvas from their site or any picture you like from Art.com and they walk you through the steps of painting it! You sit with girlfriends, sip wine, listen to music, and paint your canvas! T and I are kindred spirits in our love for hobbies, crafts, painting, decorating, etc....We had a blast to say the least! I painted 'Chinese Blossoms' and T painted 'Funky Red Cross'. We're already talking about going back soon! Here are some pics....

If you're interested, here's the link to Paint & Pals.

Baptisms, Baptisms, and more Baptisms!

First I must apologize to all of my faithful readers. I realize that I've been a horrible blogger lately- blame my kindergarten babies, they wear me out!

Anyways, I HAD to blog about this past week. Giving all glory, honor, and praise to my Christ, I was able to witness several of my friends and one family member become baptized!

Last week was revival at my brother's church, Calvary (where Bobby and I were wed). He has been called to join the ministry to preach the gospel. So, after giving his life to Christ, he was baptized on Wednesday night! I couldn't have been happier for him. This is truly an answered prayer that I was able to take OUT of my prayer box! Thinking back to when I was first baptized, I remember how exciting it felt knowing that I was following Christ! In Christian love, I pray that the Lord blesses my brother and his friend, Alex, who was also baptized with him. Here are a few pics.....

About to go under....sorry it's so blurry.

Josh's friend, Alex, about to go under!

Last week was also our churches revival and, to say the least, God was present! We had several of our church members rededicate their lives- and we also had several new decisions. My good friend, and kindred spirit, Theresa and her three daughters were baptized along with our pastor's daughter! Whew, how wonderful is that?

Theresa's oldest daughter, Sarah. (Sorry the pics are so dark).

Theresa has the most adorable set of twins- Lindsey and Olivia. This is Olivia- she was so tiny Bro. Mike had to hold her up for pictures! Too cute!

Here is Lindsey!

Here's my good friend, and painting pal, Theresa!

Priceless picture of her face!

Here is Bro. Mike baptizing his oldest child, Tay'lr. Too sweet!

I am so proud of everyone who gave their lives to Christ and became baptized!

On Saturday, Theresa and I ventured to Mobile for a girls day out- which included an awesome trip to a painting studio, Paint and Pals. I'll blog about it tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Beauty shop addict....

I just left the beauty shop with a new haircut. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE going to get my hair 'beautified'....I think I'm addicted. I try and go once every 4-5 weeks. Each time I leave with a new style. I can say with absolute certainty that I have the best stylist around! So, with a new cut and feeling fabulous, I'm ready for the weekend! =)

Quote of the Week

"Too many people, too many demands, too much to do; competent, busy, hurrying people. It just isn't living at all."
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I chose this quote for the week because lately I've been just plain too busy. I haven't 'stopped to smell the roses'. I'm ready for things to slow down a bit! (Which is unusual for me because normally I want life to 'hurry up'!)

BigLots

My husband and I love to shop at BigLots! Sometimes we just walk around to kill time. My husband likes to see 'what kind of deals he can find'. He loves finding a great deal. I love their home decor items. They're good quality and cheap! Today while browsing I picked up a super cute candle centerpiece for our coffee table and a cute toothbrush holder/cup/soap dispenser set for our guest bathroom. I also found an ADORABLE trunk that will go great with our new bedroom decor- I'm heading back for it tomorrow! So, if your looking for a place to find cute home decor items at a reasonable price- check out BigLots!


(Oh, for my faithful blog readers, I know I've promised pics of our master bedroom since it's overhaul. However, I'm still tying up loose ends in the decorating department. We're also having an armoire custom built to match the new furniture- that will take a few weeks. Once it's all finished I'll post pics- within the next month).

Pretty Piggies

One of my favorite things to do is get a manicure and pedicure. Well, today was a long, long, long, long, long....you get the picture...day. So, to lift my spirits and calm my achy hands and feet, I popped into my favorite nail salon. I splurged on a mani and pedi but it was well worth it! It's so relaxing to have your toes painted and then get your legs and back massaged at the same time (I'm in love with their leather, massaging, whirl-pool chairs.) Ahhh...mazing! I try and splurge on this monthly, but lately it's been every two weeks! My husband is jealous- so I've agreed to take him to get a pedicure if he wants (he's interested in the massaging chair and foot rub!). haha The only place better than the nail salon is the hair salon! I LOVE going to the beauty shop and getting 'beautified' while catching up on the local happenings (happenings sounds a bit better than gossip!) haha

So here's to pretty piggies and freshly manicured fingers!

Fried Dill Pickles Fridays

Friday nights are fried dill pickle nights! There is a small restaurant in our town that makes fried dill pickles. Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pickles! I eat a jar of them every weekend! I also love fried dill pickles! So, every Friday night I head to J&K Whistle Stop and get a large order of fried dill pickles. It's like my sweet, or should I say sour, treat at the end of each week! YUMMO! Bobby had to work today so I'm on my own for lunch. Hmmm......I think I might order some for lunch today! I can never eat too many fried dill pickles!

I also cook these delicious treats at home. I love to make them as a snack for a good movie- they're better than popcorn any day! My recipe is a little different from J&K's (I think mine taste better- but I love not having to cook on Fridays).

Sylvia Grace's Fried Dill Pickles

1 jar of kosher dill pickles- whole (I like to cut them up myself. But you could buy them sliced)
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of corn meal
Canola Oil
1 tsp. salt

Mix flour, salt, and corn meal together. (J&K only uses flour. Corn meal makes them a bit more crispy-which is how I like them!). Slice pickles thinly (about the width of two quarters). Coat pickles in flour mixture and place in oil. I cook mine in a small fry daddy on about 350 degrees. Let pickles cook until golden brown. Place on a towel to absorb oil. Then, sit back, relax, and ENJOY!

Well, I'm off to call in an order of Fried Dill Pickles!

Quote of the Week / Recommended Reads

This week's quote is an excerpt from the Christian fiction book Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson. I finished this book several weeks ago. It was a good read and had a great point. It focused on a doctor's wife- rich, comfortable, but not content- who slowly realizes that routine and possessions aren't the the key to happiness. She was what many would call a 'comfortable Christian'. She slowly begins to volunteer and steps out of her comfort zone to serve the Lord- which means she leaves her materialistic personality behind. I would recommend this as a good read!

"So here's the bottom line. Do I want to stand before God's throne and say I kept a clean house, I made sure my child was athletic, musical, artistic, and got good grades, I was present at all the important church activities, and I changed the oil in my car every three thousand miles because I was such a good steward of my blessings?
Is that all I will have to show for the gift of life?
Dear God, I hope not." pg. 270

"We only change when staying the same becomes even more frightening." pg. 227

"If you open yourself up to the possibility that God is found in locales you've never imagined; you'll meet Him in all sorts of faces and places you never thought possible." pg. 154

A Name For Hermit Crab

Last week during story time I read the book A House For Hermit Crab to my students. I made a huge prop for this story in college so I was able to use it again. After the story I informed my students that we would be getting our own hermit crab for our classroom. As part of their art time I had them construct/decorate their own hermit crab. Then, I came around and asked them what they would name it. I hung their pictures up all over the room- they were so cute! So, Friday night I purchased two hermit crabs for our classroom. Now, the problem is I'm not sure what to name them. The last two hermit crabs I had (yes, I've done this before for school) were named Fred and Ethel- I'm a huge I Love Lucy fan! I thought about picking two names from my students artwork. But, the other students would feel left out because I didn't choose their name. So, here are some pictures of our class pets. Their shells are really decorated- hence to go with the theme of the story. I'm taking suggestions from my blog fans. I thought about naming them Tori and Dean - yes, after my favorite show! Here's the question of the day. "What should I name our hermit crabs?"