2010- Our Year

Last New Year's my husband and I made each other a promise: 2010 would be our year. We stuck to that promise and saw all but one of our dreams realized.

January
I turned 24 on the 19th.

February
Enjoyed a beautiful snow day! I traveled to Birmingham to attend my first concert with my dear friend Mizz Hoppa- we saw John Mayer.

March
This was an exciting month. We sold our current place and found our new home- all during my Spring Break week. We began the month long process of buying a home and moved in with my Dad until we closed on our home.

April
This was a very busy month. We celebrated my sweet husbands 32nd birthday. We spent most of the month filling out paperwork and buying things for the house. We officially closed on our home on April 28th. We spent our first night in our new home on April 30th. I took off work and spent six glorious days getting acquainted with my new home. I was in heaven! We were both delirious with sheer joy!

May
We were thrilled to begin our happy little life of the little lake. We spent the month painting our house and making it a home. After months of job searching, I started getting call backs. We welcomed a new addition to our home, sweet Louie.

June
My elementary school did not let out until the 18th and then I taught summer school. I accepted a job teaching first grade at Sweet Water and began making the move and setting up my classroom.

July
We celebrated 5 blissful years of marriage! I finished up my classes at MSU and said goodbye to my coworkers as summer school came to and end, along with my time at Parkview Elementary. We spent most Saturday's in the back yard fishing with my Dad, nephew, and niece.

August
This was a fairly calm month. We didn't work on the house much. I started my new job and spent most of my time adjusting to a new school and a new grade. I officially graduated with my Ed.S degree from MSU.

September
I took the jump at 14000 ft. on September 11th.

October
I enjoyed decorating for Fall and we hosted our first party in our home (our housewarming party).

November
We began getting excited about spending the holidays in our new home. We traveled to Philadelphia to spend Thanksgiving with my Grandparents. I spent most of Thanksgiving week hunting with my Dad. I bagged the first buck of the season!
December
I attended the MSU graduation ceremony on the 10th. We had a wonderful first Christmas in our new home! We attended several Christmas parties/family dinners. We loved seeing all of our family!



2010 was our best year yet. These are just a few of the blessings our sweet Lord has showered on us. Looking back, it really was our year. My soul smiles as I think of the many happy and blessed days to come in 2011 as we continue to live our simple life and serve our loving God!

It is my sincerest hope that your year was as happy and blessed as ours.
We pray that 2011 will bring many more blessings your way!

See you next year!

I Am Nujood: Age 10 and Divorced

I rate this book 3/5.

My friend Chickadee loaned me this to read. It was a quick read and kept your attention, although some of the events are a bit graphic and will break your heart!

Here is a synopsis of the book from Booklist:

"Chosen by Glamour magazine as a Woman of the Year in 2008, Nujood of Yemen has become an international hero for her astonishingly brave resistance to child marriage. Sold off by her impoverished family at the age of 10, continually raped by her husband before she even reached puberty, Nujood found the courage to run away, and with the help of an activist lawyer, sympathetic judges, and the international press, she divorced her husband and returned home. Her clear, first-person narrative, translated from the French and written with Minoui, is spellbinding: the horror of her parents’ betrayal and her mother-in-law’s connivance, the “grown-ups” who send the child from classroom and toys to nightmare abuse. She never denies the poverty that drives her parents and oppresses her brothers, even as she reveals their cruelty. Unlike her passive mother, she is an activist, thrilled to return to school, determined to save others, including her little sister. True to the child’s viewpoint, the “grown-up” cruelty is devastating. Readers will find it incredible that such unbelievable abuse and such courageous resistance are happening now." --Hazel Rochman

Oh Christmas Tree.....

I mentioned in a previous post about our pitiful Christmas tree. So, I went looking for a new one two days after Christmas. I was in luck- I found a 9 foot, pre-lit, slim tree at Little Acres. Luck was even sweeter in that it was 50% off! I quickly bought it and now I'm wishing it was Christmas again so I could decorate it :)

Oh well....

Mark my words: Next year I will not have the pitiful tree!

Merry Christmas

Tile

Deciding on tile and a plan for our master bathroom has been miserable, to say the least. There are just too many options for a girl like me- color, size, will they be laid at an angle, texture, patterns, grout...... the choices are endless.

I originally wanted white subway tile. For years I've clipped out pictures of things I like for when we had our own home. Well, when you look at all of my bathroom 'likes', subway tile is in all of them. I wanted tile that would be timeless, and would give me freedom to change things around on down the road. Yes, we have seen some gorgeous tile that's 'in style' now, but in 5-10 years it will be dated. Plus, with some of the trendy tile, there are only so many color choices I could go with for my walls and decorative pieces. Our home is a mix of contemporary and traditional, and I felt subway tile would go well with the style of our home.

So, we decided on subway tile. Then, people began to question our decision and my husband started to waver. So, we went looking again. This time we looked at some of the tile that's really popular now. Again, I was faced with the thought that while it may look good for a few years, eventually it will look dated. Have you ever walked into someone's home and seen tile and thought "Yep, that's from the 80's?" Well, that's what I don't want to cross my mind every time I look at our tile.

We spent countless weekends looking at different tile stores and bringing home sample pieces only to find we didn't like it in our bathroom. Well, frustration set in and I told Bobby "I don't care if it's neon orange, I just want to be able to use my bathroom." So, we chose a tile and said we were done...... I bet you know what happened next?

I knew that tile was not what I wanted. But I still could not get the husband completely on board with the subway tile. He had concerns. So, yesterday we met with an interior designer to get a design plan together for our bathroom. I decided I would leave it in the hands of someone else- I was tired of thinking about it. When asked what I wanted I said "Something timeless, that will go with anything, and that will not be dated in a few years." She said "Honey, I think you need subway tile." I gave Bob that "I told you so" look!

She was a huge help. I was worried about the grout getting dirty and that it might be too much white or all look the same (boring). She said they can seal the grout. She's had it done to her subway tile and it looks just as white and clean as it did when they laid it 5 years ago. Then she discussed using different sizes on the floor, walls, etc and creating a border and angles with the tile so that it gives it interest. My husband now loves our bathroom plan and so do I! Had I laid anything else, I would have always wished I had gone with my love- subway tiles. It's bright, clean, fresh, and classic. Perfect!

She's sending her contractor out to actually measure the shower, floors etc so they will know how much to order. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my bathroom will be finished by the end of February!

This picture is almost exactly how our shower is laid out now. It has two large rain forest shower heads. Instead of glass, we will have two walls come up just above your head. Our window is in the same location as this picture, so we don't want the walls too high or it will block the light. Plus, I wanted a bit more privacy.The tile size in the shower will be the traditional 4x6 subway (similar to this but in white). There will not be a door, instead you will just step into the shower.

Our cabinet is dark and contemporary (like these) only it's one large cabinet.



I just love it!

Can you tell from this post how relieved and happy I am? :)

Ed.S. Ceremony

I did not attend my Master's ceremony and I deeply regret it. This time around I was not going to miss out. Although I had received my diploma back in August, and the excitement had long ago diminished, it was still a special event.

The graduate cap & gown made me feel like a wizard graduating from Hogwarts :)

I'm currently getting things together and applying for the Doctoral program at The University of Alabama. I want to attend a different university to gain a different perspective and new techniques. However, my heart will always be with Mississippi State University! Next time I graduate, I'll be Dr. James- if I can survive statistics.

Santa Did Good

My Christmas list included a jewelry box. I originally wanted a large, simple ceramic jewelry box. After weeks of browsing stores and online, I realized that I would not be able to find what I had in mind. So, yesterday while out shopping, the hubby and I browsed for my gift. We found some really nice smaller jewelry boxes for around $125-$150, but I was worried they would not hold enough. Something told me to check out JCPenny before settling on one we had picked out. Good thing because we found this beauty:

It was originally priced at $400-but was on sale until 1:30 p.m. We bought the last one at 1:25 p.m. for $198!

My current jewelry storage is quite pitiful, as you can see from the embarrassing, unorganized chaos in these pictures.

Oh, the horror!

I'd say my Santy Claus did good this year ;)

Christmas List

Dear Santa,
Please let me know if you have any trouble filling this order. If you feel that I've been extra good and deserve more, please feel free to contact me. I'll be happy to expand this list!

Sincerely,
Sylvia Grace

A Cello
I sure the elves can whittle one of these up in no time!
Hey, a girl can dream can't she? ;)

Grandfather Clock
I'm head over heals for this beauty!

Jewelry Box
I want a large ceramic box, but finding one has been difficult to say the least.

The Message Bible

Father of the Bride 1-2 movies

Crock Pot
My current crock pot is very small and very old!
Shoe Tree from BedBath&Beyond
Along with a pantry-organization-makeover, I'm also gearing up for a closet overhaul. Shoe storage is an issue. This shoe tree is floor to ceiling, and holds 36 pairs of shoes- perfect!

Fry-Daddy
My old one kicked the bucket and I've dearly missed it! We have a large fryer, but the small fry daddy is perfect for quick fixes.
Of course, cash and gift cards are welcome too ;)

On another note, this is my 250th post!

The Shack

I rate this book 5/5. Yeah, it's that good!

I just finished reading this book about 2 minutes ago. I could not wait to share this on my blog. This is by far one of the best books I've ever read. It is now at the top of my list, closely followed only by Redeeming Love.

Betty Boop recommended this book to me a while back when we where shopping at Books-A-Million. I bought it, placed it on my bookshelf, and didn't think much more about it. After finishing Wicked I needed a new book, but felt guilty about buying a new book when I have so many that I haven't read. So, Sunday I started this one. I could not put it down. It was on my mind all day every day and each afternoon I would hurry home to finish reading it. If you have not read this book you should go get it, today! It is a beautiful story of loss, pain, healing, and God's unending love! It caused me to reevaluate my perceptions of love, and I'm sure it will do the same for you!

As always, Happy Reading!

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

I rate this 2/5

In all honesty, this was a struggle for me. I started reading this book last Fall, and I just finished it today. It wasn't until halfway through the book that I really became engaged. Usually I just give up, but in this case I am glad I stuck with it.

Friday's Favorites

1. Cheese Balls
Something about the holiday season always makes me want one- with Ritz crackers, of course.

2. Grandfather Clocks
This little beauty is on my Christmas list! Right now it's on sale for a great price. (hint, hint hubby!)

3. Hydrangeas
These are some of my favorite flowers.

I have a couple of arrangements throughout my home. I have them in white pitchers, similar to this one.This is another favorite thing of mine :)

4. Deer Hunting
This is something I love to do with my Dad. This is me over Thanksgiving with the first buck of the season.

5. Catching Up With Dear Friends
My fellow teacher friends and I were finally able to schedule a get together. It did my soul such good to see them again! One of which I haven't seen in six months!

6. Jute Rug
I've been eyeing this beauty from Pottery Barn for months and months. Maybe Santa will drop one off along with my grandfather clock ;)

Pictures courtesy of Pottery Barn

7. Built-In Bookcases
We have some in our dining room, but come January we will have some of these in our living room as well.

8. Flannel PJ's
I practically live in these on the weekends.

9. Glasses
Although I haven't been wearing them as much as I used too, I love glasses. I consider them just another cute accessory- which is one of the reasons why having Lasik eye surgery would be hard for me.

10. Wallflowers
I started using these a few years ago. I've discovered the best time to buy the refills are during major sales- like their semi-annual. My favorites are the spiced apples, sweet pea, and any of their clean linen scents.