My First Expo

I promise to write more tomorrow...but today...I am taking a break...but wanted to share with you all a photo of my sister and I at the expo on Saturday morning. Thanks for your help, Kid, Mom and Dad!!

Full Bloom

The roses in front of our house have been growing like crazy and they are in FULL BLOOM right now!! I have always been one to love roses....maybe it was because both of my grandma's always had roses at their houses...but ask my hubby and it is really the only flower I absolutely love! So seeing the roses bloom this week makes me happy...I know..it sounds cheesy...but it is true!!

This weekend as you know is a very busy weekend....I have been blessed with an amazing sister who came by yesterday and helped me out. Thanks kid!! She will be joining me at the convention center in just a few hours to help me get all set up for tonight. I have no idea what to expect or how big of a crowd will be there....but I am sure it will be fun!

Tomorrow is an all day event...so by the time it is all over...I will be pooped! Hubby has been so supportive and knows I have been out of my normal focus this week...he has asked me to do things...and of course...I have forgotten.....good grief!!

I must say that I have enjoyed having yesterday and today off. I spent the morning yesterday driving up home and taking my Grandpa out to breakfast at McDonald's. You would have thought that he was fed like a king! He couldn't get over all that we got for $9.00. LOL!! I enjoyed every minute with him and am so thankful that I had a little one on one time with him.

This morning Bella and I went on a long walk around the neighborhood....I love cool mornings where the sun is shining...and at this moment I am out on my deck trying to type into a hard to read computer screen...I wanted to soak up some sunrays before getting myself in the shower!

I am not sure how much I will blog today or tomorrow....I know my sister plans on blogging about it too...so be sure to check out her blog as well.

Hoping you all have wonderful weekends!!! Enjoy the sunny weather!

As many of you know...I will be one of the 120 vendors at the Just For Her Expo this coming weekend! You can still get tickets online for $6.00 or the tickets at the door will be $10.00!

I have attached a schedule of the events that will be taking place at the expo. It is sure to be a great time!! Be sure to stop by my booth and say hi....I am also going to be having a raffle of my own....so you will want to be sure to enter!

Expo Presentations

Relax and enjoy presentations every 45 minutes about fashion, fitness, health, cooking & more

Friday, May 29th Expo Hours – 5-10pm
5:30 – 6:00pm – Drew 6 performance

6:30 – 7:00pm – Southern Blu Style – “Her Time, Her Money, Her Life…”

7:15 – 8:00pm – Just For Her Summer Trends Fashion Show

8:30 – 9:00pm – Aestheticare - “Lasers, Botox & Dermal Fillers – Today’s Anti-Aging Wonders”

9:15 – 9:30pm – Exposures Model Search Winner Announcement

9:30 – 10:00pm – Raffle Prize Drawings

Saturday, May 30th Expo Hours – 10am—6pm

10:30 – 11:00am – Beth Foraker (David Cook’s Mom) – “Behind the American Idol Scene”

11:30 – 12:30pm - Nancy Russell, MD - "The Holistic Approach to Hormones, Metabolism and Food "

1:00 - 1:30pm – Mitsu Sato – “Intersexion”

1:45 – 2:15pm – Just For Her Summer Trends Fashion Show

2:30 – 3:00pm – DeVry University

3:15 – 3:45pm - Tracy Stevens, MD - "Got Heart"

4:00pm – Just For Her $10,000 Giveaway Winner Announcement

4:15 – 4:45 pm – Dr. George Robinson – “Modern Day Female Knee”

5:00 – 5:30pm – Raffle Prize Drawings

$10,000 Just For Her Giveaway
One lucky Kansas City woman will win the ultimate package Just For Her. The winner MUST be present to win. The winner will be announced on Saturday, May 30th on stage at 4:00pm. There will be other exciting prizes given away during the event as well!

new look coming....

So....bare with me today...I am going to be trying out some new layouts for my blog....hopefully will be finished by this evening!

SOOOO ready for the weekend

Are you?? I am!! There is nothing like sitting at work on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend waiting and waiting for one final approval. UGH! I am ready to go home!!

I am really looking forward to this long weekend...here is a bit of what we have planned:

- some shopping
- going to the pool
- golfing
- fishing
- going to see my Grandpa
- sewing my sister's drapes
- preparing for the expo
- cleaning my house
- relaxing
- grilling out
-maybe reading a book or seeing a movie or two

And who knows what else....I am just ready!!

How about you??

Fun in the sun

Yesterday I took off early from work and headed down to my sister's for some fun in the sun! It was such a gorgeous day and Kid and I already had dinner plans, but I wanted to spend a couple of hours with my nephew playing in the sprinkler. Of course....I took pictures to share with you all! We had such a great time!

I believe that this was his first time with the sprinkler...and he wasn't sure what to think....we did show him how to stick his hands in the water and slap them together and say splish splash...too cute!

He is becoming such a helper....below he is ready to hold onto the hose...such a little farmer boy!

Can you tell he was having some fun???

After being in the sun we came inside to change clothes....Little "I" wanted to call daddy from Auntie D's cell phone...

And the cutest part of the day was him wanting to sit on his couch with all of his pillows and his blanket and his towel....just to relax....and he read a book!

It was a great day and night! Kid and I made our way to Joann's fabric and I helped her pick out fabric for drapes for her dining room and kitchen. (Her and her hubby are painting those two rooms this weekend and I am going to be sewing the drapes together for them as part of her birthday gift.)

I also took her out to dinner for her birthday. We went to a chinese restaurant called Pei Wei Diner. I had never been before and it was so YUMMY!

On our way home, we swung by Lowe's to look at paint colors for her kitchen....I can't wait to see it all put together!

I really enjoyed my one on one time with my sister. As much as I love my nephew, having some alone time with her was a wonderful treat. I am so thankful that we live close enough to be able to hang out and do things like that!

Happy Hump Day!

Today is a special day

It's my baby sister's birthday!!

Here she is back in January, holding little "I's" birthday cake that she and her friend Pete decorated.

My sister...aka...Kid....and I are seven years apart in age and when we were younger I know that we use to drive each other crazy..heck we still do at times...but there is nothing like the bond that we share with one another. It is something I can't even describe.

She is my best friend....someone I can turn to no matter what...no matter when and she is such a Godly woman and wonderful mom whom I admire and learn from on a daily basis. (By the way...if you haven't checked out her blog...you should just click here!) I am so thankful for our friendship and bless to have her as my sister. I love living so close to her and we talk almost every day and sometimes more than once. I don't know what I would do without her friendship, love and support she has given to me. I could go on and on...but I think you get the point!

So Happy Birthday Sissie! I love you and hope that you have a wonderful day!

I found this quote about sisters and just thought I would share it today.

"She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child." Barbara Alpert Quotes

Garage Sale Day

Today our subdivision hosted a neighborhood garage sale. Wow! Was it chilly this morning! I had to put my slippers on and wrap a blanket around me for the first few hours this morning. It was a bit chilly! I heard that our neighbor around the corner had a heater going....good thinking!

I thought we should have been selling lattes and coffee to our customers as we probably could of made a killing! ha!

It was a successful day. I am now the owner of less items, however, I wish I could of just gotten rid of it all! I also made a good amount of money, so that is great too!

We had horrible thunderstorms, wind, rain and hail yesterday and we are now going to have to replace a tree that broke in our landscape as well as one that is completely dead. So I know what the money will be used for.

I am exhausted. Completely worn out...and I couldn't have done it without the help of my sister and mom! Thanks to you both!! My sister and little "I" came up yesterday to help me set up and then my mom arrived last night to help finish and they were both here today to help me watch all our stuff. Phew! It is hardwork!

I didn't feel like making dinner this evening....so I ran to chipotle for some yummy burritos...and now hubby is crashed out in his recliner sleeping and I am in our living room enjoying the sounds of the outdoors and relaxing on the sofa.

It was great to see all of you who stopped by our sale, my brother in laws parents came by (as hubby went golfing with T and his dad and brother), my brother and sister in law came by for a short time as they were on their way down to their new home! They are moving about an hour and a half away from us! Also, my sister's old roommate and my aunt came by for a brief time as well. Such a great day!

Tomorrow...I am thinking I am not going to do much of anything...laundry again is calling my name...and now that the garage sale is over it is time to think about the expo.....and get more decor done in the house.

Hoping you all had a great Saturday!

Where I live....Our Guest Bedroom

Today, Kelly is asking us all to share pictures of our guest bedroom. Our guest bedroom is the first room in the house that I began decorating as soon as we moved in. I knew we would be having lots of visitors and I wanted it to be nice and cozy and have a little bit of the "country girl" side of me in it.

So come on in and take a look...

This is a little dark..but it is looking into the room from the hallway.

My camera was acting this morning...so the pictures are a bit wacky...but here is the view of the bedroom as soon as you walk in....I wish I could have gotten an arial view. ha! The bedding I bought on clearance at JCPenny's when they were closing one of their stores near our home!

This room is great as it has really high ceilings! Hubby installed the ceiling fan which has helped cool this room down.

I have these candle holders on both sides of the window...

This cabinet is my favorite! It is hanging on the wall opposite of the bed and above my cedar chest.

This lamp I found online 1/2 off at JCpenny too! I want to find a higher table for it...but for now it sits on a low table by the bed.

Instead of a headboard...I decided to just hang a sign above the bed

This is the view looking towards the entrance from the corner that is right next to the bed.

This is my Granny K's cedar chest that she had in her home.....she stuff it full of quilting items...I have stuffed it full of extra blankets. It is my one keepsake item from her home that I love.

The quilted piece on top I bought last summer while my Mom and I were in Branson waiting on my hubby and Dad to finish golfing. I could spend DAYS down there looking at all their crafts!

This rocking chair was a bargain I found last fall at my hometown fair. I just happened to be walking up the street before the parade and this man had some items sitting out for sale. I paid $30.00 for it! On top of it is the quilt my Grandma B made me....everytime I miss her I wrap myself up in this blanket and it helps me to feel like I am getting a hug from her. I can sometimes even smell her scent on it.

The light switches and plug in outlets all have this type of cover on them.

Straight shot photo of the window....directly behind me while I was taking the picture is two double doors that open to a huge closet...I forgot to take a pic of that!

One last shot....thanks for stopping by!!!

Be sure to visit Kelly's site to check out more guest bedrooms from all over! Thanks for stopping by!!

I am working a few hours this morning and taking the rest of the day off to set up for our neighborhood garage sale tomorrow! Have a wonderful Friday!

Semi Finalist

Remember a while back when I posted the blog...Help Fairfax's Field??? Well...my hometown has made the cut to the top 100 semifinalists!!! Frosted Flakes is having a contest and the top 30 winners are going to have their ball fields rebuilt!

So now we need your help again. All you have to do is go to http://www.frostedflakes.com/, select plant a seed, select vote now, and enter the zip code 64446. Vote for Fairfax, MO field. You can vote once a day until May 31st!! You will need your birthdate and an email address to vote.

How awesome it would be to hear that they have been selected! So get busy everyone...share the info with all your friends and get out there and vote!

A year ago

A year ago we moved into this neighborhood....right after we moved in they began building two homes....

Now there are four and two of them have sold.....

And a year ago we bought our first home.....

And now look at it this morning.

My how things have changed around our neighborhood!

Thunderstorms

Today they are calling for thunderstorms. I must say....thunderstorms are one thing I truly missed living out on the east coast. They just don't make them like the good old Midwest! We would have thunder and occasional hail...but nothing like here! I don't believe they happen out west that much either, as hubby is always talking about the crazy weather we have here!

I love it! Don't take it the wrong way, I do not wish for anyone to be caught in a storm, or have damage to their properties or homes...but there is nothing like hearing the thunder clap, rain fall and watching the clouds roll by. These are the type of days I could just sit out on our front porch and watch all day long.

Unfortunately, work is calling today. Bummer! And to top it off...I left two of our windows open about 3-4 inches...geesh! What was I thinking!

On another note, thanks to all of you for your encouraging words about the results of my 5K. I have been taking it easy this week as far as working out goes...and plan to get back into it full time next week. Hey..everyone deserves a break! heehee!

I will be posting my potato salad recipe on my recipe blog later this evening. It was a big hit with the guys at our house on Saturday evening..and hubby has requested that I make it again. I also decided I need to put some other recipes on the blog besides main dishes....so be on the lookout for that. I am also hoping to get some frozen fruit cups made this week and am going to try a few new recipes too....I wish I could stay home all day and work in the kitchen...I would love it!!

I had better get some work done this morning. Happy Wednesday!~

And the results are in.....

I finished my first 5k in 30:39 minutes! I met my goal!

Just finished treating myself to a white chocolate mocha latte from Starbucks as my reward! I am all ready to do another 5k in the near future. I really enjoyed it!

Thanks for the support everyone!!

Piano brown and valance box

Here are some more pics of what we have been working on....the valance box we made on Friday....

And our piano brown bathroom that we painted.....

I have bought white shelves and some other white decor that will go on the walls...just need help hanging them.

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mom's out there I wish a very Happy Mother's Day! I hope that you all have been able to enjoy your day and tried to relax a little. I spoke with my Mom earlier this afternoon and was happy to hear that she was going to take a nap. She deserves it! I love you Mom! Looking forward to seeing you soon and can't wait to give you your gift!

This weekend has been wonderful! For those of you who have commented on the pictures of our house..Thank you! So happy you have stopped by to check it out. We have been adding more things each day.

Friday evening we finished the valance box for the top of our drapes for our living room. It looks so much better!

Saturday morning, I ran my 5K! WOO HOO! I can't tell you how great it felt to go through the finish line. I don't know my time yet...it will post tomorrow. The clock overhead wasn't working and there were so many finishing they didn't tell me....and I was just glad it was over I didn't bother to ask. I know I was under 40 minutes...I am pretty sure I was under 35 minutes...but we'll see tomorrow. It was a cold morning...but the sun peaked out of the clouds at about mile 1..so it was a beautiful day. I think I will try and do another one...as I really enjoy running...although...my legs are so sore today from the hills. WOW!

I got home yesterday and ran around like a mad woman cleaning our house before our guests arrived. We hosted 3 friends of hubby's over for dinner and then were joined by our neighbor couple later on in the evening as we sat outside to enjoy the great night. I enjoyed getting to know them all better and it was a very relaxing evening. We are already looking forward to having them all over again soon.

Today I have been catching up on laundry....doing a little decorating...finished my mom's mother's day gift....can't show you till she gets it......piling up items for our garage sale...and just hanging out with hubby. It has been a great day to be at home.

That about wraps it up here at our house....I am off to watch tv.

Have a great night!

A first time for everything

The day is approaching....tomorrow is the day....I will run my first 5K! If only I could take Bella with me to run. We were out this morning running at 5 am. She enjoyed it and challenged me to run faster. With her pulling me I would finish in no time! ha!

The race is early tomorrow morning and it is about 45 minutes from our house, so I will be up early as usual. I promise to post an update at some point after I finish tomorrow. If you are up and around...think of me at 8:15 am!

And...this is the first weekend in a month that I will be HOME the entire weekend with no parties, events or getaways. I am so excited! Hubby can't believe that I have no where to go! I am really looking forward to getting stuff done around the house and making it feel like home again. Laundry is OUT of control.....our bedroom is a disaster area and I need to unpack all my stuff from my last 31 party. Hubby said this morning it looks like a train wreck hit some of the rooms in our house. I just haven't had a chance to get to them. And it is suppose to be really nice tomorrow too, so I hope to just sit outside and relax for a bit.

Saturday evening, we are having a couple of friends of my hubby's over for a BBQ. I have never met them, but I look forward to meeting them as they all workout at the gym together every day practically. Should be a fun evening.

Enjoy your Friday and thanks for stopping by my site!

Our home

Well last week I was unable to participate in Kelly's "Show Us Where You Live". I wasn't able to show our kitchen as I couldn't find the way to it at times...so this week since we are now able to find our way I decided to show you where we live. Keep in mind...we are still at a work in progress state. More to come as we have a few things for the walls in the living room, but need to get them hung this weekend.

So come on in.

This is what you would see as you enter our front door. The stairs lead to the bedrooms and laundry room. Back in the back you can see our kitchen and dining area.

This is looking towards the front door. I am still trying to decided what to place in this high area. Any suggestions out there would be appreciated! Just leave me a comment. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and thought I found something...but was afraid to buy it.

This is our living room to the left of the front door. I still need to make covers for the throw pillows to add some color and add some decor to the wall. The drapes I made myself and tonight we are making a padded box to go over the top. We hung a new ceiling fan last night and just finished the wainscoting on Sunday. It is coming together...finally!

This view is from the dining area looking into the front door and living room. You can see that we still have a paint bucket and vaccuum cleaner on the floor!

This is looking in from our kitchen into our family room. The entire back area of our house is open and is one of the reasons we bought the house. We wanted to have an open kitchen and family area. It's perfect!

I had to show this....my Mom and Dad gave it to me when we moved into our house. I love it! It matches the colors of our room perfectly and I would love to get some throw pillows to match the leopard print on the picture.

The view from the family room into our kitchen.

I love decorating and above the cabinets of our kitchen was the first place I started! Hubby thinks it is a bit too much...but I love it!

As you can tell...all the colors I use are green, red, yellow, brown and black.

My kitchen window. I love having a window to look out of while doing dishes.

My china hutch.

I decided to register for China when I was married...believe it or not...we have used it quite a bit!

That is our home for now...stay tuned next Friday to see more! And of course...as we continue to update the living room this weekend I will be sure to post more pictures.

Happy Friday!

Taking one day at a time

That's really all you can do. Things begin to feel overwhelming at times. So many things happening at once....and then I just turn on some music and try to breath. That is what it feels like today.

In all this....I chose to trust God, even through all this stress and chaos. When it seems my eyes can't see through it all; I know he is right beside me. I will always praise my God, no matter what may come, because he is always faithful to me.

For those of you wondering about Grandpa...here is the latest:

My grandpa is home from the hospital and is weak. I know that between my Mom and my Aunt A. they are doing their best in taking care of him. However, I also know how demanding my Grandpa B can be. He has to be one of the most bullheaded men I know....besides my brother...(sorry Jase)

His heart is weak, his sodium is low and he is taking so much medicine that it makes me sad. I hate to hear that he feels bad and there isn't much you can do. I feel like this is a repeat of what happened to my Granny K and I just don't know if I am ready to go through this again. I hate how hard it is on my mom and aunt and I just feel hopeless. I am hoping to get back home soon to see him again. Prayers are appreciated. I told Grandpa last night that I was praying for him...and it was the first time I believe I have ever heard him say he needs them.

We all need them.

Seriously time for some new pictures...

So I was speaking to my sister this morning on the phone...and I just had to post some new pics....it's time. I can't resist. The room isn't finished...but I have to share a couple of photos of the fabric, some pics of my adorable nephew that I took on Friday when I stopped by their garage sale, and then also had to share the new look on our front porch...I even got Bella to sit still for photos!

So...here we go...ready?

Little "I" and his TIGER....GRRRR!

Trying to climb the chair...

My Thirty-One bucket...I was trying to decide what to put in it...and I think the fern is perfect! What do you think??

I hung a new wreath I bought on Friday and then planted some new flower and plants that are growing super fast thanks to Miraclegro! I had the pots last year....the one in front was a maroon color..and I wanted it black...so just got out the spray paint and did a little painting. Can't even tell it was another color!

Bella posing...hee hee....she was actually looking at the people walking on the walking trail by the pond....she so wanted to go greet them!
As promised.....my new fabric!! I LOVE IT! I think I must have said "love" a million times last night. Hubby wasn't fond of it at all when I showed him what I brought home...but when we put them up last night after I hemmed them...he...yep..you guessed it...Loves them too!
Ok..a sneak peak....of the room.....still in progress...but coming along really well!! Now if I could just find the right items for the walls.

On another note....please keep my Grandpa B in your prayers. He passed out on Sunday after church. The latest update we have received is that the doctors think he might have had a small heart attack and he is low on sodium again. They have been doing lots of tests and is in a hospital up in Nebraska. My mom and aunt have been taking turns staying with him in the hospital. He says he feels okay, so we will wait and see what the doctors say. He has decided not to have a heart cath to tell for sure what has been going on as the other tests have showed blockage, his pacemaker is working fine, but his heart is throwing a lot of extra beats, so they are going to try different meds to see what will work.

Thanks!

Happy Tuesday!