On my bedside table:

Last week I got inspired to use a stool (got it at a yard sale) for an end table until I can get a more permanent one.  I sprayed it white and set it by my bed.  Rather cottage-y looking and it works for me. 

Here you can see the before and after.   Pretty cute.

On it?  A photo of me as a baby (in the bath) and the book I'm reading "The Door to December" by Koontz.

On my tv:

On the menu tonight:

Good question.

On my to do list:

Painting project today!  More about it and pics soon!

Recipe I've tried this week:

Wendy's chicken blt salad.  Not bad. 

Homemaking tip of the week:

Don't paint w/ cats around. 

He really is a fully black cat.  Really.

Favorite Blog to read:

Something To Do

Favorite Photo of the week:

Not a terrific photo, it was taken through the sliding glass door, but it makes me happy.

Lesson learned from the past few days:

Repeat after me, no cats near paint!

On my prayer list:

I'm still praying for the Renners as Mandy gets ready to have her baby...w/o her hubby and baby's daddy around any longer.  I know her grief is thick and she is just in a 'zone' of mourning...boy how I remember that.  Remembering Mandy this week.

April Fool's Day and I have a plan!

I think in 24 years of being married and a Mom, I've never really taken the time to plan an "april fool's" but today - I so am gonna get 'em, and get 'em good.

My "baby" (who is now 6 foot 2 and 17 yrs old) loves grilled cheese.  Loves.  Mmmm... let me go beyond that to say, he loves cheese, period.  I joke with him that the amount of cheese he eats should give an elephant pause, but still he has no issue.

So today, I am on a mission.  I am off to buy a pound cake.  Heh.  I am going to grill a real sandwich just for the aroma, but I am going to serve him this.

(click through the photo for the 'how to')

And I am giddy with anticipation of his reaction.  I'll let you know how it goes.~G

Proverbs...  such wisdom and encouragement... and a measuring stick that always finds me wanting.  *sigh* That Proverbs woman... I tell ya.  Some times I think she's the epitome of Wonder Woman, just in biblical times...flying her cape bold and proud, while I tread water and flounder.  Sometimes I just wanna smack that Prov 31 woman.

"And [she] makes her arms strong." Proverbs 31:7b

That being said -

Some time just before my surgery, I came across 100 Push Ups and could sadly do errr, ahem, 3.  Yes, 3.  I was anemic, horribly overweight, and just plain out-of-shape.

That was then, and this, this is now. 

I got over the surgery (got over the anemia) lost a 'butt-load' of weight (I'll tell you more about that soon with photos, etc, I promise), and tried those push-ups again.

Three weeks ago I tested myself and could do 15 push ups, putting me in the 'not a terrible weakling, but no where near strong' (my self imposed category) and have been going 'strong' ever since.  Strong meaning some days my arms feel like J-E-L-L-O, but I'm getting stronger and by the end of six short weeks I should be able to pump out 100 push ups at one time.  How seriously cool will that be?

And then I can check one more thing off the Proverbs 31 woman list.

You can do it, join me, I dare ya.~G

I'd like to tell you a tale of a headboard.  A lovely headboard.

In December, right before the movers came and starting packing up our life... I found Knock off Wood and fell deeply, & passionately in love w/ the idea of a headboard. 

A real headboard.

Not the 1980s thing we bought from friends that was basically a huge box to store crap in that we attached to our bed.

I sent my man an email w/ KoW's plan, then I found another incredible idea using kitchen cabinet fronts.  I would have loved either one.

My man said he would have it done by March.  As Feb rolled by and the end was nearing... no headboard.  No plans laid out, no preparation, no wood piled high in the garage waiting his capable hands.  Quiet panic ensued.

Apparently BY MARCH (ie, Feb 28th *to me*) and BY MARCH (ie, March 30 *to him*) are NOT the same.  Potato / Patato.
 
Then, he went shopping. 

And brought home this lovely little number.

I pitched a fit.

And fell in.

It wasn't pretty.  I'd like to say it was.  I'd like to say I was flexible enough to find the beauty in this $40 piece of junk from the 70s, but I couldn't.  I tried.  I took photos, I 'painted' it white in my photo editing program, turned it sideways, put my bed 'in front' of it.  Gag-o-la.

Apparently my man 'got the hint' because yesterday he installed the most gorgeous piece of furniture I've ever seen - my very own headboard!  Made by him.  Ahhhh... it can't get much better than that.

As for the fit throwing, God's still working on me...

Sound of Melodies - by Leeland

We who were called to be Your people
Struggling sinners and thieves
We’re lifted up from the ashes
And out came the song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed.

Can you hear the sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God
The sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God

We have caught a revelation
That nothing can separate us from
The love we received through salvation
It fills your daughters and your sons
Your daughters and your sons

The sound of Your love
The sound of Your love
Is what You’re hearing
The sound of Your sons
The sound of Your sons
You’ve won Your children
The sound of Your love
The sound of Your love
Is what You’re hearing
Your daughters in love
Your daughters in love
You’ve won your children

The sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God

Wednesday was such a great trip -  a lot of sunshine, a day at Pike's Market with one of my very best friends and her family, a little caffeination picked up at the very first Starbucks... it was  perfect.  It might not be a woo-hoo to everyone, but for some in my party - Starbucks was an event.  (Caffeine is a must!) Seattle is a mere 45 min drive from my house now.  Pike's is just at an hour away, but its not the same w/o friends to share it with! 

Here are a few pics from the trip and time together w/ friends.

(Coming into Seattle)

(Lovely colored roses @ Pike's)

(2 thumbs up!)

(music for the world - Leslie Sullivan, I would love to see if you could play it!)

(tea cups @ an antique store in Pike's - their prices were ludicrous)

(Hannah M creating a washer necklace)

(Hannah M & Tyler - it was their 2 month anniversary, ahhh young love)


(L to R: Josiah M (aka Joe), my Dylan (aka Dillybar), my Matt (aka Bub, Bubba, Little Boy Blue), Hannah M (aka H2), Front:  my Hannah (aka H1, or Baby Girl).

(Market Spice tea... I limited myself to only buying a pound.  LOL!)

I'm working on a project and have to get it finished before the rain starts tonight... more later!~G

Some of you might remember me saying I signed up for Swagbucks not that long ago and how I was just searching through their swagbucks search and earning points...

I am really getting excited about it now!

So far I have enough points that I have earned 2 gift cards from Amazon and am on my way to my Wii!

Every Friday on Swagbucks is mega swag bucks day. That means even more chances to get that gift card or cool new gadget you want quicker!

I'd love for you to become my Swagbucks friend and earn points (and help me earn points too - just like Maria, Candace, and Mary Ann already are - thanks girls!).

If you click on the banner & become my swagbucks friend (use your junk email account for it) tell me what you are wanting to earn free.  I'd love to hear!~G

I'm headed out for the day. 

Camera in tow.

(I'm so grateful to have found that USB cord just days ago, cause it wouldn't be the same w/ photos from the Blackberry.)

I haven't been to Pike's since our vacation in 2007. 

I'm anticipating ultra amazing amounts of fun!

Seattle, here I come!

Hard to believe, but 8 weeks have gone by since we made our trek to Olympia. 

And I have painted 2 & 3x in certain places. 

I swear, once I am done, if I say anything about painting again for a long, long, long time, someone smack me.  I thought I was done when I bought the paint the first time... heh.  Yeah.  I am fickle and a perfectionist (I try not to be, but it never quite ends up coming out just 'ok enough').

When we (and I say we because I wanted a tester pot and he opted for the 5 gallon bucket) bought Baked Scone we 'thought' it was perfect... it was - on the paint swatch & in the bucket.  But the paint transformed into peach when I applied it to the wall.  (Even the Home Depot gal says it shouldn't have looked peachy - did we try diff lighting, did we apply 2 coats? Etc, etc, etc.).  Daylight, night time, florescent light, it made zero difference.  Peach & mint were my early 90's colors, not happenin' again.

I accented the baked scone w/ cup of cocoa and had this giddy feeling of delight that I could have such perfectly 'tea worthy' names of paint on my wall.  Yes, I think that way.  Yes, I am apparently a weirdo.

Back to the store I go. 

Thinking that Sand Motif would compliment the Cup of Cocoa (and not be peach) I went for it again... but I didn't take the man w/ me and I didn't bring home a 5 gallon barrel, just a sample pot. (thankyouverymuch).

I put samples up and waited.

Trundled my bundle back to the store & got some Sand Motif.

Up on the wall it goes.  And we stand back... and wait.  And wait.  And wait.  AHHHHH, its perfect... except the accent wall isn't very accent-y now.   They are so close in color that you can't tell which one is the accent wall.  *sigh*

You guessed it - Back to the store I go.

Deb (my Home Depot gal) and I are now on a first name basis.

Mocha Latte (my next accent wall choice) became black on our north facing wall at night and a depressing dungeon of death during the day.

I refused to go back.

I refuse to visit Deb (the only person I have met thus far in 8 weeks of living here) and spend another penny on paint.

I mixed the Mocha Latte & Cup of Cocoa together in all diff amounts (as you can see in the photo) and came up w/ my own color. 

And went for it.  I like it.  Sort of.  It will do...

Until I can talk myself into going back to the store.~G

PS: 

The haircut I chose -