November Blessings Day 23

Today, I am extremely thankful for my mom. All growing up, she has been there to support me when things are tough, cheer me up when I am sad, and offer advice when I need it. She knows me well and I'm lucky to have a mom like her. Happy Birthday, mom. I love you !

November Blessings Days 18 - 22

Well, I've been a little busy and haven't had a chance to post.  However, I've been thinking about all of the blessings in my life and I'm excited to share them with you.

November 18 - Iris

I'm blessed to be a part of the most wonderful teaching team. 4th grade is the best. For my 30th birthday, Lindy and Mickey bought us tickets to Cirque Du Soleil - Iris. We had a blast and even got our seats upgraded to a private box in the orchestra section because Todd knows the head of the box office. I was truly amazed by the talent of all the acrobats. I can't wait to see another Cirque show.

November 19 - Thanksgiving Break

Thank you LCUSD for giving the staff and students an entire week off for Thanksgiving. I'm excited to rest, relax, and re-energize myself for the rest of the year.

November 20 - Big Bear

 Todd and I went out of town and stayed at the Eagle's Nest Bed and Breakfast in the Whispering Pines cottage. It was super cold and we arrived just before a storm blew in. Hot chocolate and a fire were first on the list.

November 21 - Snow

 The view down the road from our cottage when we woke up this morning.

It was so much fun to be in Big Bear for an early snow storm. We went to bar to watch Sunday night football and when we came out, our car was covered in snow. It continued to snow all night and we woke up to a winter wonderland. What a nice treat.

November 22 - Being a Big Kid

I think this picture is self explanatory. I love being silly!

November Blessings Day 17

I'm extremely grateful for my life group, Wedded Wednesdays. You all have been such a wonderful source of support for Todd and I as we struggle to conceive. It's so refreshing to come to a place where I can share openly about everything Todd and I are going through and know that we will be prayed for. You all have given us so much and I am thankful for this group.

November Blessings Day 16

Today, I'm thankful for good food. Todd and I enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal of spaghetti squash with blue cheese sauce and a salad. I love just being at home with my two babies, Knox and Azi, relaxing after a great meal. It's the simple things in life that bring me joy!

November Blessings Day 15

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my one true love, Todd. You are my everything and I thank God every day that I am fortunate enough to be married to you. Not only are you my husband, you are my best friend. You are there for me when things get tough, you always support and encourage me, and you let me be my goofy self. The last 11 years with you have been filled with so many wonderful memories. We are truly blessed. I love you, poops magoops!

November Blessings Day 14

DISNEYLAND

I love Disneyland and am grateful for all the fun times I have had with my mom, Todd, the A-Team, and many more. This is a magical place, especially at the holidays!

November Blessings Day 13

I'm thankful for the roof over my head. It has it's share of problems, and it may not be all that I want, but it's our home. We've spent the last few years making this house our home and I love it. We are so lucky to have been able to afford a home in Southern California and I want to thank everyone who has helped with all our home improvement projects. And we all know there have been tons of them. We are truly blessed!

November Blessings Day 12

I'm thankful for the time I had with my Grandpa Halling. He taught me that life isn't about how much money or stuff you have, but rather the people you have around you. He lived each day with joy and a deep love for his family. There isn't anything he wouldn't have done for those he loved. Thank you Gpa for all the love, game playing and memories over the years. I miss you dearly.

Today, I finally got my act together and made stockings for Todd and myself. I've had these old shirts of my grandpa's that I had always planned to make into a stockings. They came out great and I'm so grateful to have this constant reminder of how much he loved his family and the holidays.

Check out the tutorial for making these super cute stockings from Fabric Worm.

November Blessings Day 11

Thank you to all the service men and women, past and present for all you do to fight for our freedoms. 
You are true American heros.

November Blessings Day 10

The A-Team

I'm thankful for the friends I made back in grad school. Alyson and Annette, I love the both of you and have loved all the memories we've made over the years. From Disneyland to scrapbooking to Monday night dinners, I always enjoy your company. You are both good people that I can share anything with. I look forward to many more years of memories!

November Blessings Day 9

BROTHERS

 

Brothers are the best. I'll admit we may not have been super close as kids. In fact, we often drove each other nuts. But, as adults there is no one else I would rather spend time with. Not only are you my brothers, you are my friends. I am thankful for Chris and Tim Sweetnam. I love you both and can't wait for all the Holiday fun!

November Blessings Day 8

Today, I am thankful for my job as it allows me to visit new places. My 4th grade class had a blast going back in time to the Rancho period in CA, while at the Leonis Adobe Museum. The students were thoroughly engaged in the activities, and I love that we got make tortillas and butter, rope cattle, and create our own brands. What a great trip!

November Blessings Day 7

Today I am extremely thankful for hot water. Why, you ask? Well, I woke up this morning, turned the shower on and waited for it to warm up. I thought perhaps it was taking longer than usual because of the rather cold weather. But, it turns out it was never going to warm up. The pilot light went out at some point, which meant no hot shower for me. I then proceeded to take a very cold shower in order to wash my hair. I think this must have been the shortest shower I have ever taken. Despite how terrible this was, I was able to gain some perspective. We are so lucky to have the convenience of hot water. Today more than ever I realized how much I take something as simple as warm water for granted. I am super excited and thankful that tomorrow I will have hot water during my shower.

November Blessings Days 1-6

I keep meaning to post, but time has been at a premium lately. I'm so excited that the month of November has arrived, and since I have not been consistent in my Thankful Thursday postings, I've decided to share something I'm thankful for each day of this month instead.

November 1 - I'm thankful for my class of 28 students. I appreciate their love of learning, the funny things they often share with me, and their care for each other.
November 2 - Thankful for a long overdue night at home with my husband.
November 3 - It finally feels like fall and I am thankful for this beautiful day!
November 4 - Today, I am thankful for a warm Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha and rainboots on this raining morning. I love this weather.
November 5 - I feel blessed that I get to craft and share this with others.
November 6 - It's Sunday which means it's time for some football. I'm grateful for the time I get to spend with my dear husband, Todd, watching our favorite teams. Go Steelers and Raiders!

Thankful Thursdays

I can't believe it's Thursday again already.  Summer really has a way of speeding on by.  The school year will be here before we know it.

They are so adorable when they sleep!

Lately, I've been thankful for my two pugs, Knox and Azi.  They bring so much joy to my life. Whether it's a listening ear, someone to cuddle with, someone to cheer me up, or someone to play with, somehow they always know what I need. They truly are the best!  Todd and I are so lucky and blessed to have such loving dogs.

Such a pretty Azi!

My baby Knox

Thankful Thursdays

Today, I will attempt to start a new weekly blog posting about what I'm currently thankful for.  Some will be small materialistic things, while others will be more heartfelt. Let's see how long I can keep this up...if at all.

This week I am thankful that the Michael Kors watch I ordered over 2 weeks ago finally arrived. And, I love it!  Well worth the wait. Thank you to my amazing 4th grade class for the Nordstrom gift card. 

My gorgeous new watch!

Laundry Room Redo

This has been a work in progress for a couple of years now. But, it is finally in a place where I can share with you the almost finished room.

 

BEFORE

Can you believe how heinous this room was? It's such a weird sized room and we used it as storage until we could turn it into a proper laundry room. Yes, that means I had to take my laundry to the laundromat for a year or so.  :(


Drum roll please..... Here is the almost finished laundry room.  I still plan to add blue damask curtains to the windows. 

First thing we did was paint the wood paneling a nice clean white.  The orange and blue color scheme was inspired by the navy blue washer and dryer.  I found this orange fabric at IKEA and fell in love with the birds.  I bought some orange spray paint and painted 2 old lamps I had, as well as the wood shelf hanging on the wall.  I found the most adorable lamp shades at Target.  Perfect match!

 

Then, because this room was not meant to be a laundry room, all the plumbing forced the washer and dryer to sit out from the wall. This drove me nuts, so I had to come with a solution to hide the pipes. I watched a tutorial on Building a Laundry Table via the DIY network. My dad helped me cut the wood and my mom helped me paint the laundry table and the small chest in the corner a pale grey/blue color. Finally I hemmed the fabric and stapled it underneath the laundry table. My dad and I also nailed long strips of wood to the bottom of the table to keep it from moving when the washer and dryer are running.

I then outfitted the room with some cute nicknacks. Including an apothecary jar with vintage clothespins and some small birds and candles. I even made my own version of the Keep Calm and Carry On posters. Here is my creation!

Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with how it all turned out.  Now, I just need to get busy actually doing my laundry.  I hate that part!

Yay me!

I'm so excited to be starting my own blog.  My hope is that this will be a place for me to share my DIY crafts, scrapbooking layouts, personal life stories, and anything else that interests me at the moment.  Essentially, a blog about my life!