Travis & Elizabeth

a room in waiting

2011-07-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

there is something so sweet about a nursery all ready and waiting for the baby to arrive. not to mention something so calming about knowing it is all done :) travis and i emphasis on the i, had such a fun time creating a fun space for our new baby. i used ideas i found all over the internet from pinterest to etsy and blogs i have seen in the past to create a room that suits our style and taste just perfectly. i can't stop going in his room and just staring at everything imagining what it will be like with him in his room in a few short days. there are some little details that i may add if i get the time but i am considering the room done!

so here is my favorite view of the room. we made one wall into a wood wall. we used pallet wood from pallets that my sweet landscaping "i save everything" husband still had piled up in the backyard. good thing we found a perfect use for them! i absolutely LOVE the way it turned out. we got this idea from pictures we found on pinterest (if you have never been to pinterest go check it out, it is inspiring and addicting!). we painted stripes on the ceiling which turned out so sweet and really add to the character of the room. i just picture easton lying in his crib staring up at the ceiling! i wanted to stay away from too much baby blue in his room because i wanted a room he could grow into but i couldn't help but add a touch of light gray blue to the ceiling when we decided stripes would be a good touch. this dresser and the other blue one in the room was a free attic find from a friend. they just needed a good sanding and a few coats of paint. i distressed them just a little bit and love how they turned out. i have some knobs to add to them that i haven't gotten to yet but hopefully travis and i can get out the drill and add them soon.

this bookshelf was made by travis's dad and has been passed down through the kids and grandkids. as you can see it is full of books and blocks and rain boots for jumping in puddles.

here is the other dresser that i got from a friend. i love how they turned out!

this rocker was a gift from my mom. it was where my grandmother's grandmother rocked her. i love anything sentimental and was very close to my grandmother growing up. our time together was too short but it is so sweet to have something to remind me of her while i am rocking my baby.

it took me forever to decide on a crib that i thought would work well in his room. i finally decided on this one and am very happy with it so far! it is waiting and ready for swaddles and sweet dreams!

this is my first attempt at subway art. i used two cheap oriental paintings that were going in the trash from some friends. i painted and distressed the boards, used my cricut cutter with vinyl to cut out the letters of a dixie chicks song about a little boy that i have always loved. it is the perfect lullaby!

here is a close up of the subway art so you can see the words and details.

here is his lamb. waiting so patiently to be snuggled...

his clothes with plaid and pearl snaps so he can be dapper like daddy are hanging so sweetly in his closet. i can't wait to see him in some of these!

and last but not least, his carseat is waiting and his bags are by the door. ready to be piled up in the truck with all the excitement that we will be heading back home with the sweetest little bundle of love!

hope you enjoyed your tour! now please excuse me while i go rock in his room and soak in more of the sweetness before i am so sleep deprived that i can't even see straight :)

easton's lamb

2011-07-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across Silly Dilly Baby on etsy not too long ago. You can see much of Emily's awesome work on her facebook page . She makes the most precious creations. I was in love immediately and just placed my custom order. Emily was so great to deal with and got my lamb done so quickly even with a holiday weekend in between! I absolutely love the lamb she made for Easton and cannot wait to get it! She also makes bunnies, babydolls, and puppies. Check out her facebook page and if you order, tell her I sent you because I loved my lamb SO much! Here are some pictures of Easton's lamb that Emily took.

Now...is that not just the cutest thing you have ever seen?! Now go get you one!

33 weeks & an update

2011-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.

So sorry I have been slacking on here. Things are a little busy getting ready for baby at home and at work as you can imagine. The last few weeks has been a rollercoaster to say the least! We got enough gift cards to purchase this beauty.... (from here)

It took about 30 minutes to put it together and is beautiful. It is MUCH bigger than I expected. I thought it would be more of an "infant" size. I love it though! I also ordered something else that I can't wait to receive. I have been looking and looking for a diaper bag that I love and that is affordable. I stumbled upon this bag on etsy and fell in love immediately. This shop has a lot more very very cute bags. I will let you know what I think of my bag and the quality when it gets here. I can't wait to carry this around with my little bundle. I especially love it because I can use it for a diaper bag and purse and it not look like a diaper bag in the process when I'm trying to look like a stylish mom ;)

I am waiting on my darling husband to get a chance to finish up the nursery for me. He has some projects that I cannot finish myself. Once those are done I can't wait to show you the room we have been getting ready for Easton!

it's official...

2011-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

After SO much consideration and contemplation we have finally decided to make our first choice on our name list official. When Travis and I first heard this name we loved it but jumping off the cliff and making it official was so much harder than I thought. We chose this name because it is unique but not too weird and because there was nothing else that we both agreed on as much as this name. So I'm sure you are biting your nails at this point... :) his name will be easton samuel harville. easton is the name we loved, samuel is in memory of Travis's best friend and cousin that is no longer with us, and harville comes with the territory :) We can't wait to meet him!

24 weeks

2011-05-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

At my ultrasound appointment the tech told me that my baby boy was measuring two weeks ahead but that was totally normal. Normal??! Am I going to have a giant baby? So last week when I got to see my doctor I asked her what that meant. She said he was not measuring two weeks ahead (what a relief!). But as she looked at my chart she said "oh" and proceeded to tell me that his abdomen is measuring two weeks ahead. :) Im assuming that means he already has a belly. At least it's cuter to imagine him that way.

Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.

My Etsy Wishlist

2011-04-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

A few of my friends wanted me to post this so here it is. There is some REALLY cute stuff on etsy. Here are a few things I am loving. I will be adding more soon!

http://www.myetsywishlist.com/wishlist/elizabethharville/

21 weeks

2011-04-13T06:12:00.001-07:00

Baby's now the size of a banana!
Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

My pregnancy rant...

2011-04-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

This has been bugging me for weeks now and I can't hold it in any longer. Why in the world do people think they can say whatever the heck they want about your body when you are pregnant? Would you EVER walk up to anyone and say "you are getting huge" or "wow, you are really putting on the weight" or "hey chubby" or "you actually look slender in that black outfit" or "look at your pooch" (that word makes me cringe! it's a baby, or a belly, or a bump people!) or say ANYTHING of the sorts unless you are just being hateful?! WHY in the world is it all of a sudden ok to say something to a woman who's body is changing faster than she can keep up. Yes, it is all for the baby, and whatever has to happen to keep this baby healthy I am willing to endure, as I think most women are, but it doesn't change anything about our insecurities, our fears, and us trying to cope with our ever-changing, growing, expanding, bodies. If you can't say something extra sweet to a pregnant girl because you feel like you are lying then keep your mouth shut! I am SO afraid that I am going to let it all out on some semi-innocent person who makes the next unknowingly rude comment. Yesterday my neighbor lady that I get the mail for made the comment about me "really putting on a lot of weight" I am more worried right now about not gaining enough than gaining too much but my body is still changing like crazy! So first of all it makes me so mad because I honestly know on one hand it's not even true. On the other hand, what if I had already gained 30 pounds by now? Why would you say that to someone either way? I don't care how big I get, I NEVER want to hear any negative body perspective opinions from anyone unless I ask. If I am having a day where I do feel like I am getting "huge" and not feeling the pregnancy glow those comments hurt even worse! And HELLO!!! I'm only gonna get bigger, then what? I will probably quit coming out of the house and just sit on the couch and eat twinkies all day! (Not really, I hate twinkies) But come on! Why would you want to insult someone and bring them down so much during such a happy time in their lives? I just don't understand why all of a sudden, being pregnant, makes people think that they can say whatever they want about your body. UUUGGGHHH! Has anyone else experienced this?

20 weeks and it's a BOY!

2011-04-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Friday, April 1st was our appointment to find out if we were having a boy or girl. I am all about surprises but wanted to know now what we were going to have. I am all about planning too! I can't wait to start planning the nursery. I have already spent hours I am sure, staring at the sweet ultrasound pictures we got trying to figure out what he is going to look like. We did not tell any of our family when we would find out about the baby, we just told them it would be sometime in April. We knew they would never guess April 1st and we would totally be able to surprise each of them. After we left the doctors office we stopped at the grocery to grab some blue balloons and some candy bars (candy bars played the important role of holding the balloons down and of just being delicious!) We then were able to take the day surprising each of our parent's, my grandparents, and even Travis's sisters. It was so much fun when we walked in each time with a blue balloon. We also were able to enjoy the surprise of each one of them in person (except for my Dad, we had to do it over the phone!) It was such a wonderful day! We ended the night by having a few of our friends over to find out the news. After most had arrived we tied a blue ribbon on Paisley and let her run out with it on. Everyone was very excited for us! We had dinner and hung out with great friends the rest of the evening. Travis was even able to celebrate with the guys and some cigars out in the backyard around the fire pit. It was really the most wonderful day!

Please excuse the horrible quality of the photo. I took a picture of it with my phone. Isn't he cute though?!!

19 Weeks

2011-03-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Baby's now the size of a mango!
Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

April is coming soon! We will find out the beginning of April if this baby is a boy or a girl!

In case you were wondering... Week 18!

2011-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!
Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.

Speaking of soon being able to feel the baby move... for two whole weeks now this thing has been kicking and punching me non-stop. One morning I felt it and was able to let Travis feel it too. After that it has been all the time! I expected to feel it and then not feel anything for a while but that wasn't the case for this little one. I think I may be in for a very active baby! I just hope he/she likes to sleep too!

addendum to the blob post

2011-02-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

this doesn't help much either. the coworker just dropped this off.

i....can't....resist....

i am now here by sentenced to a pregnancy of blob-dome... it's all over.

baby bump or baby blob?

2011-02-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

So, this baby is the size of an orange but this baby bump thing is way bigger than and orange and migrating to my sides and into places on my body I wasn't aware it would go yet. Maybe (hopefully) a little light exercise will help me out. I feel more like I have a baby blob instead of a baby bump. oh well, here's to a healthy baby right?!

Baby's now the size of a naval orange!
Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably can't feel the movements just yet.

Week 14

2011-02-21T07:48:00.001-08:00

Baby's now the size of a lemon!
Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth.

Daytime Darling Dress

2011-02-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

This spring-like weather we are having makes me want to shop for new clothes!

Wondering if my belly would fit in this for a while? Isn't it cute? You can find it over at modcloth!

a peach!! mmmm...peaches!

2011-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Other than being hungry all the time and everything sounding more delicious than ever, here is what's going on this week...

Baby's now the size of a peach!
Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords...savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with his head now only one third the size of his body. And intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy -- much more convenient.

In 6 weeks we have gone from a pea to a plum!

2011-02-08T08:45:00.003-08:00

Baby's now the size of a plum!
As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of her systems are fully formed.

It's been how long?

2011-02-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been September since I posted anything on here. I don't know what happened to me :) ... well at least for the first few months. The last few months I have been distracted by nausea and exhaustion. In case you don't know, Travis and I are expecting a baby in August. We are excited and nervous all at once. I have been sick since November and last week I woke up and felt like the fog had been lifted! I am SO grateful for that. So that's what has been going on in our world lately. We had a lot of fun telling our family and friends and if I can tell you one thing...this baby is going to be loved! We have such great friends and family around us. I can't wait to share this experience with all of them! I am about to post how far along I am and how big the baby is so check that out too!

update on lana

2010-09-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's her birthday!! She is doing SO great you guys. Thanks for all the prayers. She is not out of the woods but she is always in great spirits. Look how happy she is... She is REALLY excited about the wizard of oz. Cherish every day!

oh fall, my heart longs for you

2010-08-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

i don't care if it is fall yet or not, first day of september, maybe even the weekend before, im busting out the fall decor. it is by far my FAVORITE to decorate for. i just love the rustic look that fall decor can bring out and fall is my favorite season. i try to make it last as long as possible. i regularly visit a website www.thepartydress.com (don't tell anyone I get my ingenious party secrets here) and this picture popped up. how beautiful is this??!! my heart is happy!

August 19

2010-08-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is from a book called Jesus calling...eerily relevant or divine, whichever you choose. For me it happens to always be divinely relevant...

"I continually call you to closeness with Me. I know the depth and breadth of your need for Me. I can read the emptiness of your thoughts when they wander away from Me. I offer rest for your soul, as well as refreshment for your mind and body. As you increasingly find fulfillment in Me, other pleasures become less important. Knowing me intimately is like having a private wellspring of Joy within you. This spring flows freely from My throne of grace, so your Joy is independent of circumstances.

Waiting in My Presence keeps you connected to Me, aware of all that I offer you. If you feel any deficiency, you need to refocus your attention on Me. This is how you trust Me in the moments of your life.

Psalm 131:2, Psalm 21:6, Psalm 37:7"

butterflies

2010-07-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

this dress gives me butterflies. it's a sign :) i'm pretty sure i can't live much longer without it...

a revelation

2010-07-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

I am currently doing a bible study on Ruth. It has been a really great study so far. This week we were supposed to read a few verses out of Revelations that related to what we were studying about. I have to share it with you because it has resounded in my head all week and filled my cup to the brim! I hope it does the same for you...

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear."

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' Revelation 19: 6-9

Of course you probably already know that Jesus is the Lamb, and we are the bride. But do you see that it says we were given the fine linen, bright and clean? Just another beautiful story of the love that Jesus has for us. I know my linens would be far from white, bright, or clean... but because of Jesus, we will celebrate that day in beautiful linens that He gives us.

coming up for air

2010-07-08T07:22:00.001-07:00

hello....? is anyone still there??

sorry my middle name is blog-slacker. please forgive me.

i was so busy planning my first vbs that the after shock has just left me busy trying to get back in the routine of the "everyday". it turned out really great but i totally fell off the blog wagon in the meantime. i thought summer was supposed to slow things down. im picturing lemonade, rocking chairs, and cicadas singing in the trees.... instead reality breaks in and its a hello!goodbye! whirlwind as travis comes home and i am back out the door to cross another activity off the calendar. i really don't know how to not be busy but i feel busier when my activities are without travis. we are planning a vacation in august, so here's hoping to being forced to slow down!

summer so far has been filled with some sweet kindergarten graduations of some of my favorites from the preschool i used to teach at. if you don't know already, this baby is my "shuga" i don't see her as much as i should but she always has a really special place in my heart

i have however been spending a lot of time with this guy. he spent 8 days with us the week of vbs and still cried when we took him home. and he just went home from a 5 day fourth of july weekend. this is him riding to the river with us for a father's day at the cabin. paisley is also enjoying the ride. the truck puts her to sleep like a baby!

we celebrated paisley's birthday (by celebrated i mean we said "hey, today is paisley's birthday"). we haven't quite had her for a year yet but she turned one in june. here she is after she found something i bought for her. she couldn't wait for me to open the package so she had fun with the entire bag!

here is a picture of me and travis from the fireworks last weekend. we are really excited because this afternoon we have a contractor friend coming over to talk about plans for an addition to the house. im really hoping it will be within the price range. we are wanting to add a family room and a master bed and bath.... fingers crossed!

i hope your summer has been great so far and that you are sitting on your porch, drinking lemonade in a rocking chair, listening to the cicadas sing. :)

slacker

2010-06-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

vbs is taking over my life (well, at least all my free time)

be back soon :)

Beautiful Blog Award

2010-05-11T07:34:00.001-07:00

I was so honored when my friend gave me the Beautiful Blog Award. I don't think my ramblings are very beautiful but it gives me something to do none the less :) I am tickled, however, that someone else would think my unorganized thoughts are beautiful.

The award rules go a little something like this:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and link back to their blog.

One of my sweet friends in real life and blog land gave me this award. Erika is such an inspiration! Her blog, Artsy Fartsy Shopaholic, is extra cute and I get so excited when I see that she has made a recent post. Her witty, clever writing style always makes me laugh and brightens my day whether she is writing about her baby girl that is on the way, her puppies, or her fun adventures in married life. You should definitely follow her...she also guest posts on a party planning blog and recently featured my kentucky derby party! Click here to see her wonderful post. Thanks Erika for being a great blogger and an even more fabulous friend!

2. Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers who have a beautiful blog.

It is so hard to choose!! Especially since I am extra good at blog stalking :) If I follow your blog, just know I think it is beautiful! It is hard to just choose 7...

1. Hello Kissey is a sweet friend from college. I am so glad we have kept in touch through blogland and facebook. I feel like we are able to keep up with what is going on with each other and she is always making me laugh with her witty and sarcastic sense of humor. In fact, she reminds me of myself :) (wishful thinking) When she posts a Wussy Wednesday post make sure you aren't drinking anything or it will for sure come out your nose!! Thanks Kissey for making my days better with your blog.

2. Nuestra Vida Dulce truly has a beautiful blog! She is always re-doing and re-creating (which I am a sucker for) I drool over her great ideas and draw inspiration from her creativity. This is a blogger that I don't know but feel like I know her because I am so drawn to her blog! I haven't even talked to her before, but that will change soon when I let her know she got this award! She even has a "what's good in your hood" weekly post where she searches craigslist for your city for her fave picks. I've got to get Memphis on her list :) Check her out!

3. Whimsies and Fancies is one of my best friends from high school. Even though she lives too far for quick visits now, I am able to follow her sweet heart by staying updated through her blog. She is always featuring some of her favorites and is just a down to earth kinda gal. You will love reading her posts, they will warm your soul!

4. The Journey is about a girl named Katie that lives in Uganda and gives her life to her children that she has adopted and to the poor people that she feeds, doctors, and serves across the world. She is such an inspiration and truly a reflection of Jesus. When you get bogged down with life and the things of this world, just go over to Katie's blog and see all that she is doing for the Kingdom! It will make your troubles fade away. She also has some links on her blog that can show you how you can make a difference in her ministry too.

5. From Westcliffe to Winston are some of my friends from college who have a sweet little one named Griffin. I think SaraKate's blog is so beautiful because her sweet baby Griffin fills the posts. Even though they live 5 hours away, I love being able to keep up with their sweet family through blogland.

6. The Aldridge Family are also some friends from college. In-fact, #5 and #6 and Travis and I all got to spend a week at the beach for spring break one year and I wish for a moment we could all go back and be together! The Aldridge Family blog is so beautiful because of their sweet baby Kate! I love keeping up with their family and how much Kate is learning and growing by following their blog.

7. Our Life is last but not least, I just saved it for last because she has already received the award once recently. I couldn't resist though. She is one of my best friends and has a beautiful blog, beautiful family, and beautiful heart! She also has a little one named Kate who is so special to me, and another on the way! She is such an inspiration and encouragement to me, I just couldn't leave her off this list.

3. Contact the other bloggers and let them know they have received the award.

Done, except I am not going to contact Katie in Uganda. I am sure having a beautiful blog is not at the top of her list for achievements that she is going for. Just go over and check her out, pray for her, and support her cause if you can!! I am sure that would be better than any earthly award she could receive!

4. Say 7 things about yourself. Only 7?!?! Just kidding, let me rack my brain ;)

1. I love sarcasm. Sometimes I am the only one who thinks my own sarcasm is funny, so I just laugh at myself. Sometimes I have to explain to Travis how funny I really am. He is learning.

2. I am not a morning person. If my phone rings, unless it is an emergency I probably won't answer it. If you ask me a question that is not a question that can be answered with a nod, you will probably get an evil look or a really snippy answer. Ask Travis he usually gets the brunt of this.

3. I have an awesome "job" that is never what I would have picked out for myself. Good thing God dropped me here or I probably never would have made it. I still don't feel like I have anything that qualifies me for such a huge job, but then I remember He does and if he brought me here, it is for His purpose (which I don't really want to argue with). In case you don't know, I am a children's minister. eek it is still hard to say that!

4. I have an amazing husband. He would do anything for me, he loves me even when I am getting on his nerves (who me?). He is a hard worker and respected by many. I am so proud of him for what a stand up kinda guy he is!

5. I love to decorate, redecorate, and re-do. Life gets boring for me if I am not creating or re-doing something. I have a lot of creative energy...now if I only had a lot more creative money!

6. I have my own business with Arbonne and have loved every second of it. It is extra income for us, but best of all I get to show other women how to build a business and watch them reach their dreams for their family! I have met some of my closest friends through this business too.

7. I have some really awesome friends and family. Growing up I was an only child, but now I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters by marrying into Travis's family. My mom is one of my closest friends and even though we have our ups and downs she is steadfast, which is important when not much else is. Travis's family is like my own, they love me as Elizabeth, and not just as Travis's wife. I couldn't ask for better friends, I have been so blessed with those who surround me and I get to do life with the best people I know!!

I hope you now know a little more about me, and have found some new blogs to stalk!!

Kentucky Derby Party Post

2010-05-06T08:04:00.001-07:00

Even though we thought at one point we would need to take cover for a tornado warning, I thought everything went great! originally we planned to have our party as a backyard garden party but since the 100 year flood decided to- most literally- rain on our parade we were forced to stay inside...again. Oh well, there is always next year! This party was so fun to get ready for. As you can see in the previous post there is a handmade wreath that greeted guests with the phrase "let the races begin". There were also pots of colorful flowers outside and thoughtfully placed around the house to bring the garden inside. Once you came inside there was a table ready for you to place your bets. Guests were able to vote for their favorite horse, best hat for the gals, and best dressed for the guys and then prizes were given to the winners.

The feed trough was full of delicious foods and the watering hole had (of course) mint juleps! Lemonade and tea were placed in these nantucket jars from walmart with labels made on my

cricut cutter that I got for my birthday! (I couldn't find a link to the jars but they were $4 each! You can't beat that so I had to get 3!)

Here are just a few pictures of some of the decor. Red roses were placed throughout the house

to go along with the derby theme. I also had mint for the mint juleps placed in some of these cute derby glasses that I got from a sweet friend for my birthday. They were perfect on display at the watering hole! I also made a banner that said "lets get derby".

Almost everyone dressed for the occasion. I, however, was a slacker. Because of the storms, I was unable to get out and get supplies to decorate my hat (yes, last minute...shocking, i know!) so my hat ended up being plane jane this year. But everyone else looked FABULOUS DAHLING!

I had a blast spending time with friends and having an excuse to dress up! If you didn't make it this year, I hope you can come next year! Keeping my fingers crossed for good weather!

coffee filter wreath

2010-05-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

This was the first thing that greeted guests at the Kentucky Derby party. It was SO easy to make and cheap too! I have seen these types of wreaths all over blogland. Guess what I used??!! ...coffee filters! So what you will need if you want to make this cute wreath is:

Package of coffee filters (i used brown but white looks cute too)

OR use colored cupcake cups

Ribbon to hang it with

A round wreath form - any craft store will have these

Florist pins- again, your craft store will have these, they are U shaped.

Then I just took the coffee filters, one by one, and bunched them up at the bottom so that the coffee filter was in more of a V shape. Then I pinned each filter on the wreath with the pins. Voila!! I decided to add a peice of raffia across the back so that I could hang a small sign on the wreath with clothes pins. I can change these out with the occasion or just take the raffia off if I decide not to put a sign on it. Let me know if you have any questions!!

grrr....

2010-05-04T10:40:00.001-07:00

i am still looking for my camera cord. i owe you a lot of pictures, craft tutorials, and party updates.... could someone please yell "hot" or "cold" while i am searching???

also, i have an exciting blog award to debut and pass along very soon. i have been so busy with the party and this upcoming Sunday's service at church I am afraid to stop and blog too much for fear of derailment.

How to Dress for the Derby

2010-04-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some tips and inspiration on how to dress for the Kentucky Derby or a party that has a theme of the Derby :)

For the Ladies:

Hats go with the Derby like mint goes with the julep! Large brimmed, feminine, and frilly are most popular, but be creative. You can include fabric, tulle, fake flowers, real flowers, feathers, and more on your hats. And of course, design the rest of your outfit around the hat. Sundresses, skirts, and Sunday attire usually best fits the bill.

For the Gents:

Business casual is typical, blazers, jackets, ties etc. (for the party, you don't have to get that fancied up if you don't want to, but feel free to if you are feeling froggy!) Seersucker, suspenders, bow ties, and ties are always a hit too. Polos and shorts are acceptable depending on where you are sitting. Dress to accommodate your lady friend!

Pictures courtesy of here

Disclaimer:

If you are planning to attend the Harville Kentucky Derby Party, please do not feel like you MUST dress up. Of course it is encouraged, and adds to the fun, but is not mandatory! These are just some fun ideas and an excuse to dress for the occasion if you feel so inclined! Hope to see you there!!

accountability and anticipation

2010-04-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yall... Get excited!!! The second annual Derby Party is coming up!! I have a lot on my plate trying to get ready for this party this year. Plan to see tutorials on decorating ideas, sneak peaks of prizes and decorations that will grace you with their presence this year! Also, I have a 4 phase backyard redo and I have taken before pictures and with my fingers crossed, I am hoping to get some "after" pictures really soon. This party is motivating me to motivate my husband to get things done around the house. I even have a sweet friend who is going to feature my par-tay on a party blog!!! You should go check her blog out now anyway because it is always so cute!! I will link up when she features me too! SOOOOooooo all that to say, stay tuned for lots more to come. Don't let me be a slacker and not post anything!! I still owe yall pictures from the front door redo :)

a GAH-LORIOUS day

2010-04-06T12:46:00.001-07:00

this is me enjoying a cold, delicious, highly anticipated, carbonated beverage of my choice. as it fizzled down into my belly, i thanked Jesus for all he did for me, and how silly I am at thinking it was so hard to give up a drink for him. there has got to be crack in this stuff. i did it, but not without complaining (who me?). next year im thinking of doing something a little easier. *slurp slurp*

Feeling Guilty

2010-03-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Paisley is getting spayed today. I feel so guilty making her go through that pain, even though I know without a doubt it is in her best interest. With my background in child life (dealing with the pshycosocial aspect of the child in the hospital) I feel like I should have got out all my supplies and prepared her for her surgery so she wouldn't be scared before, and she would know we were coming to get her afterwards. As I got in the car this morning. This sight was harder than ever. She just barely peeks over the window sill as I am thinking "she has no idea what she is in for today". Poor puppy!

Spring Fling

2010-03-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

How cute is this dress? I am loving it! I love spring and all the great things it brings (i really didn't plan for all that to rhyme) but one of my favorite things is getting to wear cute dresses! This one is called Pistachio Ice Cream :) I think it would be perfect with the Lemon Meringue Heels or the Maraschin-bow flats I am currently drooling over! In case you are wondering :) all these are on my wishlist at Modcloth. Happy Spring Yall!

Give up what?

2010-02-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

So a good friend of mine encouraged a group of us to participate in Lent by giving something up and/or adding something meaningful to our day for the next forty days. I am not Catholic but thought that it may do me some good to participate this year. I have known for a long time that I have a love affair with a little red can of bliss. (I was going to post a picture here but I think it would push me over the edge so I decided against it) I look forward to it's carbonated, cold, sweet, goodness more than the meal most of the time I go out to eat. It is going to be SO hard to give it up, entirely for 40 days but I know it will do me some good. I drink little to no water and I can tell that my body does not do well on coke alone! I have already had about a dozen pieces of chocolate today as I try to thwart my cravings, knowing that here at work, there is a whole case of them in the kitchen. Occasionally I hear the faint call of my name and then a "we won't tell anyone". It sounds SO silly doesn't it? That is why I must break this sweet little habit. I think if I can go without for an extended period of time I can start from scratch after Easter. (oh what a glorious day that will be indeed!) So, here is to 39 and a half more days without oxygen, i mean coke. Let's hope I can make it. Otherwise I will be ashamed that He gave up so much for me, and I can't give up a carbonated beverage for a little over a month, to remind myself daily of how much He did for me! To hear about the affair with the silver can, check out my girlfriend's blog here.

Fighting the fight and winning some of the battles!

2010-02-08T07:04:00.001-08:00

Here is the latest on Lana for those of you who are following. Last week she had a bone marrow transplant. From the information I can gather (I may have this totally mixed up) they took her marrow out and it will go through a process to "clean" it from all the cancer and they will soon replace it. When they took the marrow out and examined it they found that it was CANCER FREE!! This means that the chemo IS working. They will still follow the normal procedure and freeze the marrow to prevent chances of it returning easily or maybe even at all. This does not mean she is cured, she still has the tumors in her lungs, but the chemo (GOD) is doing it's job (is still performing miracles!). Please pray that Lana's body will continue to be receptive to the chemo (God will continue His process of healing for her). This is a huge victory and miracle. As the next rounds of chemo get harsher, and tougher to go through please pray for Lana's strength, and strength for her family. Please pray that the chemo has NO effects on any part of her body besides the cancer. The family has been told that she could lose her hearing, and we all know that the chemo can really affect her organs (especially her liver). Thank you for your prayers, keep up the petition to heal Lana and for God to perform modern day miracles!

I feel like complaining Thursday

2010-01-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

So I don't have anyone to vent to today...well at least not yet. I am having lunch with a girlfriend so she may get in on a little of it. But actually I am embarrassed that I feel this way and so I am really not going to divulge what I have a problem with, only my feelings, in hopes that I will feel like it is stupid enough to just get over it. So I have a little bit of a competitiveness in me...and it usually can stay inside. I usually get over it or just push it away but lately I have been feeling it rear it's very ugly head. On a specific subject (that I am still not going to mention, because it really is silly) that I am not really that good at anyway but am feeling very territorial over, and very competitive lately. Yuck! Usually I am not the best at really anything so it's not like I have finally met my match, I guess this match just makes me feel pretty insignificant in my abilities. Actually I think I have a problem more with feeling like I am oblivious to how not good I am at something, and everyone else knowing it but me. I REALLY hate that. I think this competition is so much better than me it makes me feel that feeling, like those people on American Idol that all of their friends tell them they can sing when in reality it is very obvious to everyone except for them that they cannot. I hate feeling this way, either I need confidence, or I need to get over myself. Not sure which one yet. Oh well, on a side note, the previous post, should now be labeled currently on its way to my doorstep. Retail therapy helps a little don't you think! :) In fact, I'm feeling better already imagining myself wearing my pink high heels! I knew this would help :)

current lusting in 4 words...

2010-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

ummm yes please....PLEASE?

Update on Lana

2010-01-10T13:15:00.001-08:00

I got a chance to ichat with Lana today. She is SO precious. I wish all of you could talk with her and see how sweet she is! She is currently back home and will only receive her chemo out patient for now. (Gotta love children's hospitals for knowing that children need to be at home!) Her hair is beginning to fall out but she is doing really well on the chemo. It seems to not be making her too sick. (Keep praying for that!) Also, she is surrounded with presents from friends and family, so she is keeping busy. She will go through another round of chemo before they do some more scans to see how much the chemo is working. Some good news is that before she started chemo, she was having a lot of leg pain, so much she was saying she didn't want to walk, now she seems to not have much pain at all. Also, before the chemo she never really ate very much, ever.. (the type of cancer she has can affect her digestive system). Now her mom says she is eating more than she has ever seen her eat! That is awesome news! Please continue to pray for healing and that these signs are of the miraculous works that God has done in her body. Thanks for caring! (To hear more about Lana's story click here and here)

valentines sneak peek :)

2010-01-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

so i have been drooling over this dress at one of my fave new websites http://www.modcloth.com/ they have THE cutest clothes (besides my other fave forever21) at mostly reasonable prices. they are geniuses because they add new items each day to keep you coming back for more. they also add authentically vintage articles of clothing and if you want it you have to be on top of your game because they go fast seeing as there would only be one of it's kind. so all this to say, i finally got the dress. they had been out of stock for a while and i kept it on my wish list just hoping they would get more in. well today MUST be my lucky day because the dress was back in stock.(disregard the fact that my work laptop hard drive crashed today and there will be no way to resurrect any of the million bazillion files i created over the last 3 months i have been working there) so as i was trying to think of how i was going to justify this seemingly reasonable purchase to my loving husband a little cloud popped up above my head. it had a reenactment of a few weeks ago when i got a bonus check and my dear dear other half said "you can use it for whatever you want, you don't have to spend it on bills or that new tv i want, use it for something you want", a smile began to creep across my face and my eyes twinkled a little. even though we did get that tv he wanted there should be at least enough leftover for this darling dress. this is not all for me he does get to enjoy when i wear it, so this is not a totally selfish want (justification?.....check) so here it is...SO cute. i cant wait to wear it on valentines this year. im sure he will plan a wonderful romantic evening out on the town (a girl can dream right?) and i will get to wear this cute little thing....oh yeah and the stole was just calling my name too...im sure there is some money left over for that too!

little lana

2009-12-29T08:45:00.001-08:00

please hear the story of some very close friends of our family....

the week before christmas shannon took lana to the doctor for some very minor, yet peculiar symptoms that were seeming to stick around. three days later she was sitting outside the hospital room with her husband learning that their baby girl was now in a battle for her life. lana was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. it is in her lungs, in her bones, infiltrating her entire body like the sick little parasite that cancer is. lana is 3, she is the only child, the entire world for shannon and brit. please please pray for lana and healing. she is SO precious. i know it is so easy to brush this aside when you hear stories like this because you may not know these people from the thousands of others who are diagnosed with cancer each day. but i ask you, since you know me, that you know lana, and her story. please pray for her and her family. she can fight this, but not on her own. i can't imagine experiencing this, that one day everything is fine, life is going on as normal, and in a split second the entire world is crashing around you when the most precious thing you have must now fight, hard, for her life. if only we could fight for her..... please please pray that God will take this battle from her and heal her from within and that she will live a long, happy, cancer free life.

thank you for praying and for caring

our lazy Christmas card

2009-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

So... I created a beautiful Christmas card after hours of slaving over a hot computer photo editing and using the collage program on the computer, I was ready to print my beautiful creation. I was SO excited to have finally gotten around to Christmas cards this year and the fact that I was able to create it was just as exciting to me. In the Christmas spirit, I tried about 5 photo websites trying to "upload" my creation. It wouldn't let me upload my own and print it correctly, they all wanted me to use their templates. Mine was better than any of their templates so I thought to myself "Surely I can just take it to Walgreens and they will take care of it for me". I hopped in the car and went to Walgreens. The girl at the photo counter was not much help. She would not print them for me, and was less than accommodating. She told me in her southern twang that I could do it myself on the kiosk. I explained to her the situation I had on the computer and asked her if she was sure I could make things work on the kiosk. She said "yeah" and walked away. A little disgruntled I stood in line forever waiting for a kiosk to open up. Once I got to use the kiosk I had the same problems I had online. After about 5 hours at Walgreens (ok really about 30 minutes but it felt like 5 hours) I was so frustrated I just left. Now it is too late to send out cards so here is what you get :)

Merry Christmas!

Really I just was hoping to make you laugh a little about my first Christmas card experience. We try not to let the little frustrations cloud our minds about what this season is truly about! We have been blessed beyond what we deserve and have much to be thankful for. Part of my not sending this card is also because I waited until the last minute :) ....who me?

It is better to give than to receive but it is more fun to give AND receive!

2009-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

So here is the deal. I have a give away for you guys where you benefit too. As most of you know, I have my own business with Arbonne (www.arbonne.com). They have awesome botanically based, results proven products from skin care, to makeup, to baby care, to health and wellness (and much more!) I am giving away 5 girl's nights. I will bring the cupcakes, the champagne, and the hostess will recieve $100 worth of products for FREE! All you have to do as the hostess is get your girlies to come over. I will bring plenty of products to experience and I ALWAYS give a discount. (Who doesn't love champagne, cupcakes and a sale!?!) Post a comment on this blog post to enter to win a girl's night for you and your girlfriends OR comment & post this on your blog and let your friends enter to win. I will give away an additional 5 girl's nights to each blog. In return for posting on your blog and sharing with your friends, you get a free gift for each girl that wins on your blog! I will drive reasonable distances for girl's nights or provide an alternative option. So enter away!!!!

A sneak peak!

2009-12-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

So, I have been busy decorating for Christmas at the Harville home. I promise to get pics up of the entire house soon! But, for now, I wanted to show you my latest creation. I made it in about 15 minutes this weekend and just used scraps from the Christmas tree, some twigs to build the form, wire, hot glue, and some pretty ribbon. Here it is hanging on the front door. I think it is SO cute, it makes me smile every time I open the door.

Martha who? ;)

Shaken not stirred...

2009-12-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show you the new addition to the dining room. I have been wanting a piece of furniture for us, to use as a place to make drinks etc. A few weekends ago my mom, Travis, and I went to lunch with my aunt and uncle. My aunt works at an antique gallery and is always looking out for different things I want. I told her that day exactly what I was looking for and she sent me a picture of it as soon as she got to work. I was so excited that she found what I was looking for so fast. So here it is halfway decorated for Christmas.

Finally an update...

2009-11-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! With the new job and all else going on I have been SO busy. So I left for Cancun, came back, found out I got the job, had to keep it a secret for a week, started work, Travis left on a boat to raft the Mississippi River from Memphis to New Orleans, I picked him up in Natchez, MS while his friends went on to NOLA, we drove to North Carolina for the best wedding ever, hit a deer on the way back, and have been playing catch up ever since. I feel like we are just now getting back into the normal routine and the Holidays just in time to throw the routine out the window.

So if you didn't already know, I am the new Children's Minister at my church. I feel like that title carries some big shoes to fill but I have to remember that it is not about me and my efforts. I am loving my job, it is flexible, I am off on Fridays, and I never really feel like I am at work. Sometimes I feel like there is so much to do I don't even know where to start. One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to go to Hope House and see my kiddos that I used to teach once a week. Getting to work at Hope House (a preschool for kids infected/affected by HIV/AIDS that I worked at right out of college for 2 years) really created a passion in me for these kids. Every Monday that I get to go see them I feel so blessed. To learn more about Hope House go to www.hopehousedaycare.org. These kids have become a part of me, who I am, what I care about, why I do some of the things I do....and I thought it was just going to be a job. I have been so blessed to have jobs that really made a difference, and I am so excited to get to work with kids again, and I am even more excited to be able to combine something that I am so passionate about with my current job (if you can even call it a job, it feels more like a privilege!)

And the award for the BEST bargain shopper goes to...

2009-10-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am a little excited. I thought I might just do a back flip earlier at the Pottery Barn Outlet store. If you know me, you probably know I LOVE a really good deal and most of the things in my house I have found at crazy prices. We just can't afford to buy expensive things right now so we have to be resourceful. I am a bargain shopper to the max, I love hunting for the best deal, and love thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales. So I have to share this story from today. So I went to PB outlet today and wasn't expecting to buy anything, I just love to look. I usually like to check out the rugs because I love big fluffy rugs and would love to find a good deal but even at the sale price can't afford the ones from PB. I saw a rug that was a zebra rug, except it was ivory and white and it was a real hide. I thought it was a really cool piece and love finding really unique things for my house. I checked out the tag and it was still about 119.00 and that is still too much. So I thought next door at West Elm, their rugs are 60% off. I wonder if I can find the same rug over there. So my Mom and I went next door and there it was, lying on top of the rug pile. I think my exact words were "No. Freakin. Way.!!!" So I grabbed it and carried it up to the register. The lady rang it up and said it was 795.00. So I told her that I had found it next door for 119.00 and could she check with a manager. The manager came over and her words still ring in my ears "It's your lucky day, the rug was misplaced, it is 47.95" AAAAHHHHH!!!! Heck yeah! I was so excited! So was my Mom as she proceeded to tell everyone in the store what a good deal we had found. (Not only was I embarrassed but I was afraid some crazy woman was going to follow me out to my car and tackle me for the awesome rug I had just found.) Fortunately, I made it home, safe and sound and so did my purchase of the year. So I thought I would share a picture of it's new home. It doesn't match exactly but hey, I have an eclectic style anyway!

could someone move this elephant off my chest?

2009-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

i think i am a few thoughts away from an anxiety attack. i have so many exciting things going on in my life right now (some of them very trivial) but my mind likes to run away and get me really worked up. for instance, i have a sweet friend that i am hosting a shower for and i am so excited about getting everything together and i want it to be perfect. it is going to be SO fun! normally that would be fine but add that excitement to the mix and i think i may explode. i am leaving the day after the shower for cancun mexico. i earned this trip (all inclusive, might i add) with my amazing arbonne business. i am really excited about this vacation except for the flying part. i hate flying. i am already trying to talk myself into getting on the plane. this thought alone increases my breathing and my heart rate. you all know i have the job thing going on, which is even more excitement with a little anxiety tagged on that i am trying to fight because i know i shouldn't be anxious, but isn't it a constant battle!? then here is the kicker, which really is not a big deal, it may seem so silly to you but i am playing violin at church this sunday. i have played once already and was really nervous but i only played on two songs. this week i am playing seven....SEVEN!!!! but only if i can stop shaking long enough to have a beautiful sound come out. (hold on while i puke in my trash can) i have rehearsal tonight. i am nervous about rehearsal. what is wrong with me? i really hope i don't just pass out on stage sunday. that would definitely be something that would happen to me. last sunday i was even getting nervous just thinking about playing a week from then. i am going to rehearsal early tonight to practice before practice. i also am pretty sure i have lost some weight over the last few days. my pants are practically hanging off of me. i know you are probably thinking "that lucky little...." but it's really not a good thing for me. if anything, i need to gain weight, if i lose weight i will just look gross. gross!! okay, i am going to go practice some deep breathing techniques before i fall out of my desk chair. i will update about the j-o-b when i hear something and i will post pics of cancun and the shower soon too!!

The J-O-B update

2009-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have a meeting tonight with some of the people that will be deciding if I get this job that may be the whole reason God is moving me from my current job. I want to be excited about a new job opportunity because it keeps me from being upset about losing my current job. It also gives me some hope for the future. But I am getting nervous. I really do trust that God is going to take care of everything, but I am starting to get my hopes up for this new opportunity and I really want it to work out. I also don't have a clue what the timeline for actually starting this new job is. I have been encouraged by many to get on unemployment (cringe) but I just get sick to my stomach even thinking about having to do it. I don't know who all really reads this blog. Obviously if you follow me I expect that you do, or if you are commenting often, but if you are reading this I just want to ask that you say a quick prayer for me and my meeting tonight and the opportunity that is before me. It seems so right, it seems to make so much sense, could it really be this easy? I really hope so. I am actually scared that it is too good to be true. But our God is not too good to be true, so I don't want to doubt Him. Uuuggghh I'm so confused. Isn't it all so easy to understand after the fact? Waiting is the HARDEST thing for me, by far. I hope that soon I will be able to post that I have gotten the position and that I will be able to share with you what it is. If you know me, I already know you will be so excited for me!! Pray for me tonight at 6 for my meeting if you remember! Thanks for caring blog friends :)

Change is painful but inevitable

2009-10-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes change happens when you least expect it. Yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks as the words "I just can't afford to keep you here" came out of my boss's mouth. The job that I struggled so much to decide to take. I feel like I gave up so much to commit to being a part of this new company, that was nothing like what I had ever done before, that had nothing to do with children, that meant me giving away part of my heart to move on from the children I was with, that was a commitment to a friend to fight it out spiritually and physically to help this business succeed, that ended so unexpectedly it took the breath out of me. I figured even if the ship was sinking, I was going to go down fighting until the end. I never expected to be put on a life raft and sent the other direction. Yesterday I felt like Izzy on Grey's Anatomy when she woke up from having her tumor removed and had amnesia. Every few minutes it would run through my head "did that really just happen?", "wait a minute did that really just happen?". Emotions filled my soul as I tried to sort through the questions, the words that I heard, the words I didn't hear, the scenarios, who I was going to tell, how I was going to tell them, what I was going to do next. It was made very clear that this was not rejection and it only makes the most sense at this point if a cut has to be made, but I was deceived in thinking that I was safe. Deceived by my own thinking none the less. Everyone I told I became the one comforting them. "No, really, it's okay, God will take care of us I know." As I think of others who have been out of a job for months even a year because of the economy. But the thing that comforted me the most is that God has perfectly orchestrated this and I know without a doubt that He is in this. No matter what opportunity came my way, I could not walk into my boss's office and say "hey I have a better opportunity so I won't be a part of this company anymore". I had too much invested in the relationship and the business and my commitment to it, to be able to do such a thing, no matter how great the offer. So if God wanted me somewhere else, if He wanted to move me, He had to move me. So I am being moved, as I type. Filtering the thoughts and emotions that are stale from yesterday because they have been run through my head a thousand times. I can't let Satan's lies in though, and boy does he want to tell me that I was wrong, and that I am not good enough, and that I was not good enough, and that this is pure rejection. But I am going to fight it because my God is so much bigger than that, and has SO much more for me if I can still my mind and my heart and let Him move me. How humbling, that He would want to use me somewhere else so bad that he would plan this before I even had a notion. He already has things in the works that may be exactly where I will be moved. I am truly in awe of Him and how much He loves me right now and how He has sent me a raft to take me to higher ground. Praise Him!

Don't Leave

2009-09-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is what I am forced to watch as I drive out of the driveway in the mornings. It's so sad!

Before and In-Between and Inspiration for After

2009-09-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

So I told you guys that I was trying to finish our front door that I was stripping. (If I ever say I am going to strip anything again someone please talk some sense into me.) I finally finished, well sorta, I got tired of it so I just decided to stain it like it was with 99% of the paint gone I figured it would be fine. Well...the stain did not go on very evenly. Fortunately we still really like the way the door turned out. It looks like a pair of old cowboy boots. If anyone asks, we meant to make it look that way! We also decided to use that stain to darken the shutters that were a little orange. I am so happy with the way it looks. I think it looks a lot better! We haven't totally finished because we have to finish the post on the front porch. (It is going to require some sanding first) I wanted to show you what we have done so far and also show you some of my fall inspiration for outdoor decor this year. I will post pics when I get things finished and decorated.

Here is the BEFORE with the door stripped. It was previously painted dark chocolate brown.

Here is a close up of the door stripped. It was the color of the trim around it.

Here is the before and after of the shutters. I was very happy with the color, especially because we didn't have to take off the original stain first. We just added the darker color over the old.

Here is the in-between picture. We still have to stain the post and I need to clean up the flower beds and decorate for fall!!

Here are some pictures that are inspiring my fall decor this year. Fall is my favorite season. Of course these are from the all-knowing Martha Stewart :) check out http://www.marthastewart.com/ for more ideas!

Hope this inspires you too! I would love to see your fall decor. I will post pictures of my inside decorating when I get that done too!

Am I the Only One?

2009-09-17T07:06:00.001-07:00

Why do we live to work because we must work to live to only turn around after all our hard work and have to continue to work, or realize we have worked our lives away and there is nothing left to enjoy. In a 24 hour day, we get up get ready for work, are in transit to work, spend 8 hours at work, drive home from work, some bring work home, we cook dinner, get ready for bed, and sleep so we can go to work the next day. 5 out of the 7 days of the week. We cram everything we can into the one day that we have left and then Sundays most of us are busy with church and then getting ready for work the next day. Are we really supposed to just work our lives away? Isn't there more than this? At best, during the week we have about 3 or 4 hours a day with our families or the ones we want to be with. Compared to 9 or 10 of those hours being work related. Wonder why families and marriages fall apart, why kids are so messed up these days, why time seems to go by so quickly...I think it is because we are a society driven by work and we don't know anything different. This is something I think about everyday. I see people at the grocery on Saturday and think to myself "the one day you have the entire day to see your family, is the only day you also have to get things done so you can get through the week" its sad to me. Many of us have no other choice. I know I don't want to wake up one day and realize that my whole life has passed and I have just worked it away. I don't want to work until I can retire. I will be too old to do many of the things that I dream of doing. Im not saying its wrong to work, or that everyone should feel this way. These are just some of the thoughts that go through my head. I just feel like there is so much more to life than this rat race, this monotonous zombie-like cycle that we get caught up in.

Delicious Nutritious Dinner Idea

2009-09-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

I made dinner in no time last night and it was so quick and healthy and yummy, I thought I should share.

The menu:

Lime Garlic Tilapia Filets

Roasted Tomatoes

Asparagus

Broccoli and Cheese Rice

Preheat oven to 375
Line 2 pans with foil.

Lay Tilapia Filets on one pan, sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, the juice and zest of one lime.
Cut a few pats of butter into fourths and place on filets also.
Put in the oven for 12-15 minutes

Place asparagus across other pan sprinkle with olive oil salt and pepper
Place whole tomatoes on other side of pan
Place in the oven and cook while fish is cooking

I used Knorr rice last night so I just followed the directions and it was all ready in 15 minutes!
The tomatoes need to cook until they burst and start to shrivel. When you take them out sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper. They are delish!

Let me know if you make this. It took NO time to cook, or clean up because I used foil on the pans!

Happy Cooking!

Pride

2009-09-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

I read this this morning in a devotional and it was so good I wanted to share. It is such a reality check! I hope you find this useful in some way.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment...because you "deserve better than this".
I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of a genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.
Untrue. I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...
If you stick with me.
You will never know.

Ive got the itch...

2009-09-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling very creative lately. I have been very busy and I think that, plus the change of the seasons is giving me the bug. I feel like I have been stuffed in a box and need to break free. The bad thing about this feeling is that I have a strong desire to rearrange our entire house and Hobby Lobby will be the death of our savings. I have also signed up for Martha Stewart's Fall craft newsletter and they just sent me a shopping list...of the 5,000 supplies I need...I have scissors. Maybe this weekend I can tackle a project or 12 at the house and feel better. A few months ago I started stripping the front door I finished all but about 10% and havn't returned to it because I exhausted myself, scraping and spraying over and over for an entire Saturday. Needless to say, that should be the first thing on my list of things to do this weekend. But that doesn't sound as exciting as starting something new. Chances are I will start something and then get busy with other things this weekend and the house will end up in more of a mess than it was when I began. I will post pics of the door when (if) I finish it.

Growin like a weed....

2009-08-25T13:46:00.001-07:00

Paisley is getting bigger by the second! Everytime she takes a nap I think she grows an inch. We have been busy socializing these last couple of weeks. Here are some of the things we have been doing...

Meeting Baby Kate (they were SO sweet to each other!)

Sleeping....

Meeting Scotty Potty and having a blast!

...and sleeping...

Cleaning out the kitchen cabinets

...and sleeping...again....
Getting the sweetest kisses from Jaci

Napping with PawPaw after his 90th birthday party!

She has had so much fun meeting all her new friends and family! She is going to be huge before we know it. She is learning to accept that being in the kennel is just part of life right now but will take any chance she gets to snuggle up and sleep when she can be near us outside of the kennel. Here is one of my favorite pictures. I love her sweet nose and lips...Here is a kiss to you from Paisley girl!

What did I get myself into?

2009-08-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I really do love Paisley but I didn't expect her to be SO wild anytime she is awake. When she is asleep or about to be asleep she is so sweet, wanting to snuggle and give kisses, but when she is hyper...(me shaking my head)...she is basically insane. Travis gets up and takes her out at about 630 and I thought it would be nice of me (since she did sleep all night and didnt make a sound) to get up and sit in the den with her, on second thought, I will just take my pillow in there and maybe she will enjoy snuggling with me for a while until I have to get up at 730....WRONG. Instead, as soon as I lay down she pounces on me, is trying to rip my hair out of my head, and is trying to bite my nose off, toys? no, she has plenty but they are not amusing, my blanket however is something she would love to pull off of me and then drag around the house while I chase her. Then she decides that she wants to explore under the couch. There is not anything under there so I guess it's no big deal...then she comes out with a mouth full of stuffing, I try to keep her from going back under the couch. Now she thinks its a game and is biting the crap out of my hand for pushing her away from the couch, all while wagging her tail incessantly thinking this is the funnest game she has ever played. Then I am trying to get ready for work. I have to get in the shower so I shut her in there with me, guess who ended up in the shower too?? afterwards she is dragging the bath mats out of the bathroom, chewing on my hairdryer cord, and catching really gross dust bunnies from under the bed. gggrrr Im just trying not to be late for work and cope with the fact that I am already mad that I had to get up an hour early now I can't even enjoy getting ready! When it's time to leave, I grab her toys and a treat and put her in her kennel...she cries and I can hear her until I get in the car :( It's so hard to leave her knowing she doesnt want to stay in her kennel. I don't know how you Mom's do it!! BUT of course when I come home she kisses me and is so excited to see me it makes it all worth it, even the scars, the bald spots, dark circles from lack of sleep, and stuffingless couch :) How could you not love this face?

Trinkle Mansion

2009-08-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

So it's a little late but when we went to Virginia to pick up Paisley we wanted to celebrate our 2nd anniversary since we didn't celebrate it in March. I found a really nice B&B in Wytheville and we were treated like royalty! This is a historic home that has been totally restored and redone. They kept as much original character as possible. Here are pictures of the foyer, the outside of the house, and the dining room where our full course breakfast was served!

Here is a picture of our breakfast :) Before this we had fresh peaches and cream and we also had a raspberry lemon muffin after this...it was so good!

Here are some pictures of our room and bathroom

In a lot of historic homes, they say its not a home without a mouse :) so many of them create a whimsical mouse hole to make the house a home.... if you can see in the picture there is a bbq grill, mailbox, milk bottles, and a recycle bin :) !

If you are ever going to be in Wytheville, VA check out http://www.trinklemansion.com/ We had a wonderful time and would even drive 9 hours back just to stay again!

Is anyone ever going to come get me?

2009-08-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few more days and we will finally get to meet our precious Paisley puppy. This is the weekend we will be making the trip to Wytheville, VA to pick up our new pup. This past weekend we went out and got her crate, toys, food and water bowls, and collar. (Travis wouldn't let me get the pink paisley collar but I'm still working on him) She is already so expensive!!! But I'm sure once we get that first puppy kiss it will all be worth it. We will be driving all day Friday, will meet her Saturday morning and then pack her in the car for the long drive back on Saturday. I can't wait to post pictures of us all together!

"There's No Place Like Home"

2009-07-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest Paisley pic! We are getting weekly updates on her and she is growing so fast. She is already 6 weeks old. I love this picture, she's picturing her new big backyard I'm sure! Click your heels together Paisley and say "there's no place like home" !!!

Ten Whole Years!!!??!!!!

2009-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Wow. Today is July 24th 2009. On July 24th 1999 it was the summer after my sophomore year in high school. It was a Saturday, and I had planned to go bowling with my best friend Wendy that night. Of course like 16 year old girls do, we were planning to meet some boys at the bowling alley. She was meeting her boyfriend Chad and Chad was bringing his best friend. We stopped at a gas station on the way and the boys happened to pull in and see us. They pulled up beside us (in the green bronco) and as Wendy and Chad jumped out to see each other. I leaned forward to see Chad's friend as he did the same. We saw each other, smiled, and then quickly sat back. Then, we headed over to the bowling alley. We never got to bowl but were just as happy sitting around and talking, laughing, and being silly. My curfew was so early we didn't even make it off the waiting list for a chance for a bowling lane. This boy was really cute, and what was with me, I was usually such a dork but I was keeping my cool, I guess... It was time to leave and as the boys were walking us back to the car Chad paged his friend and put in my phone number. I got in the car and just as I was about to shut the door, he caught it before it could close. He leaned down, showed me his pager and said "is this your number" I said "yes", he then asked "can I call you?", I said "yes", then he asked "can I kiss you?", I for some crazy reason said "yes" and he went for it...awkward...yes....eyes open...most the time....It was my first "kiss kiss" and he had obviously done this before. As I hear Wendy asking Chad "are they STILL kissing?", I can't help but smile. That boy stole my heart that night, and never gave it back. Thank you Travis for being the most wonderful boy in the world, for kissing me and then never giving up :) I love you!!! You will always be my first and last kiss, my first and last love.

Paisley Puppy

2009-07-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

We finally decided on a name...Paisley. She is getting big and we are counting down the days,18 until we make the trek to Virginia to pick her up. Here is an updated picture of her.

The New Addition

2009-07-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

So we are finally ready (i think) to make an addition to the little Harville family. She is almost 4 weeks old and we are counting down the days until we get to go pick her up! She is in Virginia and we will be making a puppymoon out of the trip :) We are still racking our brains to come up with the perfect name for her. Here she is, knowing she is in a photo shoot for her new mom and dad! She is a Catahoula Bulldog which is a mixed breed (not a mut) that is half Catahoula Leopard Dog and half American Bulldog.

Here are some pics of her parents so you can see what she will look like. Her parents are both a 50/50 mix. Scarface on the left is the dad and Tonti on the right is the mom.

An Ode to Scratchy Mearl Squirrel (in memory of Itchy Pearl Squirrel)

2009-05-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a story of a boy and a girl and their squirrels....

Once there was a boy and he decided to work on the shed in the backyard. When he did he made a bigger mess than he ever thought possible. The boy was tearing wood off the shed and out fell two tiny baby squirrels. The boy wrapped the babies in his shirt and brought them to show his girl. The girl said "put them back" and the boy said "I can't". So the boy and the girl built a home for the babies with cardboard, tshirts, and rags.

The boy and the girl had to get up every two hours to feed the babies milk from a syringe. The babies then needed names. The boy and girl could not agree on names for the babies so they named them both names they each wanted. There was a boy and a girl squirrel. The boy squirrel was named Scratchy Mearl Squirrel and the girl squirrel was named Itchy Pearl Squirrel. The squirrels were loved very much by the boy and girl even though the naked little squirrels were still kinda creepy looking. The boy and girl checked on the babies every day to see if there eyes were opened yet. The girl left to go out of town for a week and when she came home Itchy Pearl Squirrel had gotten very sick because she missed the girl so much. The little girl squirrel could not handle her sadness and the night that the girl came home from her trip Itchy Pearl passed away. The boy and the girl were very sad. They decided to try really hard to keep Scratchy Mearl alive and well. (Incase you don't know, baby squirrels are very hard to keep alive if they don't have a momma squirrel while they still have their eyes closed.) One night the girl woke up to feed Scratchy Mearl and when she picked him up, he opened his eyes and saw her. He thought that she was his mommy, and the boy was his daddy. Scratchy loved the boy and girl SO much.

The boy and girl took very good care of baby Scratchy squirrel and told him stories about his sweet little sister Itchy Pearl every day. They would give him lots of milk, give him a bubble bath (only with Arbonne baby wash!), and then tuck him into bed. Scratchy loved baths so the boy and girl would give him baths everyday.

As Scratchy grew the boy and girl began to feed him all sorts of delicious squirrel treats such as carrots, brussel sprouts, sweet potato, celery, apples, and best of all...pecans! Scratchy squirrel grew up fast and loved the boy and girl even more. Scratchy began growing too big for his cage so the boy and girl made him his very own room on the screened in porch. The boy and girl were trying to teach the squirrel about how real squirrels lived outside. But Scratchy loved the boy and girl so much he did not want to leave. Scratchy squirrel would be so excited when the boy and girl came home from work that he would bounce and run all around his room and crawl all over the boy and girl as they brought him his favorite treat...pecans!! Many of the boy's friends and the girl's friends loved Scratchy squirrel too and would come visit him.

The boy and girl started letting Scratchy play outside, but Scratchy didn't like outside much and would rarely go outside alone. The boy and girl were worried that Scratchy would never learn how to be a real squirrel. One day they decided to leave the door open to the outside all day while they were gone to work. When the girl came home she could not find Scratchy squirrel anywhere. She called his name and he never came. She waited and waited but he never came home. The girl saw many other squirrels and would hurry out to see them but they would only run away, they were not the squirrel she had raised and loved. The girl left some of Scratchy's favorite treat for him...pecans!! But everytime she checked they were still there. When the boy came home he sat outside and waited for his favorite squirrel to return. It started getting dark and Scratchy was nowhere to be found. The boy and girl were very sad. They thought that it was not like the squirrel to stay out so long and thought that he would come home at night...where else would he go? He had no other home. The next morning the boy and girl hurried to Scratchy's room to see if their baby squirrel had come home. They were even more sad to see that he was not there and that the pecans had not even moved. The boy and girl had to leave for work. The girl was sad, she thought Scratchy must be dead. The boy was sad, he thought something bad had happened to the squirrel. The boy was so sad he forgot his lunch at home. He went back to get his lunch and decided to look in the squirrel's room one more time. When he did, there was Scratchy Mearl Squirrel, a little disheveled and hungry from his long night. The boy was so happy he called the girl and she was so happy she cried. They were so relieved to know that their baby squirrel was still alive and survived a night in the wild like a real squirrel, but that he hadn't forgotten where his real home was! The boy and girl and baby squirrel lived happily ever after.

Blogging??

2009-04-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am going to try this blogging thing out for a while...don't expect much of anything interesting. I really am clueless to why anyone would want to read about me but I thought it may be fun to dialogue things that are going on in our lives :) We'll see!