Where do I begin??

A lot has gone since I last posted!! WOW- it's been a while. Well, where to begin??? Some friends from work threw us a house warming party- that was a lot of fun. I got lots of pretty things. I was able to make it to Tupelo twice in the past month. I went once for fun and another time for Ashton's birthday which was a lot of fun too! :)I have been playing with my new sewing/embroidery machine a lot trying to get used to it and hopefully learning how to do something halfway decent and creative. I was able to monogram and add ribbon to a burp cloth for a friend of mine that turned out pretty decent. I should've taken a picture of it because it's really the only thing I have made- ha! I am still learning and I am loving it! I am going to try some new things this weekend and next week while I am off for the week!! YAY!! I am so ready for a break from school for a little while. We are also going to be visiting with J's parents on the beach during Thanksgiving which will be fun- We are looking forward to that! I really decorated for the first time this fall in our new home. I am also excited about taking it down and decorating for Christmas. I have bought some of my gifts already and I have wrapped a couple. I plan on wrapping 2 more tonight. I love wrapping gifts! My little sister came to town this past weekend- she was here for a test but we still had fun! We hung out which we never get to do- went shopping and had lunch together (thanks Daddy!!) on Saturday. I hated to see her go- but we'll be seeing each other again soon! While Becky was visiting I was cooking supper so I told her to go look around at the decorations in the formal living/dining. I was at a point where I could leave supper alone and walked in there with her. She started laughing hysterically and said, Why do you have a plastic lizard on this Waterford Crystal picture frame? I immediately ran- because I knew it wasn't plastic. So I called Brooke my lizard catcher and her and Becky caught him and set him free. It took them a long time. That lizard was huge and he had the longest tail. Well I am off to finish supper and hopefully try a little sewing! :) Maybe I'll have pictures next time!

4 weeks

4 weeks ago is the last time I wrote??? maybe I'll have time this weekend....

fresh pineapple

I looked at my blog and realized the last time I wrote I had sinus junk going on.... well, once again I am under the weather with sinus junk. I actually took a half day at work. I hate not being there so if I leave you know I don't feel good. I came home and slept the whole afternoon. I am not worried that I will not be able to sleep tonight because I am still tired. Enough about that. I had a great weekend. J and I did a little shopping. We bought a new bedspread and a little wall decor.

this is the pillow sham from the bedspread
it looks white but it's cream and black

should have zoomed in on the wall decor
i love it!!

Brooke and I decided to finish the foyer this weekend. It's been calling my name for a long time. The 2nd week we were in our house the wallpaper came down with the help of Josh's parents. We stripped the wallpaper but there was a lot of backing left on the wall.

my father in love stripping wall paper

We used DIF and it worked awesome but there was still some glue left behind. Brooke and I worked all Friday evening getting the rest of the backing off the wall- We couldn't get it all because some of it just wouldn't come off. J was working on some other home improvement projects so he left the painting to Brooke and me. Well here are the results:

before (with wall paper)

after (sorry about the glare and the mess)
The French doors lead to the formal living/dining room

I love the color. J and I picked it out before we bought the house, it's called Fresh Pineapple. I love it!!! We are hopefully going to paint our bedroom this weekend or the next. Creamy buttermilk is the color. We are interested in seeing how this is going to work... the walls are chocolate brown right now. I love the color but it matches nothing we have. J and I knew we wanted to paint it before we moved in because it is too dark for us. So I am very anxious about painting again- it was a lot of fun but also a lot of work! :) All well worth it!!

Short and Sweet

I am still very tired from the sinus junk I've had going on for a little while. It got better then worse and now I am better again. I am still a tiny bit under the weather and if I'd allow myself a whole day off from work to rest I'd be okay but I just can't do it. I'll use this coming up LONG weekend to rest and relax. I am hoping to not do much. Clean the house and that's about it. Going shopping tomorrow to pick up a few things here and there and hopefully find something for our built ins and mantle- they are soooo bare. Also our 1st guest bedroom's colors are brown and gold-SO I am desperately trying to find some things to put in that bedroom- there are built ins in the guest bedrooms so- I am trying to fill them up. Well not fill them up but make them look nice- not bare.
I am still letting my hair grow out but I found an organization in MS that will take 6 inches. They are located on the coast and it all started when cancer patients lost their wigs due to katrina. I've e-mailed them and I am very excited about donating my 6 inches- I still have a ways to go though. I started taking prenatal vitamins to hopefully help my hair grow and I was sooo sick- I had to stop taking them. So I am just going to have to have patience.
We are enjoying our home minus the lizards. We had one in our bedroom the other night. Oh I didn't sleep in there that night and only one night since. However, J and I have been in separate beds hoping to stop sharing what ever it is we keep passing to one another. :)
I am tired daily from my 26 little friends at school. They keep me on my toes and busy, busy!!!
I am ready for this coming weekend.
I am very excited about shopping tomorrow- hoping to find some good deals. I am def going to Kirkland's Home Store (my favorite place) for as long as I can stand it. I always leave with a headache. Sam's (for groceries), Target, and Pier 1. Hopefully I'll find some stuff at one of these places.
Hopefully I'll post again before too long.
Oh yeah- we have a garden planted :)

Another "update"? Very random

I have been so busy the last couple of weeks. (excuses, excuses, who hasn't been busy!!) Every time I wanted to post I was just too tired to do so. I started school last Thursday. I have 26- yes 26 precious first graders in my class. It's going to be a great year!
Tonight I helped give a house warming party for a friend from church. She got some nice stuff. Lots of gift cards and money (my favorite gift!!) I made brownies, pineapple upside down cake (it was so good) and fruit salad.
I am also still letting my hair grow- I have not cut it well.... I got it trimmed right before school- just 1/2 an inch to get the dead ends off- I feel like it has just stopped growing and it's been so humid lately my hair looks like it's no longer than to my chin.
I read a book to my students that I highly recommend:

My students really enjoyed the book. I wasn't sure if they understood it until we really discussed it. But they do understand it now. It's the cutest book. It's all about treating others the right way. I think it's great to start teaching them certain things at such a young age and how to treat someone is a very important subject. I have an idea to go along with this book - So if I get to it I'll post pictures :) We shall see. I went to a workshop this summer called capturing kids hearts. This book coincides with that workshop very nicely. But workshop or not we can all use this book as a reminder and a teaching tool.
Josh bought me a lap top! So excited. I am really enjoying it. I like to lay in bed and surf the internet. I must add, he is enjoying using it too! :)
We're still settling in. I would like to get a few more things- but it's just stuff- it can wait! I am working on pictures right now. We have lots of built ins (to dust) :) so I am wanting to fill the shelves with pictures of family and friends.
Okay- it's 9:15- past my bed time- ha!

just a quick update

I wrote that I hope to be donating my hair at the end of August...Well I think it's going to be more like October. It is growing fast but after I get it cut I don't want it to be super short. Therefore I have to let it grow more than expected! Oh well... I've been wearing A LOT of pony tails this summer- I do have a hair appointment next Tuesday to get my hair trimmed at 1. Josh said he is dreading this because he said every time I go for a trim they always cut too much- have I mentioned how much he likes my long(er) hair? He loves it!!
Well... this is a boring post- but it's a rainy Saturday- I have already watched some Reba, read a little bit, took 2 naps, and it's only 4:15- it seems like it should be 9:15-
I guess I'll go do something constructive now (maybe!!).

Leigh Prince, this is just for you!

Every time I see this sign, I think about Leigh's hilarious post about being pulled over on the trace for "non-recrealtional hauling" .
I told Josh the story as best I could (while we were on the trace this morning) because he was wondering why my camera was in my lap. So while we were on the trace and Josh was doing right at 30mph in a curve, I rolled my window down and hung my arms and camera out the window just to get this picture for Leigh! :)
And I know you were being a good friend and helping someone move, but the way you talked about the park ranger was just too funny!!