Free Loader

The other day Ryan was on his way home from work and noticed huge piles of brick from a demolished building. So he pulled over and chatted with the a lady next door to them. She owned the building and didn't want them anymore. A couple of days later, we hopped in the truck and loaded the Red Baron up. Several people stopped and decided to load up also. The bricks have been sitting there for weeks . . . sometimes all you have to do is ask.

Heifer Ranch

Today we visited the Heifer International Ranch. This is one of my favorite charities. Their mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. You can give gifts of livestock to areas in need. In exchange for the animals, the families agree to give one of its animal's offspring to another family in need. Click HERE to learn more about it.

BTW, Harrison took the second and third images . . . we may have another photographer in the family.

Tour the City

We started this evening on the town with a stop for some southern fried catfish. H pointed out all the fish on the "Lair's Wall".
Harrison makes us read his Thomas the Train books over and over again so I thought he might enjoy a trolley ride downtown. He was a little nervous about the whole situation and stuck close to dada.

The sun was setting and I snapped this pic while crossing the river. Tonight we were tourist in our own city. I think locals don't take advantages of all the happens in their cities. I'm guilty but now I'm trying to put on my tourist sneakers whenever I get a chance.

Happy Blogging

Happy 1 year blogging anniversary to me! Click HERE for the first post. It's amazing how big Harrison has gotten and how fast a year goes by. Remember to cherish each day!

Here's another photo of our dining room. I'm looking for a basket for underneath the card catalog. The lamp was a new addition that makes a world of difference in the room. I love using lamps instead of overhead lights (it's cozier).

Dining Room Update

Here's the latest shot of the dining room. I went with the darker brown sheer curtains and am getting ready for spring with the flowers on the table. Also, here's our starving artist painting. Ryan said it reminds him of Lake Como. Maybe it will be a constant reminder that we need to visit it in person one day.

No Space in Bathroom

We don't have much storage space in our bathroom. For months, I've been trying to figure out a unique storage unit for towels. Hmmmm.

Cork Board Project

I've been trying to find the perfect cork board for Harrison's room. The wall space above his dresser is pretty big so I needed it to be a decent size. I found this poster frame which will be a good size once turned horizontally. Wal-Mart sells 12" x 12" cork board panels in 4 packs. I ended up with two extras but I have another project for them (you can see a sneak peak of that project in the corner of the photo).

Starving Artist

I've seen the commercials for years, "Starving Artist Sale This Sunday Only". I've always wanted to go and check it out but can never remember when and where. So this weekend I made a point to check it out. It actually was a lot better than I was picturing. Did we find a painting for the living room . . . you'll have to wait and see.

Farmer Brown

Someone is hamming it up for the camera. Moove over Farmer Brown (yes, I'm corny).

Thinking of You

Ryan and I tend to hit the sack at different times. I'm up reading or working and he's enjoying speed demos. Occasionally, I'll walk into the bathroom and find my toothpaste already squeezed on my brush. I try to return the gesture whenever I think about it. It's the little things in life/love that don't cost a cent but make your heart smile.

Porta Potty

Ryan is learning a second profession as a handyman. Tonight he ripped the out the old, rusty sink and assembled the new pedestal one. I'm so proud of all his new skills.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is one of my favorite masses to attend. It's hard to describe in words but there's something very special about it. Thus also begins the lenten season. Most people talk about giving up candy, chocolate, tv, etc. One year, I gave up caffeinated beverages, another time was driving while talking on the cell phone. I've only been Catholic for a few years so I'm still new to this. I decided this season I'm going to concentrate on others.

The other day, I accidently took my cell phone for a ride in the washing machine. Two co-workers suggested putting it in a bag of rice overnight to help dry it out. No such luck. When I went to the local phone store, the sales rep was extremely helpful and didn't try to talk me into anything I didn't want. This was probably the best experience I've had at that type of store. So I asked for his card and his manager's card. Tonight I'm going to compose an email praising his helpfulness and courtesy. Everyone likes to know when they are doing a good job, pass it on.

Jars of Grains

About a month ago, I decided to put all of our grains/spices in jars to display on a shelf in the kitchen. I still make super porridge for Mr. H so it's handy to grab off the shelf. It's the little bit of Martha Stewart in me.

I'm coming up to my one-year blogging anniversary! I can't believe how fast time flies. I haven't figured out if I'm going to take a break, keep photographing daily, change the theme, only post every once in awhile . . . . hmmm.

Tall Doggy

Harrison is fascinated with dogs. He knows every house in the neighborhood that has a canine companion. As we approach, he'll point and say "bark, bark". At this house, the owners have created a ledge for the dogs to yell at anyone passing on the sidewalk. It doesn't bother us and we keep on coming back for more.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Sunday was pretty low key which is exactly how I like it. I found the perfect spot for my new spice jars above the sink in the kitchen. Since we don't have an Anthropologie in town I had to order them online. Get it? 143?

Scratch, Scratch

Harrison was sharpening his nails this afternoon at Pet's Mart. I'm just happy he didn't try to climb the post. Several times a day, he pretends he's a dog by panting, barking and licking. I've been on the receiving end of all activities and it's pretty cute. Good boy.

Hot Cat, Hot Roof

Tonight we saw the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams at the Repertory Theatre. Ryan received bonus creativity points for this idea. It was a great production and I'm amazed at all the actors (especially Maggie the Cat) who could memorize all those lines! Now I'd like to rent the movie with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman.

Icy Conditions

I really hate driving in the snow/ice (and at night). I hit the brakes and snapped this picture. Something about a road disappearing into the distance makes me nervous/excited.

Contrast

If it's going to be cold, there might as well be snow on the ground! I'm starting to long for spring.

Work, Work, Work

The past couple of days have been extremely busy preparing for our annual sales meeting. Here's one shot of an elevator cling (series of three) that I'm very pleased with. This is the one time of year our group collaborates together to showcase our talents. In the end, it's always well worth the effort.

Winter Wonderland

I woke up this morning and SURPRISE it's a winter wonderland. I love the way everything looks covered in snow. I might have to frame this one so I can daydream about it when it's hot and muggy out.

A Nest of a Treat

Check out these cute little baby shower treats. She's having a boy so the blue eggs were perfect. I think they were made with small pretzel sticks covered in chocolate.

Mooey Mud

So this is how you make chocolate milk!

Twice The Joy

Today I had a photo shoot with the boys. It was my first time photographing twins and they were little angels. I can't get enough of little toes :)

Big Boy

Check out the big boy shoes and outfit! My mom finally found him some black shoes. In case you're wondering, black is his favorite color. Hence, his favorite song is "Bah, Bah, Black Sheep". Luckily he's not into wearing all black . . . yet. I did find some black candles the other day and he might have a Over The Hill theme party for his 2nd birthday :)

Curtain Dilemma

Our dining room is in desperate need of a homey feel. I still have to hang pictures/paintings but I haven't figure out which ones yet. In my head, I have an idea to paint a big picture for the wall to the right. We'll see. I found a pair of sheer celery green curtains (on the chair to the left) but then I decided they matched the wall too much. These are the only windows in the room so I like the idea of sheer curtains. I've exchanged them for a brown but now I'm wondering if it's too much brown? Our rug is dark brown with a green/rust floral design. What do you think? I could accent with a brighter color? It's hard to have anything on the table with a toddler constantly spilling food . . .

Poop

Harrison's vocabulary is really exploding and it's fun to hear what he has to say. Tonight when we flipped to the "K" page, he pointed to the kitten and said "meow, meow", he skipped the killer whale, the keys were "teys (keys), lock, lock" then he looked at the kiwi and said "poop". I said "well, yes I guess it kinda looks like poop but it's also called a kiwi."

Book List

I normally have a stack of magazines and/or books on my night stand. Here's what is on deck tonight. First up, "Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyer, this is the final book of the Twilight saga. My SIL had the first book and I kinda stumbled upon it by accident. Of course, I had to read all of them to find out what happens. This last book feels different than the others and what I thought would be the climax happened at the beginning. I'm not sure how they are going to make a movie from it but my guess is that it will be pretty gory. I really hate to watch movies after I've read the books; they never live up to it and sometimes end up ruining it for me.

The next two "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" (humor category) by David Sedaris and "Superfreakonomics" (nonfiction) by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner were both Christmas/birthday gifts. The bottom one is a cookbook featuring recipes and photography from New York as part of the Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World series.

And I almost forgot, the two thin ones are both related to creating collages. The Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth has been with me for a long time and the other is Somerset Studio magazine which was recently purchased. This may sound crazy but I've been thinking about creating collages similar to these for about five years now. Why haven't I done it? Good question. Let me know if you have the answer. Maybe I'm afraid mine will look really crappy so if I spend a decade thinking about it, surely it will look halfway decent?!?