Confessions of Jenny

Kitchen Update

2012-01-29T16:01:00.000-06:00

Whenever people see my house for the first time, the room that gets the most comments is the kitchen. Plus it has the most hits here on the blog, so I thought it was time to give a bit of an update. Not much has changed in the kitchen, but I did rearrange a few of the accessories a couple of weeks ago, so it's time to show you all some new photos. For those of you who haven't read about the renovation, click here. :)

One of the new additions is my retro KitchenAid mixer. My gma found it for my aunt at a garage sale, so I traded my white one out. Plus I got the cool glass bowl for Christmas.

One of my favorite things about my kitchen is the open shelving under the bar.

My bowling lane counter tops. Best decisions ever. They've lasted 2 years now without any oiling, re-finishing, or other up keep.

And a few more accessory shots....

Post Cards

2012-01-28T11:26:00.000-06:00

A Christmas Centerpiece

2011-12-05T08:38:00.030-06:00

Am I the only one who dreams all through November about the amazing Christmas decor I'm going to whip out come Thanksgiving? I comb through Pinterest and Better Homes & Gardens and blogs for inspiration. I tell myself that my Christmas decor is going to be epic this year with wreaths, greenery, crafts, ornaments, ribbon, tinsel, candles, and glitter. Lots of glitter.

Then come the fourth Friday in November, I drag out tote after tote of red and green. Then I look at all the boxes piled in my kitchen and get a bit overwhelmed. And I cry. No I don't really cry, but I kind of wish I could just show guests my pretty Holiday board on Pinterest when they visit. I'd say, "Oh, no, I didn't put up a Christmas tree this year, but I pinned 8 of them. All different themes. And I pinned 14 DIY wreaths. That's right, 14. How many do you have?"

Eventually I get over my despair, and I call Momma, and get to decorating. I find myself enjoying the memories each piece brings as I unwrap it and give it a home for the season. My decor may not end up being as epic as planned, and that's okay. My house looks like Christmas, which makes me happy. And the thing that makes me most happy right now (besides the sign I showed you yesterday) is my centerpiece. I like how simple and sweet it is. Who doesn't love Bell jars and empty picture frames? Well, I'm sure those people are out there, but they are not friends of mine, and I don't ever plan to be friends with those people.

This post has been linked to: The Lettered Cottage Tablescapes for Christmas

My Christmas Craft

2011-12-04T20:33:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I get ideas for projects, and I think through it, and then I decide that I should wait until a more opportune time to paint my table or rearrange my guest room. Then there are other times that I decide I should paint a door to use for Christmas decor instead of clean my house, go grocery shopping, or work on photos.

This is that door.

Yes, I should have used a level. Yes, I should have planned it out a little bit before just free handing the lettering. But I still love it.

In case you can't read it, it says...

In this home,

Christmas

is about

our Savior

laughing together

singing around the piano

Praising God

giving generously

showing compassion

sharing our joy

celebrating His birth

kissing under the mistletoe

blessing others

loving others

being kind to others

the manger

peace and hope

Family Time

Jesus.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-24T11:04:00.000-06:00

I'd say today of all days is an appropriate day for Thankful Thursday. :)

Grocery stores that remain open the morning of Thanksgiving so you can run in and buy one more package of yeast.
God's faithfulness to me. I don't know what His plan is, but I know He is good, and I can rest in that.
My family and friends. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am to have them around me.
Fun Jazzercise sessions to kick of Thanksgiving.
A sense of humor. Life would be dull without it.
The beauty that surrounds us daily - how can you go through autumn and not notice it?
A job that I truly enjoy going to everyday.
A job that gives me three days off to celebrate Thanksgiving!

So many things I could list. My cup runneth over.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

2011-11-19T09:36:00.002-06:00

Get ready, Internet, because this might just be the most amazing cookie cake you've ever experienced. I have had 2 guys tell me that if they weren't married, they would marry me based on this cake. I've had people tell me I should sell them and become rich. It's powerful, I tell you. So let's get started.

Start by preheating your oven to 375.

Then go gather the ingredients because otherwise you'll have to run to HyVee in your workout clothes and everyone will stare at you because you are in capris and a tank top when it's 31 degrees outside. Not that I would know anything about that.

I know they say to mix all the dry ingredients first, but I don't do that. I put my 2 cups of butter flavored Crisco in my mixer and let it get beat to a pulp with 2 cups of brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar while I mix the dry ingredients.

(I was trying to be all Pioneer Woman on this tutorial and show you step by step, but it ended up as a mess. I don't know how she does it. So there are a lot of photos missing from this point on.)

So while the butter and sugar are blending, I sift 4 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of salt into another bowl. (Confession: Sometimes I don't feel like using another bowl, so I just add it in at the end and skip this step.) Here's a photo of Kody because he sits there and begs the entire time.

Okay, so we go back to the butter and sugar mixture at this point. Keep scraping down the wet ingredients and let them get mixed in really well. You'll need to add 3 Tablespoons of vanilla (yes, 3 Tablespoons, that's key), 1 teaspoon of water and 4 beaten eggs.

Now you're ready to add in the flour mixture. Here's my trick to keep flour from getting everywhere. I take a tea towel, and wrap it around my mixer, leaving a little space in the back where I can spoon in the mixture. It works as a guard and I don't have to put any new attachments on.

Then it's time to add in 18 oz. of chocolate chips...at least. Throw more in if you feel like it. Add some M&Ms or nuts or Reese's Pieces. Whatever your heart desires. Mix them in well, and savor the dough goodness. (I am not responsible for you consuming raw egg by tasting the dough.)

Then get 2 round pans and spray them generously with Pam spray. (Or the off brand equivalent because you're too poor to buy brand name.)

Spoon your mixture into the cake pans, but DO NOT fill the pans all the way. In fact my photo has just a little too much dough. DO NOT spread it all the way to the edges...unless you like really crispy edges, then I guess you could.

Pop them in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Don't over bake them. They should still be a little jiggly when you take them out. One of my friend's moms told me that you know cookies are done when they are no longer shiny, and it works like a charm. Pull them out, let them cool, then find your favorite chocolate icing. Here's mine...

Put a dab of icing on a pretty plate to hold the cake.

Then turn one cookie cake face down on the plate...

Cover it in icing.

And place the other cookie cake on top. The result is the best cookie cake ever.

Really you could use any chocolate chip cookie recipe, but here's mine because I think it's the best. To each her own, though.

41/2 c. flour

2 t. salt

2 t. baking soda

2 c. butter flavored Crisco

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

3 T. vanilla

1 t. water

4 eggs

18 oz. chocolate chips

Bake for 9 min @ 375

For cookie cake bake 15-18 min @ 375

And you'll need chocolate icing.

Enjoy!

2011-11-16T21:04:00.000-06:00

I have a new love. His name is Pinterest. He is full of inspiration, beauty, and all around wonderfulness. If you haven't discovered it yet, go there right now. Don't read this post. Don't check your Facebook. Don't take a bathroom break. Go to Pinterest. Request an Invite (or let me know and I'll send you one). Start pinning. Oh, and you can follow me in the mean time. Here are my boards. To say that I'm addicted is kind of an understatement. I'm addicted to coffee. I'm obsessed with Pinterest. This sounds like I'm a crazy woman, and I'm not....

But here's the thing about Pinterest, you have to describe all of your pins. That can get annoying at times because there are certain images that are just pretty and don't need a description, so I just hit the space key a couple of times and post it anyway. It's my little trick. But there are times when I want to describe a pin, so I write things like cute or love it or LOVE it depending on how I really feel. Since I'm sick of those three descriptors, I made myself a list of new ones. Here it is in case you need it too.

And I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to check my Pinterest.

Who needs skinny jeans?

2011-11-15T16:12:00.000-06:00

This weekend I went on a mini-vacation with my friend Beth to visit our friend Holly. On Sunday morning we were getting ready for church We had planned to go to the 9:30 service, but ended up at the 12:30 service. We weren't quite as ambitious in the morning as we had been the night before. Which is totally irrelevant to this story, but I think it's something you all might be able to relate to.

So there we are getting all spruced up, and it comes time for me to put my boots on. I love boots. I love them more than coffee, but less than autumn, so you can figure out where they go on my list. Maybe even more than freshly shaven legs and clean sheets - because that's the great thing about boots, you don't have to shave your legs. Any excuse I have to not shave, I gladly accept. We're getting off topic here...

Anyway, so Holly and Beth were astounded at the fact that I was wearing capris and boots and told me to blog about it, so here I am. (Funny how I can sum up the whole reason for the post in one sentence, but have to give you 2 paragraphs to get here.)

I've seen this tutorial popping up on Pinterest lately, and it's a great tip, but you don't have to struggle with trying to get your boots into jeans.

Source: styleberryblog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Just use capris instead. Here is my photo tutorial because really there is no other way to say it.

Notice how much better the third picture looks with my leg bent? Posing tip: Put all of your weight on one foot because it tends to make you look leaner because it changes your posture. :)

And that's it.

In case you're wondering the boots come from DSW and the capri's are Silver brand, but I don't know where I bought them. And the scarf is from the Target clearance rack.

So don't put your summer clothes away just yet. You've got to save them to wear with your boots.

It's Photo Season

2011-11-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

I love autumn. It's seriously one of my favorite things, and one of the best things about it is the light. The way the sunshine filters through the trees and takes on the golden hue of the leaves is amazing. It makes for pretty pictures. Plus it's just before Christmas card season, so it works out well. I've been busy taking family photos, so I thought I would share some with you.

forty.five

2011-11-13T20:57:00.001-06:00

I don't want to write this post. I have been avoiding it for some time now. I would rather write about my tips on wearing jeans with boots (because apparently Holly and Beth need me to write about that) or show you all more photos of my house, but I'm feeling prompted to write this. For the entire Internet to see. Which scares me.

Recently I stumbled upon a blog called Can You Stay for Dinner? To say that it's inspirational is an under statement. Andie writes about food and her journey of losing 135 pounds, and I saw so much of myself as I ~~stalked~~ browsed through her archives. It made me realize that keeping my story to myself is selfish. There could be a girl out there who is going through the same things as me. Who needs to hear someone say the things she has been thinking out loud. Even though this is uncomfortable for me, I'm going to do it. I'm going to write about my weight loss. I've done this before, but it's time for me to come back to it.

In the past 7 months I have lost 45 pounds. That's 7 newborn babies. 5 gallons of milk. 2 cinder blocks. 1 bag of dog food. Have you ever tried to lift a big bag of dog food into a shopping cart? It isn't easy. I often make myself look life a fool trying to do so, but that is a different post for a different day. Most people say, "45 pounds, that's awesome!" or "Wow, that takes a lot of dedication." or "You look amazing!" I hear all of these things, but I don't feel them. I still feel like the Jenny that carried 8 more inches around her waist. I still look in the mirror and see the Jenny that pushed sizes she swore she would never wear. It wasn't until I stumbled across a few of these photos on Facebook tonight that I realized I have changed.

The top 3 are my starting point. The bottom 3 are my current point.

I am learning a lot right now about loving myself as is. I'm learning that weight is not everything. I'm learning about loving food, and not longing for it. I'm learning about acceptance, motivation, health, nutrition, body image, exercise, and inspiration. But most of all, I'm learning to view myself the way God sees me. I can't wait to tell you all about it, and let you join me in this journey. Are you ready?

Postcards!

2011-11-06T17:56:00.000-06:00

A favorite quote

2011-11-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

I read this quote a few years ago, and since then it has been a favorite of mine. It is written on the chalk board in my office. It's a good reminder that life is meant to be lived.

“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.”
― Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life

And a pretty version....

B-I-N-G-O

2011-10-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

The title of this blog pretty much gives away the topic - I guess that's the point though.

Anyway, my grandma turned 70 this week, so we decided to celebrate the way that any normal family would....with a rousing game of BINGO. There may have been dinner and cake and lots of friends surprising grandma by traveling hundreds of miles to be there that night too, but who can remember those things when BINGO was involved?

The game was Momma's idea. She really wanted to change it to HAZEL instead of BINGO since that is gma's name, but Momma decided that people might not think that was cool - but now BINGO, that's the definition of cool. It actually was pretty fun, and I learned a thing or two...

1. My cousins and I will do anything for Sour Punch Straws. Momma had all kinds of prizes for us, but one was a bag with 7 packages of Sour Punch Straws. (If you haven't had Sour Punch Straws, you are living an incomplete life. I wish I were joking, but they are that amazing.) Anyway the BINGO odds were not in my favor, and I learned the true frustration of BINGO because you have no control over what number is being called. All I needed was I - 16 and then suddenly my cousin Paige yelled out BINGO and won the best prize of the night.

2. My grandpa continues to make us all laugh. He joined in on the second round of the game. He felt the need to repeat everything Momma was saying, but not always directly after. Sometimes he would even say it before. And sometimes he would just yell out the number he was needing, thereby confusing all of us thinking that O-71 had been called when in reality it was just a random number gap was saying. Turns out that listening is an important skill to have in BINGO.

3. My cousins are very concerned about fairness, so if you decide to play with 2 cards while they are playing 1, it's pretty much the worst thing ever in the history of BINGO.

And finally because it was gma's birthday, we had to take a quick cousin photo...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

2011-10-27T23:23:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd share my journal entry from tonight because it makes me happy, and it might make you happy too.

Here is the list in case you can't read it on the photo...

1. Falling asleep to rain and thunder

2. Finding money in last year's coat pocket

3. Feeling pretty

4. Holding hands with a boy - especially cute ones (not that I've done this lately)

5. Towels straight from the dryer

6. New haircuts - that actually look how you imagined

7. Opening a new book

8. Playing your new fav song on repeat --> with the windows down

9. Wishing on a star

10. Waking up at 2:30 am and realizing you get to keep sleeping

11. Pretty packages

12. Coffee shops + friends + time to kill

13. Holding a warm mug on a chilly day

14. Pretty handwriting

15. Vacuumed floors - especially if I didn't have to do it

16. Flowers

17. Random texts from friends

18. Walking my dog

19. Painted fingernails

20. Glitter

21. The smell of cookies baking

22. Thunderstorms

23. Clean sheets and freshly shaven legs

24. Gorgeous autumn trees

25. Gorgeous autumn light

26. Mail from a friend

27. Inside Jokes

28. Encouragement at just the right moment

29. Winks ;)

30. Laughing to the point of tears

31. New socks

32. Good hair days back to back

33. The first swim of the summer

34. Picking out produce at the grocery store - or better yet, at the farmer's market

35. Handmade quilts

36. Running into an old friend while running errands

37. Decorating for a season or holiday

38. Sudden weather changes

39. Surprising a friend

40. Long road trips

41. That feeling just after brushing your teeth

42. Trying a new recipe- and loving it

43. Blog comments

44. A pen that writes really well

45. Nostalgia

46. Snap shots framed and on my desk

47. Quotes

48. Taking off my bra at the end of the day

49. When the clock reads my birthday (10:17)

50. Even numbers.

P.S. Please excuse the fact that this is a cell phone photo.

Exciting News...

2011-10-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be an aunt again!!

A Fridge Update

2011-10-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

Sharpies and I are a dangerous combination. There's just something alluring to me about the permanence of the ink. Plus they can write on almost any surface. The inventor of Sharpies might be my hero. Do you think his name is Mr. Sharpie? Or maybe it was a woman. Or a teenager who was really into graffiti, but allergic to spray pain. Regardless they should get a prize. A plaque maybe. But instead of being engraved it should be written in Sharpie. Or you could just give them my fridge door because it has been Sharpie-ed. See for yourself...

I may go back and add more details to the frame later. I wanted to do something more baroque, but this is what happened when I started free handing it. (Note: I did use a ruler to keep the lines straight, but I din't really measure.) I'll keep you all updated if I make any changes.

P.S. Remember the last time I took a Sharpie to my kitchen?

28 Before 28

2011-10-22T12:00:00.046-05:00

Yesterday I reviewed the goals I wrote for my 27th year. No, it did not go well. In fact I was a little embarrassed by them, but I still posted them because I feel like it made me a better person. That's not true. The real reason I posted them was because I had nothing else to write about. Since I am doing my best to come up with blog material so that my cousins will stop bugging me on Facebook to keep updating my blog, I thought it would be best to do another list for this year.

I told Momma that my goal this year was to go from being a "hot mess" to "hotness." It's only one letter difference, so it can't be that hard. Hopefully these 28 things will help me get there.

Sew a dress or skirt
Watch the movie "What About Bob" - seriously, I'm going to watch it this year
Get married - I'm claiming it. :)
Finish decorating my back patio
Get in the habit of sending cards to friends
Start using reusable bags 100% of the time at the grocery store
Hit my weight loss goal
Go on vacation some place new
See a shooting star
Build a snowman - yes I put it on again this year. :)
Get a new camera
Go a month without sugar - yep, this one's back again this year, too.
Get into a regular work out routine
Read Pride and Prejudice again
Learn how to drive a stick shift - need to find someone who owns a stick shift
Bake bread from scratch
Figure out how to solve a Rubix Cube
Photograph my whole family
Bake something new
Deep clean my house
Makeover my blog
Make a photo book of my college years - I will get this done some day!
Ride a roller coaster
No fast food for a month
Do a puzzle
Do not complain about anything for a week
Make 4 new friends
Have a girls weekend

Wish me luck, Internet. Heaven knows I'll need it.

Twenty-Seven

2011-10-21T23:28:00.003-05:00

This blog post is for Kristen. If you beg enough on my Facebook wall, I'll update my blog. To be quite honest, Internet, I just haven't felt very inspired lately. I have had a lot going on, but I do want to be better. So for now, forgive my intermittent posting, and maybe someday I will be a regular blogger again. :)

This week I turned 27 years old. Typing it brings a whole new reality to it. Some of you may remember that I was keeping a 27 things to do before turning 27 list. Here are those things with my accomplishments....and of course the failures. To be honest more failures than I'd hoped for.

Watch the movie, "What About Bob?" - FAIL - You'd think this would be an easy one. Some day. :)

Visit Chicago - FAIL - I had the chance, but chose my gap's birthday party instead.

Knit a scarf - FAIL - I did however, crochet a hat.

Start my doctorate - FAIL - I'm too undecided about what to study or if I even want a doctorate.

Get photography business onto The Knot - FAIL - In fact, I'm kind of pulling back on photographing weddings. I prefer to shoot with Cherish as a second shooter instead of being the main.

Enter a 5K - FAIL. Although I did start to run....a little.

Memorize a book of the Bible - FAIL - But I've been memorizing a verse a week with my small group girls

Sew something pretty - ACCOMPLISHED - I've sewed a few little things, but I'd like to sew a dress or something cool like that.

Finish decorating my mud room - ACCOMPLISHED - And thanks to my amazing Momma it is now organized to a T

Clean out my linen closet - ACCOMPLISHED - Now if only I could say the same about my office....

Take 1 picture every day - FAIL - I want to try to pick this one up again

Go camping - FAIL - We were all geared up and ready to go in April, but we ended up at my uncle's house both nights.

Blog every day for a month - FAIL - Sorry, Internet, I know how important this one was to you, too.

Make a photo book of my college years - FAIL - I'd totally forgotten about this one!

Read 50 books - ACCOMPLISHED - I can't list them, but I have read at least 50 books this year. One of the joys of being a librarian.

Try Yoga for a month - FAIL - I did however try a class.

Donate 10 inches to Locks of Love - FAIL - I'm hoping to get a few more inches before I donate.

Try a new restaurant - ACCOMPLISHED

Make my bed every day for a month - FAIL - I just don't have the desire to make my bed daily.

Fast Facebook for a week - ACCOMPLISHED - Although not on purpose. It was a matter of busy-ness combined with fasting.

Memorize one verse of the Bible each month - ACCOMPLISHED

Build a snowman - ACCOMPLISHED

Give up sweets for a month - ACCOMPLISHED - And I'm doing it again soon.

Teach Kody a new trick - FAIL - He is terribly trained. Some day I'll get my act together. :)

Clean and decorate my back porch - SOMEWHAT ACCOMPLISHED - I hope to continue sprucing it up

Play in a poker tournament - FAIL - I don't even think I played poker this year

Taste a new fruit - ACCOMPLISHED - Kumquat. It was decent.

Okay, so I got 11/27. Not my best work. But here I did a lot of unlisted things in the past year, like take a road trip to Colorado, start leading a small group for freshmen girls, grow a garden with pumpkins....I'm sure there are other things, I'm just not thinking of them right now. Regardless, it was a good year, and I know that God has big plans for my 27th year. Tune in tomorrow for 28 things to do before turning 28. Heaven knows I need goals to keep me going.

Postcards!!

2011-09-21T17:56:00.000-05:00

Jordan and Amy

2011-09-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

I met Jordan at last year's camp for my church. I was there as the games and rec girl for the kids, and he was there playing drums for worship. During our time there he talked a lot about a girl named Amy. They weren't dating quite yet, but he was ready to ask her out. Who knew that just over a year later I'd be second shooting their wedding with Cherish? Crazy how things like that happen.

Their wedding was lovely. The day ended up being perfect after a bit of rain. I'll let the pictures tell you the story. :)

The bridesmaids were just too adorable!

This was the room where the groomsmen were hanging out. They only had the chandelier turned on, and the rest of the room was pitch black. I'm not going to lie, it was kind of creepy. :)

Peeking at the guests arriving.

Their first dance song was All About Us by He is We. It's now one of my favorite songs. So cute!

Massie

2011-08-29T21:56:00.000-05:00

I had trouble choosing my favorites to show you all, so here are a bunch of photos of a really cute little girl named Massie.

Enjoy!

My cousin, Tracie

2011-08-13T14:40:00.000-05:00

If it weren't for my cousin Tracie and her incessant ~~nagging~~ begging for blog posts, there is a good chance that this blog would have died months ago. I guess it kind of did die for a while, but I am in the process of reviving it. Anyway, Tracie turned 21 this week, and so this post is for her. (I'm lying about her age, by the way so that I don't have to write as much - and to protect her identity.)

21 Things I Love about Tracie

1. She instinctly knows when 2 o'clock rolls around because that means it's Happy Hour at Sonic.
2. She's been known to buy my drink at Sonic - but only if it's Happy Hour.
3. When her baby is throwing a fit, she calls it a come apart.
4. Her name is alliteration, which I love.
5. She named her baby Jenner after me. (That isn't entirely true, but I'm going to claim it.)
6. She comes to visit us once a year even though we don't go visit her.
7. She is also a school librarian.
8. She ~~cried~~ bawled through the last Harry Potter movie.
9. She reads my blog.
10. Not only does she read it, she tells me it's funny.
11. She brings Tonya with her when she comes to visit.
12. She can tell a story like no one I know.
13. Her little boy is adorable, and he is excellent at impersonating a monkey.
14. She comments on my Facebook albums.
15. She is a wonderful mom to Jenner.
16. She has the best Arkansas accent.
17. When referring to appointments with her OBGYN, she calls it an "open house" (Is that blog appropriate? Probably not.)
18. She is open about her Facebook stalking, which I appreciate as one of her stalkees.
19. She's hilarious.
20. She's laid back.
21. She's my relative, so that has to say something!

Happy Birthday - a little late.

Summer days slipping away....

2011-08-10T23:11:00.000-05:00

Summer is officially over for me. It's back to work, so I thought I would give a quick tribute to the lazy days of June and July - especially since I didn't blog much about it during the actual months.

Source: typographie.tumblr.com via Heidi on Pinterest

My summer started with a hiking trip with my family. We went to the Buffalo River area in Arkansas. The reason we went was Decoration Day and a family reunion. We hiked, canoed, and had a lot of fun as a family.

It ended with a trip to Colorado. (Well actually, it ended with a trip to the lake with my sister-in-laws, but I didn't take any photos there, so it doesn't get a full write up.) Anyway, in Colorado we hiked some more, drove a lot, and just enjoyed each others company. It was one of the best road trips ever. The scenery was gorgeous and the people were so much fun.

In between those trips, I hung out with friends a lot. We played volleyball, washers, card games, and stayed up way too late.

Oh, and I planted a garden. Unfortunately gardening and traveling don't really go hand in hand, but I'm still looking forward to a pumpkin harvest this fall!

Plus I spent some time at camp and VBS with my church.

The best part about my summer was I got a new sister-in-law!! Watch out world, there are 2 Jenny Colliers now!

Yep, it was a good summer.

Happy Birthday, Momma!

2011-08-09T18:36:00.001-05:00

Momma turns 51 today, so here are 51 things I love about her. (Please send up a quick prayer right now that she doesn't kill me after telling you all how old she is.)

1. She throws really good parties.

2. She puts up with me and my incessant need for words of affirmation.

3. At any given time she can come up with at least 5 routes to get you anywhere in town.

4. She's pretty good at finding cute stuff on clearance for my house.

5. She loves her grand baby more than anything. Including her own children.

6. She is a good cook. She is famous for her dirt and baked beans.

7. She allowed me to grow up without having to make my bed everyday.

8. She didn't let Dad name me Rachelle.

9. Even when we my brothers did stupid things, she never yelled at us growing up.

10. She puts up with my brothers and I.

11. She's really good at Tetris - seriously - it's a talent.

12. She taught me the importance of a good eyebrow wax.

13. She's really good at doing taxes. I'm amazed at her 10-key speed.

14. Her eye for color is the reason my house looks decent. If it weren't for her, my entry way would be puke green, and I'm not joking.

15. She can't stay awake for an entire movie.

16. She gets addicted to reality television easily.

17. She raised me right.

18. Her heart for God trumps everything else.

19. She gets tickled at my grandpa easily.

20. She listens to me whenever I go off on rants about random topics.

21. She doesn't take herself seriously.

22. She has good advice.

23. She always packed the best road trip snacks.

24. She and Dad always provided for the family.

25. She didn't let me walk out of the house without my hair brushed when I was little.

26. She was fair about who got to sit in the front seat growing up.

27. She plays piano well.

28. Growing up, she always complimented me and pushed me to my best.

29. She attended all of my band and choir concerts.

30. She puts a lot of effort into picking out the best gifts for people.

31. She's creative.

32. She makes sure that everyone at her house feels welcomed.

33. Her house always has starburst jelly beans. I don't like them, but my friends do.

34. She bought certain types of soda even though we didn't drink them because she knew they were my friends favorite.

35. She lets me invite people out to swim at her house all the time.

36. She is incredibly giving.

37. She still makes sure we eat together as a family at least once a week.

38. She selflessly devoted the vast majority of her life to raising my brothers and I.

39. I can count on her to get me a good appointment at the doctor's office.

40. She tries very hard to get us to sing around the piano at Christmas.

41. She still makes Easter Baskets and Valentine's gifts for us.

42. She reads blogs and then calls me to tell me to read them.

43. She is an excellent Facebook stalker.

44. She models being a great wife and mother.

45. She hates coffee and tea, but still makes it for Dad.

46. She packs really good lunches.

47. She has an excellent eye for decorating.

48. She is loyal to her friends and family.

49. She goes out of her way to find shoes for baby Cash and his fat feet.

50. She cleans my house for me when I'm out of town.

51. She puts up with me - although she does tell me I'm a mess at least twice a day, and she says she worries about me about fifteen times a day.

Oh, and sorry for the absence. I'm back now, so Tracie can stop calling me out on Facebook for not blogging!

Thankful Thursday!

2011-07-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I did a Thankful Thursday post, so here we go....

Cooler Weather - My brother's wedding is tomorrow, and it's outside, so I'm loving the fact that our high has been in the mid-80s this week instead of 99 degrees like it was last week.
A Good Daddy - My dad and I worked hard yesterday making my garden pretty. He was very sweaty and worn out by the end, but he's a trooper and was more than willing to help. I can't wait to show you all the finished product!
Pedicures and Manicures - We went today to get manis and pedis for the wedding, and let's just say that my feet were so bad that I apologized to my lady twice...maybe three times, but now they are lovely and I can wear sandals again without having to yell at people to stop staring at my disgusting toes.

Someone told me there's a girl out there with love in her eyes, and flowers in her hair. -Led Zeplin

2011-07-05T15:21:00.001-05:00

Every few months or so, my girl cousins and I have a slumber party. They used to be at my grandparents house, but now I've become the official host. This time we had a craft time because we're getting a new cousin (sister-in-law for me), and she always wears adorable flowers in her hair. Her name is Jenny, and we want to be just like her, so we decided to make some of our own.
I would give you step by step instructions, but we were just making it up as we went. I can tell you that you need hot glue, flowers, ribbons, and hair clips. You might also want buttons or rhinestones. All can be found at the piece of heaven we have on earth called Hobby Lobby. If you don't have a Hobby Lobby near you, I am having a moment of silence for you right now because you don't even realize that your life is not as full and complete as it could be.

The girls were crafting the night away. We didn't get started until about midnight, so I'm being literal when I say that.

I was trying to get a photo of the flower I made, so you could get an idea, but I wasn't trying very hard to get the flower in focus, so I apologize.

There is a very good chance that Hayley used 50% of all our supplies. Here she is wrapping ribbon around the hair clip. It makes it prettier, and then your hair doesn't get caught in the hinge of the clip. She made some really cute ones where she layered buttons and stuff. I should have gotten pictures, but like I said, it was midnight and we were tired.

Maybe I'll make a few more, so I can give you all better directions. I'll warn you though that they are absolutely addicting. Once you make one, you think you need 45 to go with all of your different outfits.

My life lately....

2011-07-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

I know you all just sit around all day pondering what I've been up to lately, so I've decided to take the time to tell/show you.

Editing Photos

Staring at my new couch pillows & kitchen table.

Thanks, garage sales, you're the best!

Hanging new curtains in the office.

Finding cool random metal baskets in my shed that I'd not previously looked in.

Spending a lot of time with friends.

And practicing my washers game.

Whatever you are be a good one. ~Abraham Lincoln

2011-06-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

I find it amusing how much my readers enjoy my post cards. They probably get the most comments of any other post. The other day my friend pointed out how much I talk to random things, after I had said, "Dear Coffee Pot, Please be a little quieter while brewing." I told him to please stop listening in on my conversations with inanimate objects. It's perfectly normal to talk to items around the house, and it's important to address them, so they know exactly who you are talking to.

Kim + Craig {Wedding Day Preview}

2011-06-20T07:47:00.001-05:00

Kim's mom brought her shoes from when she was a baby. I love it.

The flower girls were extra adorable!

Want to see more? Go to www.facebook.com/JennysLens

Kim & Craig - Thank you so much for letting Cherish and I photograph your special day. It was beyond beautiful. Every detail was perfect, and the day was gorgeous. I pray that your marriage is blessed with happiness and peace. You two truly are wonderful people.

"Blueberries is one of the great forces o'good in the world." -James A. Turner

2011-06-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

Last week my soon-to-be-sister-in-law offered me some chocolate covered blueberries. After one taste, I was hooked. She found them at Costco. (Isn't it amazing the things you can find at Costco?) I decided that I could make my own version, so I did, and now you can too if you follow the steps below.

1. Grab a bag of frozen blueberries and some dipping chocolate. (Melted chocolate chips works too, I'm sure.) You'll also need wax paper, but some people use aluminum foil because they don't have wax paper at their house. I might fit into that category. P.S. I dipped my blueberries frozen.

2. As tempting as it is, do not eat the chocolate straight up. It needs to be saved for the blueberries.

3. Dip the blueberries in the chocolate and leave them on the foil or wax paper or plate or whatever to set. If you're fancy like my momma, then you have a cool dipping tool that helps keep things neat and clean. If you're like me, just throw some blueberries in the chocolate and fish them out with a spoon. The key is to use your fingers so that you have chocolate that will need to be licked off later - AFTER dipping of course because otherwise it would get germy.

4. Let them sit until they are set. I put mine in the fridge, and then put them in a tupperware container and stored them in the freezer.

5. Enjoy! I took these to volleyball last week and everyone loved them. Personally, I like them better than chocolate covered strawberries, but I think that's because I like strawberries plain.

"All you need in life is a garden and a good library." -Unknown

2011-06-14T15:49:00.000-05:00

It's June 14th, and I just got around to planting my garden today. It's about 6 weeks after the intended time to plant, but you know what they say, when in Rome! Okay, that doesn't apply at all, but I'm trying to be some what funny.

This year my dad made me raised garden boxes. I'm super excited about them. I saw a garden in a magazine a few years ago with raised boxes, and I've dreamed about them ever since.

Hopefully I'll be updating this soon with a new picture that has gravel between the boxes.

Soon there will be tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, okra, lettuce, cucumbers, and a few other things.

Kody hid in the shade the entire time I was out there.

Oh, and remember how I said I was going to blog every day? Apparently, I'm a liar. I'll work on it - I promise!

“Three things are needed for a good life, good friends, good food, and good song.” Jason Zebehauzy

2011-06-07T17:52:00.000-05:00

Once a month, I have friends over for EAT which stands for Everyone Around the Table. It's so much fun, and gives me an excuse to cook and bake for other people. My friends tease me because I'm such a force feeder when people come over. I think I get it from my mom and grandma.

This week's EAT menu was my mom's strawberry romaine salad....I'll post the recipe soon.

Lasagna and bread were also on the menu, but Stoffer's helped me out there, so it's not too exciting. Don't judge me, Internet, don't judge.

I also made cheesecake. Two to be exact. I'm not posting a picture of the burned one, although I must say that it wasn't too burned. Just a little brown.

Plus we play games in the yard.

Hang out with friends!

And every now and then a random dance party breaks out in the living room. Cupid Shuffle, anyone?

If you haven't had friends over for dinner in a while, I encourage you to do so. It's such a fun time of fellowship. What is it about food that just brings people together?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2011-06-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the mouse being over the post cards. I didn't catch it in time to fix it. I'll be better next time!

I'd rather be able to face myself in the bathroom mirror than to be rich and famous. -Ani DeFranco

2011-03-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

I'm back! If any of you even realized I was missing, I just needed a short break. Well, a month is kind of a long break. I didn't intend for it to be a break, but 1 week turned into 4 before I knew it. It was much need, but I'm excited to share with you all what's been happening for the last month. Let's start with the bathroom remodel today, shall we?

Remember what my bathroom used to look like?

Seriously, I bought a house with a bathroom looking like this. Okay, the drywall was not all over the floor, but the sink and toilet were just like this. Luckily, it looks more like this today.

We moved things around a bit, so we could fit a shower in there. Now I have 2 full working bathrooms. Hooray! And yes, that is a chalk board. Sometimes people get bored while they are in the bathroom, so a good hostess keeps them entertained. :)

Eventually, I have a little project I'd like to do with the light fixture. I'll blog about it when I get to it.

The vanity was the toughest part of the whole process. I wanted something really unique. I thought about a farm house table, a pedestal sink, or painting an old vanity something funky. Then Home Depot had their "Vanity Insanity" deal, and I got this thing with the sink and all for $99, and all my ideas went out the window. The rectangle sink is what sold me on it.

The color is Shewin William's plum brown, the tiles came from a construction auction, and the mirror was in my bedroom growing up.

I promise it won't be another month before I update.

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. -Frank A. Clark

2011-03-02T16:45:00.000-06:00

Set your goals high, and don't stop until you get there. -Bo Jackson

2011-02-28T19:59:00.000-06:00

I'm really, really good at setting goals. I could win a gold medal for it. Completing goals is not my forte. Regardless, I'm chugging away at my list of 27 things to complete by the time I am 27. I've never won a chugging contest though, so we'll see how this goes. :)

Current stats....

#2 - Visit Chicago - I had a chance to go to Chicago with 3 really cool people, but I didn't go. I went to my gpa's 75th birthday party instead. I'll have to schedule another trip.

#8 - Sew Something Pretty - I don't know how pretty it is, but I have sewn a coffee sleeve, so I can save a tree or two by not using a disposable one. Here is a glimpse.

#15 - Read 50 Books - Since the last update, I have read 10 books, so I'm at a total of 12. Not too shabby if I do say so myself, and since I'm the only one who writes on this blog, I have to be the one to say so.

#19 - Make My Bed Every Day for a Month - I said I was going to start doing this, but I didn't. I lied, Internet. Please forgive me. I'll start tomorrow.

#21 - Memorize One Verse of the Bible Every Month - I've memorized 2 each month so far. Boo-yah.

#22 - Build a Snowman - See the photo at the top of this blog? That is the snowman my friend Rachel and I built. I named him Sam, and then my friend Joe sent him to snowman heaven 3 minutes later. I cried for 5 days.

#23 - Give up Sweets for a Month - I swear an alien wrote that one.

I've made it through the easy ones, but now I need to buckle down and get to work.

"Great fathers get promoted to grandfathers." -unknown

2011-02-23T06:43:00.000-06:00

Today is my grandpa's 75th birthday.

Like I've said before, he really is the #1 Grandpa. He comes to our games, buys ice cream, hangs out with us, takes us places, calls us, texts us, writes on our Facebook walls, and all the things that good grandpa's do, but to be #1 Grandpa you have to set yourself apart from the rest. My grandpa definitely sets himself apart from the rest.

There are so many stories I could tell you about gpa. Like the time he had a raffle for a clock. Or how he'd wake up at 2 am to reset his clocks for Daylight Savings. One time we were in the car, and my cousin was texting him, but he kept answering it like a phone call. He'd put it to his ear, say "hello," then say, "Oh yeah, it's a text message." This happened at least 6 times. I'm not kidding.

Grandpa definitely keeps us laughing. He dances in restaurants, talks louder than a clap of thunder, and says whatever comes into his head. Even though we love him dearly for those things, that still is not what makes him the best. He is the best grandpa because he thinks each of us are the best grandchildren. Even though we're not.

He loves us to the hilt. He is willing to sit through hours of football or basketball games to cheer us on whether we're playing, cheering, or just go to the school. He prays for each of us by name with my grandma every morning before he leaves for work. He was the one to baptize each of us. He buys special things for his great grandchildren because he just wants to see them smile. He watches hours and hours and hours of "Little Bear" because even though it's enough to push any grown human over the edge, it's Eva's favorite. We are spoiled rotten by his love and kindness, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you all because I want you to keep reading my blog.

Happy Birthday to the Best Grandpa in the World! You really are #1.

The 4th Memory Verse of the Year!

2011-02-15T17:19:00.002-06:00

Every mind is a room packed with archaic furniture. - Dee Hock

2011-02-13T15:28:00.000-06:00

The first piece of "real" furniture I ever bought was my white couch. I remember it was a Sunday evening, and I was eating dinner with my parents. My grandma called to tell me that there was a white couch on Craigslist. (She combs Craigslist like the head of a little kid with lice - sorry to make you itch, but it's true. She is the Craigslist Queen!) Anyway, I'd just purchased my house, so I needed furniture. If you tell gma that you are looking for something, I can almost guarantee she'll find it at a sale or on Craigslist within 2 weeks. It's like her spiritual gift or something. Some people are good at teaching, some prophesy, my grandma is a bargain hunter. So, after gma called, I looked up the ad, decided I needed it, called the guy selling it, and went to see it with my dad. $75 later, the couch was mine, and I loved it.

Momma did not share my love for the couch. She said it was dingy, and she hurt the couch's feelings by talking about how low it sat, and then she said I needed a new couch. Mean while, I lost the leather sofa and recliner I had in my living room to my brother. Technically they were his, but I got to use them while he lived with me. Then he bought his own house and decided that he needed a couch and recliner, so all I was left with was my white couch.

As I was furniture hunting to find something to replace what Josh took, Mom convinced me that matching couches might be cute. She conned me into flipping through Pottery Barn magazines to see the matching couches that they used. She'd point out design blogs that had matching couches all in an attempt to break my love for my white couch.....which was starting to look a little dingy. Finally, I found a sofa set that I really liked. Actually there were 2 sofas that I really liked, but then Momma had a dream that the one I really liked just wasn't right for my house. The next night she dreamt about the other sofa set, and decided that it would be the better choice.

Therefore, based on 2 dreams, the need to replace Josh's furniture, and a white couch that was looking dingy, I ended up with new living room furniture.

This is what my living room used to look like.

And this is what it looks like now

Mom got the chairs on either side of my TV for $10 at a garage sale. The original plan was to recover them, but they ended up working really well with the new furniture, so we'll see.

And as for my white couch, it's life made it full circle. I sold it on Craigslist within 24 hours of posting it. Dinginess and all.

He who sings scares away his woes. ~Cervantes

2011-02-10T18:21:00.001-06:00

I'm introducing a new regular here at Confessions of Jenny: My music playlist. I'm definitely an audio person. I don't think it is possible for me to do the laundry, clean, or get dressed without music playing in the back ground. Since I love discovering new music, I thought it would be fun for me to share some of my favorite songs every now and then. Notice that I didn't mention new. I listen to anything from James Taylor to Taylor Swift, so it won't necessarily be stuff from 2011; it will just be what is getting played the most right now. So without further adieu, here is what I'm listening to.

Hit play and listen to a few of my current favorites. :)

P.S. It took me 7 minutes to untangle my head phones, so I could get a photo for the graphic at the top. What is up with ipod ear buds and getting tangled?

Well done is better than well said. -Benjamin Franklin

2011-02-09T20:26:00.001-06:00

New bathroom Episode 1

2011-02-05T15:30:00.000-06:00

You know how I've been blogging about how I have nothing to blog about? I totally forgot that we were adding another bathroom to my house. Technically there was a bathroom in the mud room when I bought the house, but it looked like this:

Luckily, that phase is far, far behind us. In fact, really I should be on episode 3 or 4 by now, but I never even thought about blogging it. So even though we're nearly finished, I'm going to break up the reveal into a few episodes because I've learned from reality television that people like suspense, and what the people want, I give. (That's why I'm writing this post - my cousin Tracie is demanding it of me!)

The green door in my mudroom leads to the bathroom. That's why I painted it green, so that when I have guests I can just say, go through the green door. You've got to think ahead in instances like this. :)

Dad was able to fit get a shower in the bathroom as well, so now I have 2 full bathrooms.

I've had about 5 different ideas for vanities for this room. I went from wanting a wall mount sink, to a glass pedestal sink, to a farm house sink, back to a wall mount sink. Then Dad went to Home Depot one day and saw that they were having a "Vanity Insanity Sale." He convinced me to pick one of the vanities that were on sale. Personally, I think he didn't want to build me a farm house vanity, but was too nice to say so. :) Once I went and looked at them, I fell in love with this one....mainly because of the sink, and that it was only $99.

Below you can see that the light fixture is kind of over powering. I'm working on that. It's really tough to get pictures in a room that is the size of a man's closet. (A woman's closet would be twice this size!)

Oh, and the color is plum brown from Sherwin Williams. Momma picked it out. Well, I picked out a lot of purples, and she narrowed it down to this one. I was worried that it would be too dark, but once the mirror and things were hung it ended up being just right. You'll get to see those pictures next time. Hopefully by then I'll have my good camera back from the shop - fingers crossed!

Scripture Memorization #3

2011-02-01T22:07:00.000-06:00

It's February 1st, which means it's time for the third verse of the Scripture Memory Challenge. Here's what I'm memorizing.

Several excuses are always less convincing than one. ~Aldous Huxley

2011-01-26T20:38:00.001-06:00

I realize that my blogging has been sporadic lately, and I'm here to apologize. I'd love to be able to tell you that I went on a technology fast, or I escaped to an exotic island somewhere with no computer, no phone, or no mosquitos, but none of that is true. However, I do have my reasons....

10 Reasons I Haven't Blogged in a Week

10. It's tournament week

I've been coaching cheer, which has eaten up a lot of my free time.

9. The Bachelor is back on TV

I haven't even watched an episode, but I feel like it might be worth mentioning.

8. I'm having Blogger's Block

I'm considering seeing my doctor about it, but I'm not sure that it's a real disease.

7. There haven't been any snow days this week.

I haven't had to work a regular 5 day work week since the week of December 13th, so I got used to having extra blog time. Cut a girl a break.

6. There is a major bathroom re-model going on around here.

I'll be honest, I've done very little to help in this effort to this point, but I provide moral support. Trust me, Internet, my moral support is really good. I'm not sure if my dad would be able to dry wall without it.

5. My dog ate my blog.

Okay, this one is not real, but Kody likes it when he gets mentioned on the blog.

4. My camera is broken

I haven't been taking a lot of pictures lately, and I think all blog posts need a picture, so it's tough for me to blog without the pictures.

3. My friends and family aren't as exciting as they used to be

That's not true at all, but I'm running out of excuses.

2. You all set the bar too high

They say when you can't blame some thing, blame some one, so I'm blaming you, Internet.

1. I've been busy

Did you think I was going to come up with something exciting for number one? So did I, but I couldn't come up with anything....I'm blaming blogger's block.

He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rainfall, "Be a mighty downpour." Job 37:6

2011-01-19T21:29:00.000-06:00

I'm snowed in. I want to blog, but I'm having blogger's block. So instead you can listen to the same music I'm listening to as I watch the scene above out my window.

Goals are dreams with deadlines. -Diana Scharf Hunt

2011-01-17T22:57:00.000-06:00

It's time for a 27 things update! Some of you may remember my list of 27 things I want to accomplish before turning 27 (on October 17th), but if you don't just click the link and you can read the list.

As I was reading over the list for this post, I pondered in my heart why on earth I told the entire internet that I would run a 5k, knit a scarf, or give up sweets. Why didn't I commit to walking Kody around the block once or twice, buying more yarn for my ever growing collection, or giving up broccoli? Those are things I could do. None the less, the list has been made, and I am sticking to it.

Onto the things I have accomplished.

#9 - Finish decorating my mud room - DONE
   The final product can be seen here.

#11 - Take 1 photo every day - Eh.
   This was going really well, but then my "good" camera broke. (aka my non-point-and-shoot) It's getting fixed, though.

#15 - Read 50 books - 2 down, 48 to go
   I have read: Matched and The Cupcake Queen (both teen lit). I am not counting books that I'd already started before writing the list, so that rules out 6 other books, and I am certain that I'm forgetting a lot of books because I average 3 books a week.

#18 - Try a new restaurant - DONE
   Since writing the list I have tried a couple of restaurants. The first was West Side Grill in Lee's Summit, and the second was Fire Side Subs in Overland Park. The sub place was AMAZING. Seriously. I may have dreamed about them later. Oh, I also had a sandwich at a coffee shop that was remarkably good. Not really a restaurant, but worth mentioning.

That's all I've accomplished so far. I'm going to start goal #19 tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Nobody ever outgrows Scripture. The book widens and deepens with our years. -Charles Spurgeon

2011-01-15T18:00:00.001-06:00

My first year away at college I learned a lot of things:

1. I learned that community bathrooms really are the best way to get to know the girls on your floor.

2. I learned that if you were creative, you could sneak an entire meal out of the dining hall without the use of a purse or book back.

3. I learned the real value of free food, and whenever any organization was having a cook out or free chili dinner, it was worth attending.

4. I learned that no matter how crazy your room mate is, it's worth it because you end up with really good stories in the end. Seriously, I have some REALLY good room mate stories.

5. I learned that trying 8 am classes just weren't a good idea. Period.

One of the most important thing I learned though, was how to form real friendships. I am a lucky girl, and I had 3 incredible friends in college. The four of us met within the first week of us all being at Missouri State, and began having breakfast together. It started as once a week, but ended up being closer to 3 - 5 times a week. During our breakfast we would talk about what the Lord was doing, the boys we were or wished we were dating, the classes we loved and hated, the ins and outs of our day to day lives, and weather or not we were going to the Icthus event for that weekend. We would encourage each other and be accountable to each other. It was the best picture of true Christian community that I've experienced.

We were honest to the core. It was at those breakfasts that I could truly be myself. I could talk about anything and everything. I could listen to Jayne, Leah and Lenzi (I have to spell it that way, Lenz!) talk about their anything and everythings. There were are so many memories I could tell you about. We became so close that we were given the nickname B4 because there were 4 of us and we met before the day began. (We may or may not have made matching shirts....twice. And we may or may not have had our own Xanga page.) They were my college sisters, and I miss them so much.

The exciting thing for me right now, is that B4 is back...kind of. We don't get to see each other every week because we all live in different cities with very different lives. We don't even call or Skype or write, although we all wish we would, but right now we are working toward a common goal of memorizing Scripture this year. With the help of Facebook and Beth Moore's Scripture Challenge, we are holding each other accountable once again, and I'm thrilled. Together we are each memorizing 2 verses a month. Today marks the second verse of the challenge. I thought I'd start sharing the verses I'm memorizing here because it's my blog, and I want to.

Here are the two I'm working on for the month of January:

Thankful Thursday!

2011-01-13T06:39:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready to go back to work after 3 unexpected snow days. Part of me is ready, and part of me is grumbling. This is for the part of me that is grumbling because it just needs to learn how to suck it up.

Momma's and Grandma's Basements - My brother moved out which leaves me with an empty room to decorate. Thankfully I was able to score all the furniture needs from my gma and mom.
Encouraging Blogs - During my snowed in days, I got to spend a lot of time reading blogs. (Yes, Internet, I should have been cleaning, reading library books, organizing, etc. You don't have to point it out.) Anyway, it's so encouraging to read Christian blogs and hear a family's story. I love seeing God's providence in other people's lives.
My Uggs - When the temperature is below zero, there is no better shoe. Period.
My Small Group Girls - Once a week I have small group, and it is the highlight of my week. Not only are the girls beautiful, lovely and Godly women, they are also hilarious, and they put up with me and my ridiculousness. I leave there every week encouraged, challenged, and loved. It's super-fabulous.
Knitting Girls - I can't mention my small group without mentioning my knitting group. (I don't actually knit. I can, but I choose not to. I usually edit photos.) It started out as 3 girls, and has expanded to include a few honorary members. I love just chatting about our weeks and laughing at each other's stories. It's pure bliss.

God has blessed me abundantly.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:13

2011-01-11T17:24:00.000-06:00

Mud Room Re-Do Episode 7

2010-12-30T21:45:00.001-06:00

I've been blogging about my favorite photos from the year, but I'm so excited that my mud room redo that I updated you on last week is done that I had to blog about it instead and open the blog with this giant run on sentence.

It used to look like this. It wasn't even really a useable room. It was kind of a dungeon.

I'm happy to report that it now looks like this.

The green door leads into a bathroom. Well, at least it will. Currently it leads into a closet of nothingness.

Here are the new steps leading into the kitchen. We raised the floor 3 feet, so now there are only a couple of steps instead of 4 large ones.

The washer and dryer with Craigslist cabinets.

See the white cabinet in the corner? I got it for $10 at a garage sale.

It looks like this now.

The table is from Craigslist. It was maple, but Dad chopped it to the right size, painted the legs black and re-stained the top. The fabric rack is an old magazine rack I had in my office. We took off the back and hung it.

My grandma found this chair at a garage sale, and we recovered it this week.

I still have a bit of organizing to do, but the decor and such are done.

If you want to read about the entire journey, click here or here

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. -Desmond Tutu

2010-12-29T22:50:00.000-06:00

My 10 favorite family photos from 2010.

You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your father or grandfather are. - Abraham Lincoln

2010-12-28T22:46:00.000-06:00

Today is my nephew's first birthday, so I'm doing my 10 favorite photos of him from this year.

Did I say 10 photos? I meant 20. I couldn't help myself.

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

2010-12-27T20:17:00.000-06:00

I've decided to use this week of blogging to show you all some of my favorite images from the year. Today I'm doing bride and groom. Come back tomorrow to see more!

My Top 10 Wedding Couples Images of 2010

Morgan and Eric were adorable together on their wedding day! I love how her dress has movement here.

Savannah was so excited to give Michael his gift! You can see how much he loved it. It was a beautiful moment.

You would not believe how hot it was at this wedding, but the field images were so fun and classic.

This was another ridiculously hot wedding. One of the hottest weekends of the summer, but it was beautiful. See the joy in Nicolette's eyes?

This was right after their first look. Connie was one of the most radiant brides!

My favorite thing about shooting in Philly besides getting to see Steven was the history. This building was hundreds of years old!

Another one of Nicolette and Jordan. Love the bokeh! (that's a fancy word for the shape the light in the background makes.)

One more of Steven and Joy. The clouds and veil just make this one for me.

I love the stone and Wendy's smile.

The thing with this image is it doesn't show Jenna and Tyler's fun side, but I love it because it shows their connection. They're perfect for each other. Seriously.

Happy Holidays :)

2010-12-25T12:19:00.000-06:00

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age. ~Carrie Latet

2010-12-24T23:05:00.000-06:00

Warning: Extremely Random Post Ahead. Read at your own risk.

This morning I woke up and snow was falling. It wasn't a real snow, it just fell from the sky and turned to water the second it hit the ground. It was enchanting none the less. I wanted nothing more than to sit on the little love seat in my dining room and stare out the window. Unfortunately, I had things to do today which is what this post is about. Everything I did today. (I warned you to read at your own risk!)

I began my day sorting through some Christmas gifts, then running a couple of quick errands. I still had one last gift to get for tomorrow. And by that, I mean my grandma had one last gift. She appointed me her personal shopper, so she could avoid the crowds. This errand led me to the promised land of TJ Maxx where I promptly fell in love with an office chair, a rug, and a set of bed sheets. I only made it home with the bed sheets, but I'd be surprised if I don't find myself dreaming about the office chair or rug tonight.

Here's a glimpse at the sheets. They're Ralph Lauren and soft and pretty. Don't you wish you were sleeping with me tonight? Don't answer that question.

After TJ Maxx, I took a very disappointing trip to Target. That's all I have to say about that.

I hurried home to meet Cherish, my lovely second shooter, so I could get my camera back. Once I got it back, I snapped a few quick photos of my Christmas decor for you all since I haven't showed it off yet. I figure now is the perfect time to show it to you because it's too late for you to steal my ideas. (Kidding!)

Then I remembered that I promised a mud room update, so I went out there to snap a few more photos.

Here's the finished vinyl cling. It came in 4 pieces, and I had to use my dad's 4 ft. level to put it up. It took about 2 hours to complete. I designed it through Uppercase Living, and I love how it turned out.

In other news, I have a new table in the mud room. Well, as it is with everything in my house, it's not new. We found it on Craigslist and refinished it. In it's old life it was maple and blonde, now it has a medium toned top and black legs. I told my dad it could use a little funk, but he said it was classy.

This morning it had the map file under it and fabric and junk all over it. It looks like this now.

It's ever changing. Here is another view of the table. Doesn't the little organized tray make your heart flutter? No? Hmmm...maybe that's a teacher thing.

Back to my play-by-play of the day. I spent the afternoon at my new sewing machine whipping up a new pin cushion because mine was ugly. Here's how things look when I'm sewing - a huge mess.

And here's the finished product. I just went with scrap fabric, so it's not perfectly coordinated. I'm okay with that, though.

I spent the rest of the evening having dinner with my parents, running by the mad house that some people call Wal-mart, working on organizing the mud room and writing this post. My family celebrated Christmas last night, so it was a quiet Christmas Eve. I'm excited about more family festivities tomorrow, so I must be calling it a night and end this post of randomness.

Gratitude is the sign of a noble sole. -Aesop

2010-12-23T22:09:00.000-06:00

Oh, Thankful Thursday, how I have missed thee. I don't know why I ever let you go.

This week, I'm thankful for....

Winter Break - It's definitely one of the brighter sides of the educational system!
My New Sewing Machine - My family and I gathered together tonight to open gifts, and I got a new machine. Sew exciting! (Yes, Internet, I am lame.)
A Mud Room Table - I promise a mud room update soon. Maybe tomorrow. Yes, let's just plan on tomorrow....maybe.
Family - Who am I kidding, I'm always thankful for my family.

I can't end Thankful Thursday this week without mentioning how grateful I am for God's immeasurable gift of His son. How do I put into words what it means to me? Currently, the menu board in my kitchen has a quote on it that states, "The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable." (Ralph W. Sockman) I love the reminder that Christmas is a big deal. Jesus coming to earth is a big deal. God sending His only son to us is a big deal. The whole story changed. It was perfectly timed. Perfectly played out. The perfect gift to humanity, and later the perfect sacrifice. Yes, I am quite thankful.

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life. Greg Anderson

2010-12-20T20:18:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, I updated you all on my 50 goals that I wanted to complete in 500 days. I think it's time for a new list. This time I'm going to complete 27 items before I turn 27. That gives me from now until October 17th. This is in lieu of any New Year's Resolutions because the other day on Facebook I said I'd already started my New Year's Resolutions because I'm an over achiever. That was actually a lie. I just said it to be funny. This is my attempt to make that lie a reality.

Without further adieu, here are my 27 things....

Watch the movie, "What About Bob?"
Visit Chicago
Knit a scarf
Start my doctorate
Get photography business onto The Knot
Enter a 5K
Memorize a book of the Bible
Sew something pretty
Finish decorating my mud room
Clean out my linen closet
Take 1 picture every day
Go camping
Blog every day for a month
Make a photo book of my college years
Read 50 books
Try Yoga for a month
Donate 10 inches to Locks of Love
Try a new restaurant
Make my bed every day for a month
Fast Facebook for a week
Memorize one verse of the Bible each month
Build a snowman
Give up sweets for a month
Teach Kody a new trick
Clean and decorate my back porch
Play in a poker tournament
Taste a new fruit

I might also get a tattoo. Thoughts?

"People who soar, are those who refuse to sit back and wish things would change." - Charles R. Swindoll

2010-12-20T06:39:00.000-06:00

"What is started today is never finished tomorrow." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

2010-12-16T06:46:00.001-06:00

My 50 in 500 goals were supposed to be completed by November 23rd. I've been dreading this update because there are numerous goals that I didn't get to, and I fear your judgement, Internet. None the less, you deserve to know what was completed and what didn't. (For those of you who don't know or remember, I started a list of 50 things I wanted to accomplish in 50 days. Here is the post.)

So without further delay or procrastination, here is the complete list, color coded. Doesn't that count for something?

1. Buy a house (Completed 9/2/09)

2. Launch www.jennyslens.com - (Completed 6/4/2010)

3. Knit a scarf - FAIL - Although I do go to a coffee shop every Monday night to knit with my friends, it's just that I usually edit photos the entire time.

4. Get a new logo for Jenny's Lens (Completed! 2/1/10)

5. Visit Chicago - Work in progress. My friends and I are hoping to go soon

6. Organize my iTunes Library into playlists (Completed 11/23/2010)

7. Go on a missions trip (Completed 10/19/09)

8. Head toward my ideal weight - Always working on this one!

9. Blog everyday for a month (Completed 3/20/10)

10. Visit my friend Steven in Philly (Completed! 9/4/2010)

11. Organize my filing system in my classroom - moved out of the classroom, so this on is redacted.

12. Get some "gallery prints" of my work - FAIL

13. Get a dog (Completed)

14. Take an art class - FAIL

15. Work out 4x a week for a month - Completed (August and September 2010)

16. Read the Bible cover to cover - FAIL

17. Organize and archive personal photos -Work in progress

18. Learn how to use Photo Shop - FAIL

19. Take a road trip - (Completed 8/2010)

20. Shoot a destination wedding - I'm giving myself this one because I had to drive 2 hours to one wedding. Stretch? Yes.

21. Get photography business onto The Knot FAIL

22. Re-learn the guitar- Work in progress

23. Create photo books from my snapshots through the years - Work in progress

24. Find a cool way to package my photo products - Work in progress

25. Solve my Rubik's Cube (Abandoned?)

26. Get better about sending out cards to past clients-FAIL

27. Join a photography forum - FAIL

28. Read one classic lit book that I haven't read (Completed! 10/20/2010)

29. Bake my own bread (Completed! 11/25/2010)

30. Do another family shoot of my entire family (Completed 12/5/2010)

31. Plant my own garden (Completed May 2010)

32. Run a 5K - FAIL - I'm putting this on the next list

33. Invest in a 70-200 f/2.8 lens FAIL - I forgot about this one

34. Organize the folders on my laptop - Work in progress

35. Start a personal blog (Completed!)

36. Start using only reusable grocery bags - Work in progress - sometimes I remember, sometimes I don't

37. Create info sheets for clients (Completed, but now I need to start using it!)

38. Spend a week without TV (Completed! 7/3/2010)

39. Create my own recipe box like Mom's FAIL

40. Memorize a book of the Bible -- yes that says book FAIL - I'm close

41. Paint something to hang in my house (Completed! 5/2/2010)

42. Donate my hair to Locks of Love (completed 8/17/09)
43. Learn to make my own chai tea latte (Completed 10/4/2010)

44. Pay off my car FAIL - should be done by February

45. See the movie "What About Bob?" FAIL - How did I miss such a simple one?

46. Plan a B4 reunion-Work in progress

47. Travel to a different continent (Completed 10/19/09)

48. Do 25 consecutive push-ups FAIL

49. Host a dinner party (Completed constantly!)

50. Document a "Day in my life" with photographs (Completed 3/5/10)

For those of you keeping track, that's 24 completed, 1 abandoned, 1 redacted, 14 fails, and 10 works in progress. I'll do better next time. And next time I'm not highlighting my failures in red!

"Some will advise you to expect a miracle. Actually, you can do better than that. You can expect God to meet you at your point of need and walk with you every moment of life." -Larry Keefauver

2010-12-13T23:46:00.000-06:00

I don't have a lot to blog about tonight, but I just wanted to share a simple thought.

I used to think that when I grew up I would finally understand what it meant to follow Christ. Not only would I know what to do, but it would be easy. I have quickly learned that it isn't easy. My faith is not pretty. I mess up daily....okay, more like hourly, but I've come to learn that God is in it for the long haul. I can kick and scream and throw a royal temper tantrum, and He still loves me. He will never leave me. He's always with me. He never lets me down.

He is my moment-to-moment God, and He's everything I need.

"Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean." -Johann Wolfgang

2010-12-05T10:15:00.000-06:00

Kelly is finishing up the house tours with foyers and entry ways.

One of my first decisions about my house was that I wanted to paint the entry way a bright green color. It took 7 samples before I found the right green. I highly recommend using sample colors before diving in and buying a whole gallon (or 5) of a certain paint shade only to realize that it is more yellow than it seemed, and ending up with 3 unused gallons in your garage. Not that I have experience with that.

This is what the entry way looked like when I bought the house.

This is during the renovations. All nice, white and bright!

This is what it looks like now - with the most accurate representation of the green paint. It's a tough color to photograph! (See the paint color in the office, it may or may not be the paint mentioned earlier in this post.)

We took the old trim and 2 doors off the shelf in the hallway, painted it black, and filled it with fun.

This is the wall opposite the black shelf.

This is what it looks like outside my front door.

I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted, and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child, and be loved by the child. -Mother Teresa

2010-11-26T10:19:00.000-06:00

Did you know that November is National Adoption Month?

Adoption is something that tugs at my heart strings. Actually, it pulls like a tow truck. I remember reading the quote that titles this post when I was in high school. It's from a speech that Mother Teresa gave about ending abortion in our country. It reflects my thoughts exactly. I'm not ready to adopt at this point in my life, but I hope to some day. I tell my friends that I'll take adopt one from each continent, including Antarctica - even if it's a penguin! For now though, I just support those who are working hard to make a home for a little boy or girl that wasn't initially theirs, but will be for eternity.

I'd like to invite you to help, too.

My favorite charity is called Show Hope. It was founded by Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth. You can go to their website to read all about it and how you can help. Here's a video of him talking about their choice to adopt.

There are a lot of families who have gotten creative in their endeavor to raise funds. This blog post has an entire list of families that you can support by buying something from their Etsy shop.

Another awesome site is SixSeeds.tv They are currently having adoptive families tell their stories, and for every comment made on the story until the end of the month, they are donating $2 to their adoption fund. All you have to do is comment!

I'm sure each of the families would appreciate your prayer as well. James 1:27 says that true religion is taking care of widows and orphans. What are you doing to help?

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. -Ansel Adams

2010-11-23T05:46:00.000-06:00

I haven't been posting my photography sneak peeks for a while, and I have had a ton of shoots in the last month or so. Therefore, here is a random mishmash of some of my favorites.

Mud Room Episode 6

2010-11-20T01:45:00.000-06:00

I'm dealing with party aftermath by blogging right now. My kitchen looks like this, so I should be cleaning and putting away food, but instead I'm watching last week's Office episode and blogging. Don't judge me Internet.

We had a surprise birthday party for my friend, Raylene. She didn't see it coming at all, so it was perfect. The best part (of course besides her face when she realized we were all hiding in my kitchen) was this banner that I whipped up with pre-sized scrap book paper and Starbucks coffee sleeves.

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best part of the party, but I just wanted to show it off. I'm done being braggy. Now it's time for me to show off the mud room. A lot has changed since last episode.

First, the steps. A couple of weeks ago I went to a flea market on a mission to find yard sticks. Thankfully, I found what I needed, so my steps now look like this.

Next, I added a few jars above my washing machine. (Okay 11 jars is a bit more than a few.)

See that thing in the corner of the first jar photo? That's what we're working on now. It's a giant vinyl rub-on that says "I gave Him my old tattered garment; He gave me a robe of pure white." I'm waiting for dad to help me level it before finishing it.

Hopefully I only have 1 episode left. In that episode you'll get to see the vinyl finished, and the new work table instead of the sewing machine. On top of that, I'm hoping to have it all organized and pretty. Hopefully it works out for me. Until then here are a couple of different views.

It's coming together - slow and steady wins the race!

P.S. Just so you know, while the photos were uploading I cleaned my kitchen, so it no longer is a hot mess like you saw above.

The future is something which everyone reaches at 60 minutes an hour no matter who he is or what he does. - C.S. Lewis

2010-11-16T22:56:00.000-06:00

Mail Time!

"Son of man, can these bones live?" -Ezekiel 37:3

2010-11-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

Skeletons have always creeped me out a little. I never liked clothing with skulls on it or jewelry that referenced bones. I always thought those things were weird and a bit demented. I still do, but you might be surprised that one of my current-over-the-top-repeated-song on my itunes right now is called "Skeleton Bones."

It's not about cross bones, though.

Have you ever read the story of Ezekiel and the dry bones in the Bible? When I was little, I fell asleep listening to Bible stories on a cassette tape. Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones was one of my favorite stories on the tapes. I would lie in bed and listen to the retelling of Ezekiel standing in a valley of bones. A dessert of death. Then he witnessed the bones become layered in muscle and tissue and tendons and skin. Ezekiel heard God breathe into the forms to make them human. I could recite back to you exactly what happened in the story (as well as almost any story in the Bible thanks to the tapes!), but I didn't really realize what it meant. I was just a child.

I have come to learn (and continue to learn) just how much I've lost my child like faith. I've become a thinker. Ideas need to make sense to me. I reason my way out of believing for the sake of believing. The thing is, the gospel and God's way of doing things just doesn't make sense to my earthly mind. This story -even though I loved it-never really made sense to me until now.

I was but a skeleton - nothing but dry bones left in a valley. That is until God decided to come to my skeleton and say, "I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am Lord." (Ezk. 37:6) It amazes me. I used to be that thing that I find so creepy, but by the love of God, I get to have life. A life that I don't deserve. A life that I wouldn't have unless God had made the choice to put His Spirit in me, so I could live. Just something I've been pondering lately.

Here's the song if you want to hear it.

For marriage to be a success the man and the woman need their own bathroom. -Catherine Zeta Jones

2010-11-12T16:16:00.001-06:00

I wrote about my bathroom remodel last year, but I'm posting again for Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life.

When I bought my house, nothing in it had changed much since 1952 including the bathrooms. It actually had 2 bathrooms, which was twice as many as most houses I was looking at in my price range. The problem is, one of the bathrooms looked something like this:

(To be fair, this photo was taken in the midst of tearing out the wall around the bathroom.)

That bathroom no longer exists. With the mud room remodel, the entire room was re-configured. It will include a bathroom, but right now it's just a random room with no floor or sheetrock. Hopefully it will look more like a bathroom by the end of the month.

In the mean time, my hall bath looked like this when I bought my house.

There wasn't a shower head, just a bath.

We tore off all the tile, demolished the closet in the corner, pulled up the floor, re-sheet rocked, painted, etc, etc, etc, to end up with this.

My dad's friend built a custom vanity for me, then dad spray painted it (with a spray gun, not a million bottles of spray paint. That would have taken forever.) Dad also made the top with formica and a sink I found a Home Depot. The facet came from gma's basement. She got it at a garage sale for $5.

The new shower with glass tiles from Home Depot. The built ins on the left are filled with glass tile.

My favorite thing about the custom vanity is the size of the drawers. The bottom one is deep enough for my hair spray and stuff to stand up straight. They're also wide enough for a couple of baskets to fit side by side.

I thought I had a photo of my shower curtain, but I can't find it, so I'm using this one that I took after I had 12 inches of my hair cut off for Locks of Love.

I had the C custom embrodiered onto a shower curtain that my mom found at a garage sale.

I also painted this sign to hang above the toilet. It's actually a bit different than this because I ended up repainting the entire thing, but I can't find that photo either! I need to organize my house photos apparently. :) Oh well, you get the gist!

Can't wait to see all the other bathrooms - maybe I'll get some inspiration for my mud room bath.

You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. -Ted Turner

2010-11-02T22:52:00.002-05:00

I won. I am officially a winner. All these years I have tried and tried and tried to win contests and failed miserably, but not anymore. Now I am in the winner's bracket.

What did I win?

Only the most adorable print from Studio Mela. It's perfect for my mud room remodel! I can't wait to find an adorable vintage frame, and paint it all cute, then put this in it.

I have to give thanks to Meg for picking me as the winner. It was a giveaway on her rock star blog. Go check it out, and be inspired.

Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh My!

2010-10-26T07:01:00.000-05:00

If this doesn't make you smile, nothing will.

Cash's grandma made his costume. I think he's the cutest lion out there, but I may just be a biased aunt.

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. -Albert Camus

2010-10-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned how much I love fall? I love it so much that I celebrate it through decor. See for yourself.

The green glass jar needs un-popped popcorn. I need to put it on my grocery list.

My mums in front of my house are fake.

Mud Room Episode 5

2010-10-18T17:27:00.000-05:00

I always have good intentions. Doesn't everyone? I always intend to go work out, but then the wind is blowing too hard or my baby toe looks funny or I accidentally forget. I intend to clean out my fridge, but the day is too pretty, or my magnets don't match, so I get distracted and begin organizing the front of the fridge instead. Or I intend to update you all about my mud room renovation, but instead I post random ramblings. Enough with the intentions and procrastination.

The sad thing is, my mud room looks quite different than this by now, but you'll have to find out about those in the next episode. For those of you who need a recap, here is the last episode.

Since then, we've striped. Here is how it looked in the midst of the striping process.

The key is to remove the tape ASAP.

Below, you can see how the inventive idea my dad came up with. I read multiple blogs to learn how to stripe before setting out to do it on my own. They all said to measure, draw a few lines, connect with tape. It took me 45 minutes to do the little bit of wall you see above, so I wasn't looking forward to finishing the whole room. Dad found a scrap peice of trim in the garage, and made a guide from it. He marked every 14 inches (the width of my stripes) so then I could just use it instead of the tape measure!

Here it is in action.

It's come a long way. And here are the stripes! Ignore the poor quality of the photos, and how the flash bounces in the mirror of the bench. :)

The next episode will include the transformation of my garage-sale-mud-room-bench!

I like to think one step ahead. Like a carpenter who builds stairs. -Dwight Shrute

2010-10-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know that isn't a quote about an office, it's from the TV show The Office. I can't resist that show. It's hilarious! It's the only show I watch regularly. Now onto the point of the post.

Kelly is touring offices today. I love my home office and my school office. Although I don't spend much time in my home office.

Here is 2 photos of my school office. You only get one photo because my desk looks similar to a play room after a group of 3 year olds have attacked it. It's embarrassing.

My dad & I made me the chicken coup frame. It's really simple, just grab an old frame and some chicken coup wire, staple them together. I try to change the quote every week or so.

This is behind my desk.My friend just gave me the little hanging sign for my birthday, so that's why the tag is still there!

Okay, now for my home office. When I bought my house it looked like this.

Now it looks like this!

If you've read my blog before, you know I love a bargain. I got the desk at a garage sale for $30. The chairs were from Cargo Largo for $8 each. The rug was $15 from a garage sale. I don't know where anything else came from. Probably random sales or Hobby Lobby.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happiness is the soundtrack of my life. -Grey Livingston

2010-10-12T06:42:00.000-05:00

My Current Happy List

The multiple pumpkins around my house and on my porch.
The crisp fall air
My new jeggings
Knitting with friends at coffee shops on Monday nights - technically I was editing photos last night.
Birthday Celebrations
New songs on my ipod (specifically the new Jars of Clay album)
Lots of photo shoots
Reading a classic book - currently Jane Eyre
The color orange
Cereal every morning - I'm on a cereal kick right now. Yum!
Boots
Autumn storms
Autumn decorations
Finding new episodes of The Office on my DVR
"Talking" to my nephew on the phone
The new young adult group at my church a.k.a. The Vine

What's on your happy list?

It doesn't matter how expensive your kitchen is if you're a bad cook. -Loesje

2010-10-08T08:51:00.003-05:00

Some of you followed my progress through the kitchen remodel. If you missed it, you can catch the re-runs here. This week, Kelly's Korner is hosting a tour of kitchens, and I just had to link up.

*Edit* I'm linking up to Layla's Room Re-Do over at The Lettered Cottage, too!

I love my kitchen. If it wouldn't be weird, I would carry photos of it in my wallet to show everyone I run into how adorable it is. I guess I kind of do that now by having pictures on my phone, but trust me, Internet, it's not weird. A lot of people carry photos of their house on their phone. (Please don't think that I attack random strangers, so I can show off my kitchen.)

The main reason I love my kitchen is that it started out looking like this.

But after getting cabinets, laying new flooring, painting cabinets, putting up a ceiling, making new counters and a plethora of other activities, it ended up looking like this. (Technically it is decorated a bit different than this right now. I'll try to switch out an updated photo later.)

I remember last August when I walked through my house for the first time. I saw the listing early that morning, called my agent, and got to see it that evening. I loved it the moment I saw it. I loved that it had a bell on the top like a little school house. I loved that it was around the corner from my brother and sister-in-law. (And now my adorable nephew!) But most of all I loved how much potential it had.

As I walked from room to room, I imagined everything the house could become. One of the things I knew needed to happen was opening up the kitchen. My brother, Justin, tried very hard to convince me to get rid of the wall between the dining room and kitchen and put in an island. Some people thought I just needed to widen the doorway between the two. (The door on the left in the photo below used to just be a single 30 inch door, but now it is 4 feet across.) Regardless, I thought it would be years before I'd be able to do any major remodels. Thankfully though, the goverenment saw fit to give me $8,000, so I was able to remodel the entire house.

Dad told me to figure out what I wanted to do in the kitchen. It was a tough decision. Then I came across a kitchen that I fell in love with. When I saw it, I knew that was the solution. I literally just stole her ideas.

Here's what it looked like while we were installing the arch. (By we, I mean dad.)

My bowling alley counter tops are my favorite thing. I coveted butcher block counters, but when they priced out to be $40 per square foot, I knew I couldn't afford them. Then Dad had the idea of using bowling lanes as counter tops. Mom and I both told him he was crazy, but he was persistant. He found bowling lanes for $10 per linear foot on Craigslist, brought them home, and made them work. So what would have cost me $4,500 ended up costing me $380.

Another thing I love are my recipe doors. I stole this idea from some blog. I saw it, grabbed a sharpie and did it. I figured my cabinets only cost me $100 off Craigslist, and dad and I painted them once, so if it didn't work out, I could just re-paint that door.

It's all about the details, so here are a few detail shots for you. :)

My sewing machine does not normally reside in the kitchen, but this is the only shot I could find of my menu board and green door.

A source list...
Floors - Construction Auction - Pre-finished Honey Oak - $1.80/sq. foot
Cabinets - Craigslist - They were dark brown, but we painted them - $100 for all
Pulls - Came with cabinets - 3 relacement pulls - $2.50 each
Lower Cabinet Paint - Home Depot - Color: Sherwin William's Camel Back
Dish Washer - Habitat ReStore - $30
Fridge - Came with the house
Menu Board - Potter Barn - I've had it since high school, so it's about 8 years old
Door Paint - Home Depot - Color: Behr Salted Ash
Countertops - Craigslist - Old Bowling Alley - $10/linear foot
Stove - Craigslist - $50 (I wanted to save the original, but it wouldn't even fit a cookie sheet.)
Microwave - Craigslist - $30
Upper Cabinet Paint - Home Depot - Color: Behr Cotton Whisper
Wall Paint - Home Depot - Color: Sherwin Williams Believeable Beige
Ceiling - Construction Auction - Color: Cotton Whisper - $160
Hanging Light - Home Depot - $35
Other Lights - Patriot Sales in KC - $16 for 2
Sink - Craigslist - $10
Faucet - Home Depot - $60
All Accessories - Random garage sales

Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to see all the pretty kitchens on the tour.

Every child begins the world again. -Henry

2010-10-06T16:57:00.000-05:00

Cash wanted to play with the grass. (Anything he plays with goes in his mouth at this age.)

His mom told him not to play with the grass.

So we gave him a pumpkin to help ease the temptation.

He realized he was still able to get to the grass.

Once again, Dani told him not to put grass in his mouth.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

So he played with the grass anyway.

You are never to old to set a new goal or dream a new dream. -C.S. Lewis

2010-10-05T06:10:00.000-05:00

It's monthly goal time! It's my new thing as of this month. I'm a couple of days late, but better late than never! (That's pretty much my life motto.)

Every month I'm going to try to come up with 3 simple goals to improve my life. If 21 days makes a habit, then surely 30 will make something!

October Goals....

1. Drink only water. From hence forth October will be Aqua-tober. No, I'm not the clever one that came up with that, regardless, I'm only drinking water. No pop, no sweet-tea, no juice. The only thing I'm allowing is milk and coffee. And apple cider, I mean come on, Internet, it's ~~Aqua-tober~~ October. To be quite honest, this one is kind of already a constant in my life; I just wanted to use Aqua-tober. I don't drink soda as it is, but I do love sweet tea, so that will be difficult. I'm going to try not to think about it.

2. Do my laundry. I hate laundry. With a passion. My goal is to stay on top of it and not let my hamper be stuffed full of 5 loads of laundry. A single girl should not have 5 loads of laundry at one time. Instead when I have enough for 1 load, I'm going to do it.

3. Organize my office closet. My poor office closet has become a dumping ground during the mud room remodel, and it needs some TLC! Any organization tips for me?

We need a photo because I bought my nephew some adorable booties from Etsy.

And here he is wearing his monster outfit. :)

So what are your goals for the month?

Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted. -Aldos Huxley

2010-10-03T19:05:00.000-05:00

Of all mammals, the boy is the most unmanageable -Plato

2010-09-26T17:06:00.000-05:00

Meet the Vandenbos family. This shoot was so much fun. Joe and Will are 100% boy. Onery, yet adorable! This is my 3^rd time photographing Will, and he always keeps me on my toes. He did a great job today, though. :) Plus, it was the perfect day for a photo shoot! We couldn’t ask for prettier weather, and it was mostly cloudy, so light wasn’t too much of an issue. It really was a photographer’s dream.

Make every room a living room. -Alexandra Stoddard

2010-09-18T22:41:00.001-05:00

Kelly's Korner is hosting Show Us Your Life again, and I'm so excited because we get to tour houses, and this time I have a house to show off.

I love my living room. Next to my kitchen, it is probably my favorite room in my house. I love that when I have company, 10+ people can sit in it comfortably. I love that there is a piano in the corner. I love the hardwood floors, and I love my white craigslist couch.

When I bought my house a year ago, my living room looked like this...

The photo makes it look much better than it was. The carpet was very worn out (It was over 50 years old!) The cabinet in the corner had seen better days, and there were no lights in the ceiling, which had a lot of water damage.

Now my living room looks like this...

We laid new hardwood, tore down exterior walls so we could insulate, re-sheet rocked the ceiling and exterior walls, painted, painted, painted, installed 6 can lights and switched the screen door on the back for a security screen.

Just ignore Kody in the photos, although he is as much a part of the living room as anything else in the photo. :)

Literally, everything you see in this photo (minus the TV) is from a garage sale.

I keep thinking that I need to find the right pillows for this couch, but it hasn't happened yet. I think I'll know them when I see them.

One of my favorite things in my living room is this table my dad made me.

He had it all sanded and pretty, and I took a hammer and screws to it to give it a used look. I think he was wincing behind me the whole time I beat it up. Then the rust he thought he'd cleaned and covered came back after a few days of it being in my house. He keeps talking about fixing it, but I like the rust. It gives it character.

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.

2010-09-15T06:18:00.000-05:00

Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation. -Michael Jordan

2010-09-14T06:25:00.003-05:00

Weight Loss Episode 9

The last thing I wanted to do this morning was work out. Wait, I forgot how much I detest going to the dentist. I'd probably rather work out than go to the dentist, but since the dentist wasn't on my to do list this morning, working out is the bottom of the barrel. My alarm went off at 4:50 just like every other morning. Yesterday I re-set it for 6:15, so that wasn't an option today. Outside my window I could hear the steady rhythm of rain with a bit of thunder here and there. It was the perfect morning for sleeping. I craved sleep, but I forced myself into my gym clothes, and then I accidentally got on Facebook. I looked at the clock and it was 5:10. I did not want to go to the gym. I told myself that I would go tonight, or that I would make up for it this weekend, or that I didn't need to work out. Thankfully, that place deep, deep down didn't buy the excuses.

I grumbled in my head the entire way there. I sat in the parking lot bemoaning the fact that all the ellipticals were free (you can see them through the front windows) because I told myself that I'm too late, so if the ellipticals are all taken, I could go home. I trudged through the rain and into the gym, by this time it was 5:17; I'm usually there by 5. I decided I needed a magazine, so I pulled one of the rack. Then I decided I needed a drink, so I walked over to the water fountain, and while I was there took a bathroom break, too. Finally there was no where left to hide, so I headed back to the cardio machines.

I told myself that I only had to do 20 minutes. I started pedaling at a snail's pace. I kept flipping through my ipod because no song was right. (The first one that came up was "It's a Beautiful Morning" and I almost sent my ipod to ipod heaven by smashing it beneath the treads of the elliptical.) It took about 5 minutes, but I found my groove. An upbeat song playing in my ears, and my feet moving to the familiar back and forth, up and down of the machine. I started paging through the magazine, and of course there was an entire article from NBC's Biggest Loser's contestants. God would do that to me. :) It was inspiring, yet painful to read through their weight loss journeys. Their tips were helpful and affirming. Their stories were all too similar to mine, but they were on the other side.

So that's why I kicked myself in gear and got my workout on this morning. I want to be on the other side. I don't know how I'll get there, but for now I'm taking it one morning at a time. (If I were really corny, I would try to tie back to the "It's a Beautiful Morning" song that I mentioned earlier, but I was so mad at my ipod when it chose that song, that I can't even be funny/corny about it.)

Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you. -Elvis

2010-09-13T18:49:00.000-05:00

Can I just say that I love Morgan and Eric? I may love them because I had a small part to play in their love story. I may love them because they had the most incredible wedding day. I may love them because she puts up with me calling her a pain at work. ;) Or I may love them just because. Regardless, they are definitely one of those couples that when you look at them you think, "They are meant for each other."

Morgan's wedding day was planned for January, but then the venue she adored had a September opening, so she decided to go for it. With the help from The Bliss List she was able to pull off the kind of wedding that will have people talking for months complete with a white church and breath taking ball room. They got married surrounded by family and friends. It was the kind of day every little girl dreams of. Take a look for yourself....

I just had to include a photo of this adorable glass the hostess made for Morgan, her mom, and the bridesmaids. They were each personalized for the girls. By hostess, I mean the house where the girls got dressed and ready. She was a friend of the family.

I love when brides have a first look with their groom. It takes out a lot of the stress during the day and seems more intimate than the aisle moment. My favorite part of the first look is when the bride twirls so the groom can see her dress.

No matter how many wedding cakes I see, I don't think I will ever cease to be amazed at how the baker can make things out of sugar, like these flowers. It's simply amazing!

And a slideshow to top it all off!

Morgan and Eric, Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing Cherish and I to capture your incredible wedding. I loved watching you, Morgan, transform from beautiful girl to beautiful bride. You radiate such joy and love. I could go on, but I'm going to stop myself. You're amazing, and I can't wait for you to see all the images!