Still here!

Sorry for the lack of posts as of lately..but I am still here!  I've been battling a UTI (AGAIN!) for several days now with new medication that I'm praying works this time around.  I hadn't had one in years, but when one does crop up on me I have a hard time getting rid of them!  Prayers for me, PLEASE!

I did manage to do something pretty major in the past week despite feeling under the weather....



Makayla is now in a toddler transition bed!  I finally caught the conversion kit for her crib in stock online and ordered it asap.  I didn't really want to buy a whole new toddler bed when this one transitions (which is why I picked this crib in the beginning..so we'd get the use out of it!) and so far its worked out well! She's not fell out of bed any and so far (fingers crossed) she still stays in bed until I go to get her. 

Plus as you can see from her smiling face, she's pretty happy about it all!

Now if I can only get going on the whole potty training thing......sign.

Day Trippin'

So when we go to Beckley, sometimes we'll make a little side trip to Grandview State Park.  It doesn't take no time at all to get there, we feel like we've really 'gone somewhere', its not big, but the views are great! 

And it makes for some nice pictures!  ;-)

 

It was a great day..just too bad we didn't think to take a picnic with us!

"Courage to Change" by Elizabeth Maddrey book review

I recently read the book "Courage to Change" by Elizabeth Maddrey and have to say that it exceeded my expectations!  I figured it would be a mediocre love story type of book (which was fine with me..I was looking for a good Christian love story!), but I found myself really drawn into the characters and story line! 

Allison Vasak is a Christian woman who is in search of love and her fellow attorney co-worker, Phil Reid, is well..afraid to love again.  He went through quite the divorce and continues to have problems with his now ex-wife.  I love how the author works into the story line what the Bible says about love and marriage (even though specific scriptures weren't mentioned..it didn't need to be in this type of book) and how the characters follow God's direction in their lives, both in love and in daily living.  You don't come across many books nowadays where the author truely keeps the main focus on Godly living. 

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book so I'm afraid to mention a whole lot about the many characters involved, but it definately is a must read!  I found this book an easy read, hard to put down, and very enjoyable and HOPE that the author maybe will do a sequel in the future?!  Here's to hoping!!

I read this book courtesy of the author through Bookcrash in exchange for a review.  These are my honest opinions.

At the playground

We took Makayla to a nearby playground recently and she had a ball!  Hoping to enjoy this more once fall weather settles in (and hopefully the gnats/bugs/and all things creepy crawly stop biting!)!

 



Good Eats..via Pinterest

I know alot of you out there are fellow 'pinners'.  When is the last time you tried something new for dinner with a recipe you found through Pinterest?  I had been doing tons of recipes I'd found on there..but then fell back into my old dinner routines.

That is..until recently!

This week I made skillet lasagna..and I gotta say..it was probably one of THE most simplest and yummiest dishes I'd made in a while!  Definately going to be a staple on the old menu board!

 

via

 

And because you need something sweet after dinner..I also made these...Loaded Reece's Peanut Butter Bars.  Oh my..they were good!  Actually a little too sweet for my liking (thats some seriously sweet goodness going on if its too rich for me!) but nonetheless..I'd make them again (probably for a potluck). 

 



via

 

I'm really looking forward to trying more recipes..especially now that fall is upon us!  Have you tried any new recipes or a new recipe from pinterest lately?  Please share!!

Why I Love Hobby Lobby

 

Kudos to my best friend for giving me this brilliant idea for a blog post!!  I was going to title it "10 reasons why I love Hobby Lobby" but I think I may have went over 10..ha!  So here we go!!

This is my favorite Christmas display..I can't help but stare!

Christmas ornaments galore!

If I was a teacher..I'd want blinged out desk accessories!

Oh the wall art....

And more wall art (doesn't the middle one look familiar?!)...

If you were doing a B&W themed room..this lamp would be a must!

I don't know what I'd do with a huge antique door..but I love them!!

I almost bought this (and still might)..thinking the perfect place is over our bed!

Blinged out mirror (with a cutie little girl saying "CHEESE!")!

Christmas themed burlap..wow..ideas!!

I LOVE this DIY toddler dress in the fabric section!

And the #1 reason I love HL..the fabric section.  Nuff' said.

My Seamstress

I think I may have a little seamstress on my hands!  Lately she's taken a liking to climbing up on my sewing machine chair and fiddling around with my machine!  I see sewing projects galore in the coming years!!  :-D



Kitchen Update!

So y'all remember when I was 'updating' our kitchen and gave it a nice paint job?  Well..up until today thats ALL that had been done unfortunately!  I still haven't even begun on the backsplash.  But, once I'm 100% over this cold I do believe I'll jump into it head first..because I'm getting real excited to see end results at this point in time!

Today, however, I managed to make a new valance with material I got at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago.  I also made a coordinating towel to hang on the stove handle, laid out a new rug purchased at Target, and hung a new sign!  Wanna see?

I thought so!

The lighting made this really dark..but you can see the print better in the next pic!

Coordinating towel..first one I've ever made!

Nothing special..but it matches!

LOVE this sign..Hobby Lobby has the best stuff!



Pretty Uneventful

So our Labor Day weekend around here was pretty uneventful. 

I caught Damon's cold a day or two after finishing my antibiotics up from the UTI I had a couple weeks ago..great timing huh?  Seems lately I just can't catch a break.  I think I'm about to get over it, but still have been having alot of sleepless nights due to my body thinking it needs to cough up one of my lungs.

Or both.

But anywho..instead of heading off for the weekend, we just hung around the house mostly.  Save for a trip to Beckley on saturday where I hit up Hobby Lobby and scored a nice wooden plaque for 50% off and some cute 'harvest' fabric.  Fall can't get here fast enough!!

 

Hobby Lobby has the BEST signs, no?!

 



We did have a milestone event occur over the weekend here at home.  Damon took our newest dog, Buddy, for a walk!  Bless his heart..it was most likely his first walk, EVER.  We also discovered Buddy is a bit of a Houdini.  Him and Daisy got along so well after a couple walks and some time together in the yard, we decided to try and put them in the same dog lot together.  They did great.  And then Buddy got out!  We were about to go down the road when I saw him wondering by the road in front of our house.  Thankfully he came to us when called and we got him squared away!