Birthdays

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McKinley turned 12 on August 28th...and Todd turned, well...he had a birthday on October 4th.

Here are a few snapshots of our little celebrations

Todd loves the cakes that our Aunt Penny bakes because they taste the best!  This year he got his very own cake and thankfully he shared with everyone!

Painting the Kitchen Cabinets White

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To make a long story short, I love white cabinets, plain and simple.  Sadly, our builder did not offer them so I chose espresso,  hoping they would grow on me.  They didn't.  :( 

After 6 months of living in this house and wondering why my non-stop decorating was not giving it the feeling of home...I looked at the pictures of our old house...trying to determine what it was about that house that made me feel so happy to be there, despite it's too small size.  I decided a big part of it was the kitchen, I loved the bright kitchen.

After I made the choice to go white we priced out new doors.  After hearing that number, we decided painting them was good enough for us.

Then the waiting began...I had made my choice just in time for my husband's busy season of work to start.   Funnily enough, he is a professional painter and the summer time is the busiest of the year.  Luckily for me, he had last week off and he offered to paint my cabinets!

As I said, he is a professional painter...I didn't ask him how he was going to do it and I didn't hover or offer to help.  I stayed up in my sewing room furiously working on orders with baited breath!

Here is the final result!!  Oh, of course there are still a few touch-ups needed here and there and we would like to add tile (gray subway, anyone?!) and some sort of board and batten treatment to the island...but for now, I am elated!  And guess what?  It feels more like home, which makes the choice all worth it for me, even if other people think I have lost my marbles for painting practically brand new cabinets.  LOL :)  :)

Tomorrow I will post the sources of our new knobs and pulls...I will also do my best to post how my hubby painted the cabinets and what products he used. 

Indiana State Fair 2013

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 Even though it was the first day of school this past Tuesday, it was also $2 Tuesday at the Indiana State Fair!  So after picking the kids up, we headed straight there.

Although $2 admission is great, $2 concessions is even MORE GREAT!  We sampled corn dogs, pork sandwiches, gyros, elephant ears, Amish donuts, fried cheese, deep fried Reeses, ice cream, and deep fried cookie dough.  Yes, people, that was our dinner!

 

 Elephant ear elation!

 Ride vehicle from Mr. Toads wild ride

Minions made from canned goods!

Back to School and the Circus

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My kids started 3rd and 6th grade this week...unfortunately, I did not get many good pictures.

 

These were taken with my cell phone at our annual Chick-Fil-A, first day of school, out for breakfast stop

 

I had a customer who waited patiently all summer for me to make a special request Tattered Tulips set for her daughter.  As soon as I dropped the kids off at school I got right to work and I am thrilled with how this little circus dress came out!

Chicago Quick Trip

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 School starts Tuesday...and yep, I am going to admit it, I am happy and sad all at the same time!

On the spur of the moment last week we decided to head to Chicago for a quick day and a half trip...just to grab those last moments of summer freedom and savor them.

Water Tower Place

Lego Chicago skyline

Hershey store

 Portillo's Hot Dog joint for lunch

 Navy Pier ferris wheel...I HATE riding ferris wheels, but these are "enclosed" so I sucked it up and it actually was not too bad.

Deep dish pizza...yum!

 The Walnut Room in Macy's on State Street...one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago

Haint Blue

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 It's hard not to notice all the light blue roofs on the porches of Charleston.  Of course I am now obsessed with the look and begging hubby to put up bead board and paint our porch ceiling blue...

"There are other fragments of the past that lie quietly in the hollows of Charleston’s sweet-smelling streets. Roofs of piazzas are painted a pale blue color, known locally as “haint blue.” Haint is the Gullah word for haunt. In many superstitious beliefs, ghosts or other spirits are not allowed to cross water. The color blue used outside of doors and windows, being a reflection of water, would confuse or otherwise deter spirits from entering the home. Was it always done for this reason? In many parts of Florida and the Caribbean, this color was adapted to keep bees from nesting, as it was to give the illusion of sky. Perhaps they are both correct; Charleston, when summed up as a whole, is English Caribbean, albeit accented with African and French."

July 2013 Vacation

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Last week we headed out for a little mini summer vacation.  We started in Atlanta for two days, then headed to Savannah and Hilton Head for another two days.  On our way home, we decided to stop in Charleston for a day and I am so glad we did!  

These are the pictures I have edited to use in a gallery wall going up our stairs, I am also going to use some of the photos we took in Colonial Williamsburg.

Charleston, SC

Savannah, GA

Here are some other pictures from our trip, including one of the big highlights...Mrs. Wilkes in Savannah.  We waited two hours in line, outside in the heat.  Even the kids said it was well worth the wait!

You do not get to order what you want, everyone gets the same thing.  You are seated with 10 other people and the table is already loaded down with fried chicken, BBQ pork, beef stew, biscuits, sweet tea, and TWENTY FIVE other family style side dishes.

 

Harbor Town on Hilton Head Island

Our hotel in Charleston was right beside the market, we were able to walk everywhere...including Rainbow Row, Battery Street, and Waterfront Park.

We took a carriage ride and it was fabulous!  The guide told us so much about Charleston.

 Our hotel