Finding the Christmas Music Spirit

It's almost that time of the year!

Well, actually.. it is that time of the year, and has been for almost 3ish weeks already; I've simply chosen to avoid it until after my birthday, as I resolve to do every year.

IT'S CHRISTMAS MUSIC TIME!

Am I the only one who just.... can't... get into the traditional radiocast Christmas playlist[s]? I really try some years, but I just can't. It seems so .... repetitive to me, as it usually is with radio, but that's really just hypocritical of me to say, given that I have a list of a whopping what, like... 6 songs that I actually really enjoy?

Maybe it's the fact that there are endless renditions of every Christmasy song out there. I think that's what makes it the best for me: finding artists and groups who conceptualize a song while still keeping its integrity.

Pentatonix & Tori Kelly are just a couple of those entities that accomplish just that... instead of directly post every single video of theirs that moves me, I'll share the two I saw today, which absolutely put me in quite a jolly Christmas spirit. ♥

& this one....

I'm starting to get excited about Christmas preparation! The knitting needles have started flying, and won't stop until the last second I'm sure, and we're scheduled to get the Christmas tree to the house and decorated next weekend. Our shopping is almost done, too, which means plenty of time for Christmas baking, decorating..... and of course, music! 
For now, it's a date out with the mister: sushi it is! 
See ya soon, blogbots! 
xo | cmd

We Don't Work Tomorrow (:

Tomorrow is Independence Day!

We still had to work today. Oh well. Tomorrow we're off.

Today was pretty much a lazy little day, aside from work, that is. I picked up Sydni and we headed home to veg out for the evening and not worry about having to wake up at any certain time tomorrow. It was awesome.

Speaking of the munckin, I've been in the process of planning a mommy-daughter photoshoot with her. I know, it sounds absolutely insane that I am planning something for once. As in.... these photographs, when they happen, will have been pre-meditated. As in..... I am coordinating every last detail down to the nail polish for this one. Wild, right?

The first step of this whole thing was to find the right outfits. I didn't have any specific dates in mind for this thing - still don't - so there's no deadline. I happened to be out and about the other day in search of a kitchen table, and found myself on the other side of the local Snooty Fox. I bought this dress for myself, along with a coordinating one for Sydni [no super spoilers here!], but didn't notice this until today when I was preparing to drop it off at the drycleaner:


bargain shopping... duhhhh.

Well okay, then! (: I should've had a super proud moment when I bought the thing, but hey, it's never too late to feel justified.. haha.

Anyway, when we got home, I had Sydni help me experiment with the mesh bun wrap that I finally caved and bought. I know these things have been around and in use for a while now; I was never really on that wagon, but I saw a style a few days back that sparked my interest, so of course I had to try it.

Behold, the braided bun! Why I boycotted this thing for so long is beyond me. It's easy, it's quick, and it definitely wouldn't look even this shabby if I were taking my time and being serious about it... 

easy peasy.. and pretty stinkin' cool (:

All these things I'm just now learning... tsk tsk haha. Oh well - better late than never.

So anyhow, I've got some movies to go watch with a little girl who's currently drawing me the prettiest montage of circles and squigglies I've ever seen.

NO WORK TOMORROW.
Scooooooore (:

xo | cmd

Human Illusions: A Mirage Show

The art of making human illusions has always blown my mind. I ran across this guy on Facebook earlier today and wanted to share it... VERY cool :)

[[Enjoy!]]



Oh, by the way: Happy Presidents' Day!

have a happy one! [especially all of ya'll that didn't have to work today ;) ]

The great thing about Monday holidays is that it helps throw a wrench into what is otherwise typically the most maniacal day of the work week. While we were still swamped today [on top of both owners sick and out of commission], it was nice to have a slight holiday buffer. (: Appreciate the small things, right?

Anyway, it's dinner time and I've got some hungry folk here. Time to call it a day for the blog; we'll see you tomorrow!

xo | cmd

Ohio. This Is Becoming A Habit.

I made it.
This whole long-distance commute thing is starting to become less and less daunting, the more I do it. I took off after work and before I knew it, I was rolling right into Eastgate. I'm not exactly sure where five hours went, but I'm here, and all is well.

[borrowed!] | cincinnati, ohio

Four day weekend.... begin.

xo | cmd

Labor Day!

Labor Day = No work. WA.HOOOOOO!

1| Forest Park.  2| Downtown St. Louis 3| Caleco's. 4| Airport :(

We spent the day out and about with my parents before they flew back to Ohio. There were a couple of parks, a great restaurant, an adventure through downtown detours, and lots of pictures. I wish Joe's mom could've been there with us today. We'll see her soon. I can't wait to update her pictures with mini, too!

For the sake of unnecessary words:

pappy + mini | nana + mini | daddy + mini

We love parks. A lot. It would only be fitting for us to take a little jaunt to a big park to hang out for the day. [Great photo opps x lotslotsnlots].

if you don't know... get to knowin'. it is.... delish. 

There's food, and then there's fooooood. This is the latter. If you haven't been, get to goin'. You won't regret it. Nom nom nom nom....

beautiful scenery!

We took a stroll into the old courthouse, too. It's under some minor construction, but it's still functional and it's quite picturesque once you get into it. I'd be inclined to head back for some more shots; there are some mad macros just waiting.... I can feel it.

camera. fun. fun with cameras. ♥ 

I recently ceded to my phone's incessant requests to do a system update. I don't know why I put those things off as long as possible; I think I have some subconscious inkling that by updating, I'll find myself with something important erased, or with some glitch that rode in with the update. [[First world problem, hi...]]

not of this world..... hrmmm.. lol. 

One of the system revisions was via the camera; I noticed a new purple button when I went to take a picture of Sydni at the table. That button = picture effects. This is just a sample of what could happen in 10 minutes. Good stuff. 

My parents are well on their way back to Ohio now; we're here unwinding for the evening. I'm trying to come to the terms with going back to work tomorrow. Shortened work weeks post-holiday are always dicey little things. I think I'll dwell for now on the fact that is indeed a shortened work week. 

Yeah. We'll go with that one. 

Hope your Labor Day weekend was amazing! 

xo | cmd

Happy Birthday, America!

Celebrating another one, eh ole' girl? Well.. I'll celebrate right along with you (: 

amen? amen.

I thought I would start the holiday off in the most high-octane way I could manage:

sleeping in until 8:45am. 

ok fine, i'll go.....

That's RIGHT. You wanna talk about liberating? Welp, sleeping in until almost 9am in the smack dab center of an otherwise work-filled week is probably one of the sweetest little things around. Agree or disagree, I'm all for it. Now, before you start guilting me, I'll go ahead and admit that I leveraged the canceled alarm clock with an immediate trip to the gym. I thought it would be wise to kickstart the holiday by kicking myself into top gear. Oy. 

I left feeling like a soggy noodle, but it was totally worth it. I got home and managed something of a shower before stepping into a swimsuit for the first time in quite some time [errrrr... :/ well...]. Mo & Jimmy were at our place within the hour, and the four of us plus Syd piled into the car and set a course for Splash City in Collinsville. 

splash city!

I'd never been; Mo worked there for a couple weeks once when she was in high school, so it was something of a novel experience for everyone. It was a blast either way, and by the time we were ready to head home, Sydni was all but passed out before we even got to the car. Thanks, energy-sapping kiddie water park! Heh. 

this car.......

Back at home, we all parted ways for a short bit to recoup, shower, and gear back up for fireworks. Becky joined in for the adventure and we made with it - soccer family style [in Mo's van, woot woot!]. By the way, did you know there are built-in carseats in mini-vans nowadays?? I'm way behind on the times, because I had noooo clue this existed. Haha. I told ya, it doesn't take much to impress me. 

Anyway, the fireworks were quite the escapade. We had planned to make it over to one of the bridges connecting MO to IL and posting up there to view the fireworks. What we ran into instead was bumper-to-bumper traffic in East St. Louis. Our first attraction for the evening was a little red honda that decided it would neither proceed nor backup when the metro link warning gate started to fall into place. Instead, it just sat there, idling beneath the caution gate rested on its roof. Some people. Whoa. Notice the full metro car of photographers. There were just as many on the sidewalk and obviously in the cars behind. Hah. 

the dills!

Soooo.. After a futile attempt to illegally park, we finally found a still area by the Ameren facility to watch the dazzling lights pepper the sky. Sydni had herself a grand old time trying to name each burst of color before it dissipated back into the night. 

Oh, and I didn't snag any decent shots of what was transpiring at our post-up for the fireworks. I mentioned that we finally found some solid parking behind the Ameren plant. That much is true. It's also apparently true that in East St. Louis, it's "ok" to let your children [by children, I mean 12 and under] to set of bottle rockets and roman candles right up against the fences that house backup generators and power lines. I think I failed to catch any pictures simply because we were warding off the thought that we would ourselves become a firework while we were watching. Oyyyy vey. 

cori. mo. becky.

We decided to take more pictures of us, instead. Good times with good people!

Back to work in the AM. Awwww. Blech.. 

xo | cmd

Can We Please Call it CHRISTMAS?

RE: Christmas vs. State.

Christmas lights. Not holiday lights.

I've got a bone to pick. I know I'm not alone in my thinking, but I also know there are just as many people who would prefer that thinkers like me just sit down and hush. Well I say, no, thanks.

Here's why.

At right about the time July 4th passes us by, the gears start shifting into holiday mode. First it's Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. That's fine. Most of us know by now that Christmas is usually [and I sport that term loosely] considered the highest rank of the three in terms of consumerism, travel, and top-to-bottom festive decorating. By the end of Thanksgiving day, retailers are halfway done lugging out the displays for Black Friday. The scene for Christmas shopping hits the ground running at that time, and carries  the mass of obsesssed shoppers all the way through the big day. While that's all fine and dandy, here's my hangup:



 Now, I'll lead with stating that I am very familiar with the relevence of culturally-recognized celebrations, and if that's your calling, then I fully respect that. However, as it pertains to Christmas specifically, my qualm lies in that, collectively speaking, we have generalized Christmas down to calling it just a holiday. While I'm certainly in agreement that it is a holiday, worth every ounce of celebration; I completely disagree with refusing to address it as Christmas. I don't mind when people tell me, Happy Holidays; it's a cordial gesture, but what I do mind is when I reply with, Merry Christmas, and am corrected in regards to my blatant disregard of being politically correct.

Let's think about this logically.

1. I didn't make it up that Jesus Christ was born into the world. I personally am not the first person to celebrate His birth and purpose with a denoted holiday. Christmas. We even named the day after Him. Did you really think Santa created the day? What in the world is Santamas? The classic Christmas story didn't start with a cute poetic reference to a panel of politicians voting on the best day to schedule a vacation or a shopping spree. [[P.S. - The government didn't create Christmas, so excuse me for dismissing their loftly opinions.]] Oh, and if you're one of those folks that likes to separate syllables into separate words, try this one on: Christmas = Christ. Mas. Mas Christ. Translation: More Christ.

2. Regarding the preparation for Christmas: Who puts up a holiday tree? Who comments on your beautifully adorned holiday lights? Does anyone out there call Jingle Bells a holiday Carol?  I've yet to hear someone tell me they're scrambling to get their last minute holiday shopping done. I've yet to meet parents who greet their children on Christmas Day with, "Happy Holidays, kids! Open your Holiday presents!" How many people have you ever heard the following week saying, "Hey, what'd (fill in the blank) get you for the holiday?" It's Christmas, kiddos.

3. I believe whole-heartedly in an occasional reprieve from our jobs, but I also tend to lean on the idea that if I were to get so bent out of shape about celebrating Christmas, then I shouldn't bother taking a Christmas vacation or break. For those of us who've forgotten, the great nation in which we live was founded, in all its beauty, on Christian principles. I happen to embrace our beautiful country and the liberties we are afforded within it; Oh, how I would hate to think that its establishment actually need re-arrangemed because a handful of people actually think it was ill-founded. Just sayin'.

4. Merry Christmas. :)

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some Christmas shopping needing some [overdue] attention. ;)

xo | cmd

Sick of Driving

I'm going to squeeze this in before I call it a night.

I am... so sick ... of driving.


gorilla bread | delicious addition!



This morning, we put final touches on the lunch plans at my parents' house with them, and my Aunt & Uncle from Shaker Heights. We ate, took some family portraits, and then wasted no time getting everything stacked like a road-trip version of tetris into the car for the haul back to Illinois. We're borrowing my parents' artificial Christmas tree this year, too, since they're coming to us for Christmas and don't really mind ditching the fuss of erecting the tree if nobody will be around to oooh and ahhh over it on Christmas anyway. That meant all our luggage plus Sydni squeezed into slots in the backseat for the trip home.

Simply because I am exhausted after our 9-hour car ride home. Plus, it's work tomorrow.

*Yawn. Enjoy. 

mom & aunt toni

joe & cori | ♥

dills & drennings | christmas card preview? ;)

 G'Nite!

xo | cmd

Sydni vs. Santa

We took a 50/50 chance on doing the whole Santa Claus thing with Sydni today.
It didn't go well. I wouldn't really say there was an upper hand on either side, let alone a winner.

We'll get back to that.

heavy sleepers!

Today was excellent. It began when I found my dad snuggled up next to his grand daughter in the twin bed that was originally mine as a teenager. I later realized that both Joe and I had slept straight through Sydni waking up in the middle of the night crying for Nana and Pappy. She knows better than to call for Mommy and Daddy, especially when we're visiting the grandparents. Haha. It was a cute little scene, and I know Sydni loves being spoiled rotten, so this was just perfect for her.

Once we were all up and moving, we headed up to Bellville -- no, not Belleville [IL], but Bellville Ohio -- for lunch at Toyer's Dutch Heritage. It's been quite a while since I've been to an Amish restaurant, but it took me back to my younger years when we used to go frequently. We survived the majority of the outing there without incident; Sydni had one minor meltdown that was cured by Daddy taking her out to the car for a little vent session after which she was just fine. The weather provided for the perfect experience, and so we took our time dining before heading back to Mt. Vernon for what would be a terrifc fail at visiting Santa.



we don't love santa... yet.



Once I hunt down the picture of me with Santa Claus when I was about Sydni's age, I will share that with the class, as I remember it being a near duplication of the scene we saw today [poor thing]. The snapshot of toddler me with random mall Santa showed Santa standing, holding what could only be described as a hysterically terrified child, flailing with a life-altering urgency to escape that jolly, bearded man and all of his holiday magnificence. Charming photograph, really. Looking at it almost strikes a sense of pity for the Santa, who I'm sure was persuaded by no less than a handful of parents like mine to 'just hold her for a second!' While we didn't instruct today's Santa to constrain Sydni for photography's sake, we guided her over to Mrs. Claus, who did her best to daintily detain my child while we made lightning-like attempts to capture the moment. It came out, as you can see, just bursting of magic and fluff...... or not.

We'll try it again next year.

We calmed both her and our nerves by venturing out into the rest of that shopping plaza and finding some other fun photo-friendly opportunities. One of my favorite pictures to date of Sydni was a product of today; I'm both proud of myself for seizing that moment and amazed at how much she changes, daily, it seems. I'll end on the note of sharing those shots with my fellow blogbots.

 

Tomorrow, we'll head back to the other Belleville. *Sigh.
Praying for travel mercies for all those heading back home after the holiday! :)

xo | cmd

Holidays at the Dren Lodge

nana's kitchen
teavana teapot & cups
hanging fruit baskets

Over the years, we've coined my parents' log home in Mt. Vernon the Dren Lodge. The primary reason of course being that it is a log home with a modern yet rustic appeal. It is not ... I repeat not a cabin, for all those out there that assume log homes and cabins are one and the same. Just sayin' .... 

rocking chairs on the porch



Joe, Sydni and I left from Cincinnati earlier today and made the short [3ish hour] drive up to Mount Vernon for the next leg of our Thanksgiving road trip. We arrived late afternoon, and immediately Miranda Lambert's song House that Built Me scrolled through my mind.

We pulled into the driveway and sat for a moment, thankful for another safe arrival, and stared up at the house in which I survived all my adolescent life events. My favorite dog is buried in the yard, and I did do homework and learn how to play guitar in my bedroom, which coincidentally is in the back of the house. For the time being, I pretend that nothing will ever change in the sense of my parents living there and us coming to visit. The smells of food cooking, potpourri drifting, and the natural aroma of the wooden carved walls and banisters isn't simply inviting, it's familiar. It's home for me. I went around taking pictures of some of the small details my mom is constantly updating to add to the whole picture. She does such an exquisite job of tying details to bring a room together, then tying rooms together to make a house into a home, and I admire her constant vigilance in maintaining such a cozy environment. 

of course, brought some knitting!

I'm sad to report that although my gorgeous sister Heidi and my nephew Jonathan did make it over for dinner, games, and half a movie, we didn't get to take photos. As has been the case over the past few years, every time I come back to the Dren Lodge, my allergies seem to get the best of me, and by night's end leave me with itchy, red, swollen eyes and a stuffy nose. I somehow survive each bout, but I was certainly in no shape to be photographed. Bummer. In any case, we had quite the feast; mom got ahold of some custom-cut turkey that she hugged around cranberry stuffing to transform the whole thing into a delicious stuffed turkey loaf, complete with sweet potatoes, green beans, and all the other trimmings you could hope to find at a country Thanksgiving table. Delicious. 

pappy & his grandkiddo



After dinner, we attempted to play a game that Mom found, and later plopped on the couch and surfed through channels until we found one of the Lord of the Rings movies that we muted in order to do voice-overs. This is a game that is definitely way more fun when you have someone else on the same brainwave, and also when the movie coincidentally pans out in real time to your new script. Heidi and I took full advantage of re-writing about 30 minutes of the movie before Sydni kidnapped the remote and changed the channel. We decided to call it a night, so Heidi and Jonathan scooted on out, and we're about to hit the hay after day 1 here at the Dren Lodge. Tomorrow, we're going out somewhere, which remains a mystery trip at the wishes of Mom & Dad. Allergies, allergies, please go awayyyyyy.

G'Nite!

xo | cmd

Give Thanks on Thanksgiving!!



happy thanksgiving! | *cupcake!

In the true spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would compile a list of the things or people for which/whom I am most thankful. Since it quickly blossomed into quite the lengthy thing, I shaved it down to the ones that stuck out in the front of my mind. This isn't to say I don't count myself blessed for each and every wonderful facet of my life, but for the sake of Thanksgiving, I will give thanks. Mmk??

Getting down to it:

.: My faith. I seriously doubt I would be who or where I am today without the faith I have in the Lord, my Savior. There was a point of my life in which I thought I really was capable of handling my life on my own terms without tearing the whole thing to shreds. I couldn't have been any further turned around than I was, and looking back, I'm thankful also for the times that tested me to my core. I know there was a plan, and I know that plan now is taking me to places and blessing me with things I couldn't have imagined. Taking that one step further, He has graced us with a church and a church family unlike any that I've ever had before. The fellowship we have with our Towerview family is incredible. Our Lord is responsible for the creation of our world, and yet He crafts my blessings one by one, specific to my needs. Hallelujah, I will praise Him!!

.: My family. When I say family, I realize the broad scope of the term, so I'll leave that to encompass my entire family. That starts with my incredible husband Joe and our daughter Sydni, without whom I would be lost in this world. They are my better halves? thirds, and they complete me in a way even I don't think I could begin to explain. It continues on then to our parents, our siblings, our nieces and nephews, our cousins, aunts, uncles, and everything in between, even on down to Bootsie, our dog. I look at the intricately woven mix of people in my family in particular [woo, adoption!], and I can't imagine my life any differently. I couldn't fathom anything less or more than the outstanding, unique group of people that comprise my [our] family tree.  I love you all, so very much.

.: My friends. Some are young, and some are gettin' up there ;), but when it's all said and done, there are a few who I believe are truly indispensable. To highlight just a few - my best friend, Kalyn, who lives right around 1,525 miles away from me, is probably the only other girl I've ever met that is truly on my level in just about everything. She is certainly a kindred soul, and I surely wouldn't trade our friendship for the world. I miss you, KP!! I also don't think this year would've been quite the same without our big vow renewal ceremony back in September, and I wouldn't have thought twice to ask anyone other than the girls I did: Jennifer, Laney, and Brittany - you girls are inspiring in your own specific ways and I admire the qualities you have that make us such good friends. [Cynthia and Maricor, my other two bridesmaids, are part of my family, but don't you dare feel left out! Hah.]  Happy Thanksgiving, to all of my dear friends; I hold you close to my heart and I truly do value how you've marked my life!



turkey!



.: My job. It sounds silly, but the sole mission of my job is to find work for other people, and to supply qualified employees for clients in need. On a daily basis, we hear story after story of people whose lives were smooth sailing until employment went sour and the bottom fell out from underneath their feet. Some deserved to lose their positions, yes, but others just couldn't control the economy and were consequently left behind in the wake of recession waves. I feel for all of these folks, especially during holiday seasons. There is such a reward in what we do when we've done it right and matched up the best people with jobs in which they'll excel. On top of that, our boss[es] gave us each a turkey as a Thanksgiving present this year - so thoughtful! :)

.: My life. Vague again, I know, but I'll allow this one to be somewhat all-encompassing as well. To keep it simple, I categorized my life's blessings and boiled it down as best I could. Our family and friends, jobs, housing, transportation, health, and salvation are the elements upon which we find ourselves building a life as individuals, as a couple, as parents, and as a family. Sure, I'm still human with human emotions, mistakes, and faults. There are ups and there are definitely downs, but even in the seemingly endless, intolerable times, I am still blessed with the wealth of what is actually a beautiful life. It's not perfect, but if it were anything other than what it is now, it wouldn't be mine.

SO, with just a glimpse at my blessings, I will let that be and get on to our Thanksgiving celebration with Joe's family here in Cincinnati. Earlier this morning, Joe went and played football with the old Milford HS guys that annually get together on Thanksgiving and make an event of it. Now he's back here resting up, and I really should get to making this dessert for his family's get together. I cannot wait to see them.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

xo | cmd

Constant Comment

It's FREDNESDAY!!

Pardon me for taking it upon myself to create a new day. Frednesday is the leap year child of Wednesday and Friday that happens when Wednesday takes the place of Friday in the work week cycle and is therefore the last work day of the week.

Erego, Frednesday.


constant comment | ♥

 We left work at noon today, and so before I get to packing up all our gear for the long haul back to Ohio, I thought I'd take a moment to thank Nancy for tuning me in to Constant Comment, a tea with which I have now fallen in love, thanks to Nanc. I'd never heard of it before I started working here, not to say that it wasn't readily available at Kroger's back home; I just never tried it. I have to say it's a welcome change in my routine green tea cycle [of which I owe thanks to Michael Moreno... ].

Well, like I said, I've got a lot to do to get ready for this evening. I suppose we'll bid the blog adieu until tomorrow.

See you in Ohio!

xo | cmd

Gearing Up for Christmas!

Well, we've started in a little early on our Christmas prep for this season at work.

I have a personal rule of thumb that I refuse to listen to Christmas music before my birthday. That's primarily because radio stations start jingling and joy'ing practically on Halloween's heels, so by the time Christmas actually rolls around, I want absolutely nothing to do with singing about roasted chestnuts and mistletoe.

SO, in a roundabout way, in a completely out-of-suit decision, I hopped on the Express pre-Christmas task of toting out the stored decorations and lending a hand to create some neat little festive scenery in our office. On behalf of us here at the office, we'd also like to celebrate Meagan's first year of being able to reach the top of a Christmas tree. This is gonna be a good season, ya'll ;)

Oh, and to top off the cheer, I came home to find my husband trotting around with a roaring cowgirl perched on his back. I'll tell you, there's one thing that is certainly more adorable than a man in uniform: it's that man, in uniform, crawling around the room on his hands and knees to play with his baby. Love love love love.

Upcoming this weekend:

Turkey, stuffing, sweet potato bakes, green beans, more turkey, more stuffing, and of course... family!!

We've got one more half day before a much-anticipated, travel-packed, long holiday weekend. I'm so excited!

xo | cmd

Labor Day Projects

Happy Labor Day!

I find it particularly ironic that I was off work today, while my husband, who works for the government, was at his desk for a large portion of the day. Interesting.

I'm not complaining at all though; I had the entire day to spend with Sydni, which is a rare occurrence these days. It was a long overdue Mommy-Daughter day, and I soaked up every minute of it.  We ran all kinds of errands to continue tying up all the ends for the wedding, and we even took on a project together. She pooped out on me halfway through it, which was okay, because spray paint and nails really aren't appropriate for toddlers.

Spray paint and nails?

Yup. Let's backtrack to a week or so back when Meagan planted the idea in my head of an idea she'd seen for a jewelry rack. It was perfect timing, since the current setup I have at home is apparently failing, miserably. For a long time, my system seemed flawless - I had one of those brushed chrome shower caddy things on a hook hanging over my closet door, from which I hung everything from necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and even clipped on any accessories that lacked hooks. What I didn't realize was that, because I'm constantly producing new pieces, that sucker got pretty heavy. About a week ago, Sydni flung the closet door shut and the whole operation came crashing down, breaking several pieces and creating a huge mess.


step 1 [top left]: detach ugly picture from neat frame
step 2 [top right]: attach leather thread & nails
step 3 [bottom left]: spray paint and wait....
step 4 [bottom right]: hang!



Long story short: this idea of Meagan's requires an empty picture frame with wire/ribbon/string across the center for hanging things, and some nails along the sides for additional space. I jumped all over that, and used it as a viable excuse to head to Goodwill. I don't ever need an excuse to go there, but it didn't hurt. I found the perfect frame, surely passed by because of the rustic artwork it held, and snagged it up for a whopping $3. My next stop was Hobby Lobby, where I grabbed some last minute bead needs and a can of textured spray paint for $7. I had nails at home, along with a great scrap roll of leather string, so the whole project cost $10 and took about an hour from start to finish.



before & after



I have to admit, it does look much better than the shower caddy, which still hangs in its old spot but is now home to a small variety of cords, cables, and camera accessories. It's still useful, but in moving jewelry over, I realized a few pieces had been hidden in the condensed clutter, so everyone wins with this one.

AND!
While I was waiting for the paint to dry on the frame, I went ahead and wrapped up something that's been on my creative to-do list for just over a week now. Diana had brought me an earring whose match she had somehow lost over time, and didn't want to wear the rest of the ensemble until every piece was in tune. I couldn't find the exact beads, but I did my best with what I had to re-create a similar idea.



original in the center, mine on the sides



Doesn't look too bad, right? :)

So, by the time Joe got home, we had all kinds of things show him. He only laughs, because he's well aware of how nutty I get when it comes to making jewelry or taking on other miscellaneous projects.

This is going to be a short work week, and I am A-OKAY[!!] with that.

Happy Labor Day!

xo | cmd

Last Day in the Vern



kobi

Today was our last day here in Mt. Vernon. I woke up today a little sad that we would be heading back to Illinois tomorrow, but not before we had another great day with the family.

I finally got to spend a little time with my cat, whose current residence is here in Mt. Vernon with my parents. This was originally a temporary arrangement, but after six month, my mom persuaded me to let her stay. She’s a sweetie, and while I miss her, I’m glad she’s fitting in here.

We of course had to go to the late service at Faith Baptist, my parents’ church, and the church in which I was a member at the time I was officially saved. [Amen!]. After the service, we did lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s and headed back home.

Dad & Joe loaded up to hit the golf course, while I stayed back with mom & Syd. We spent an afternoon enjoying the sunshine outside and watering the blooming gardens in the front yard. I suited Sydni up in some swim gear so she could play in the sprinkler. I was also amazed at how long a 2-yr-old can stay entertained with a bucket of water and some plastic cups. It makes me wish I was a kid again.



water fun!

When the men were finished golfing and back at the house, we all cleaned up and got ready for an early dinner. We’ve been very diligent over the past several months on praying before meals with Sydni. We pray as a family before bedtime, and I am here to proudly say that not only does she understand that it is something we all do together, but she will remind us if we for some reason forget. These are some of the things that, as a mother, I find more gratifying than anything else. Even though she’s entering into a new phase of toddlerhood [whining, clinging, bossing, claiming….], it’s things like this that I know that Joe and I as parents are managing to do right. The rest, well, we’re working on it. J

*Sigh.
Tomorrow morning we pack up and head back to Belleville. Oh Yippee.

*Bye again, Ohio!*

♥

xo | cmd

Holiday Picnic!

In my opinion, the best way to spend a holiday is with the people you love. I wish Joe’s family had been able to be a part of the weekend celebration; they are my family now, too, and I love ‘em. Here at my parents’ house, we were joined by my sister & her family, my cousins, a few close family friends, and the first pastor that I can clearly remember. It was a blast, as usual.



cornhole | sister&family| couples | pastor chuck & darryl

my love | my mama's cookin' | beautiful sister | daddy&syd

fetch! | sydni | emmie | babies with water buckets

bathtime girls | sydni's sparklers | sparklers | imitating mama



 Happy Holiday!

xo | cmd

Fossils | Festivals | Friends | Fireworks

My parents’ house sits on a very large, very foliage-covered piece of land. As kids, the natural place to find us was usually rustling around somewhere deep in these woods. We built forts, swung on grapevines, and fished crayfish and salamanders with our bare fingers. I decided that it was time my husband caught a glimpse of what I considered the home behind my home.

What I did NOT encounter as a kid, ever, [thank goodness] was a trail of massive bones littering the creekbed for nearly a half mile. In my adulthood, I realize that currently, I’ve seen one too many episodes of NCIS, CSI, etc. to be okay seeing things like this without the creepy suspicion that dirty business has transpired.

Relief: white tailed deer carcasses. Well, relief compared to what they could’ve been.

Disappointment: Hunters hunting, stripping, and dumping on our property = illegal. 



bones | white-tailed deer | :(

 Strange. We headed back to the house shortly after to shower and clean up.


One thing I will forever love about my hometown is its nostalgic feel and the fact that each time I visit, I uncover something or someone I’ve somehow managed to elude for more than just a few years.

Today, my parents, Joe, Syd and I headed to downtown Mt. Vernon for some sort of pre-holiday festival. I’m not exactly sure what it was technically named, but I do know there’s just something about these little events to which I’m drawn. I can’t explain it, but either way, I’m glad we went.   



jasmine

Anyone who attended St. Paul’s Episcopal Church as a kid in the mid-90’s should remember Farm Week. I know I do… well, for the most part. What I primarily recall is a hoard of youth swarming all over an outdoor haven: river and all. From the time I was finally getting all my adult teeth in, this girl has been there doing stupid and crazy things with me. She finally moved away to another bordering school district in the midst of our high school years, but we’ve managed to keep in touch and I love her to pieces.  



krystal

This is a tribute to a girl I befriended somewhere in the middle of middle school. I’ve always been fairly adaptable, but I do distinctly remember how displeased I was [ok, fine, I was actually terrified] that I had to leave elementary school and start the big bad 6^th grade in a whole new building. This girl is one of the first people I met in my quest to survive middle school. I recall she even accompanied us on a family vacation to VA Beach once. Ironically, her family moved to Missouri just as we were entering high school; now that she’s back in Ohio, I’m the one [almost] in Missouri. Timing was never our thing, but she’s still one of my oldest and dearest friends J

Oh, yeah, and there were fireworks.

Mount Vernon loves fireworks.

Sydni also loves fireworks.



family fireworks outing



Actually, this was Sydni’s first experience with fireworks. She did well, considering how loud and flashy they were at times.

Tomorrow = family picnic. I can’t wait!

xo | cmd