{Thursday Thoughts}

 {ONE}

Only three days until Christmas!! I'm lucky enough to get to decorate ANOTHER tree because the real one we put up while my parents were here for Thanksgiving just couldn't hold out any longer and it died :-( Poor thing. So, we get to bust out the fake tree for this weekend.

{TWO}

Two of my brother in laws (and practically sister in law hehehe) are headed our way as I type, my mother and father in law will be joining us TOMORROW! :-) I'm so excited that we'll still get to celebrate this holiday with family because my husband and I decided this year that we just couldn't afford to travel back to our hometown since we're trying to save up money for our big move coming up this September.

{THREE}

Finally happy that the stomach flu that plagued our house this week is finally GONE and my husband never got it! BONUS! I was terrified that we were going to have a flu-filled Christmas. That was Miss K's first stomach flu...and I must say that the actual vomiting wasn't the worst part to deal with...it was the "Mama please help me!" look that she gave me every time she was about to throw up. That was rough seeing that and knowing there was nothing I could do but just be there.

{FOUR}

I have this sudden urge to buy Starbucks everyday from here on out before the holiday cups go back into hibernation! I know it's silly, but those red cups just make me smile. Also sad to think that the holiday season is almost over too :-( 

{FIVE}

I desperately want to go drive around to look at Christmas lights. I can't believe that I'm just now realizing we haven't done that yet! Shame on us!

{SIX}

I LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches! My our little family seems to be binging on them for breakfast lately. I can't explain why they're so amazing, but they're not just for when we were kids! HAHA! Well, I guess I would consider myself a big kid ;-)

What are your plans for today? Anything special you're doing for the holidays? :-)

.::101 Things in 1001 Days::.

I'm jumping on the 101 in 1001 Train!!! I've partnered up with my gal pal, Nadina, at Life One Day at a Time to take on this awesome task and I encourage all of you to do this! It's definitely a great way to get excited about the things you want to do/get done in your lives! :-) You don't HAVE to have a partner...but I think it will be more fun this way to help each other complete some of their tasks! :-)

To see my list go HERE, or click on the tab at the top of my page titled .::101 in 1001::. (which will be there the entire duration of this project), and I also have a tab that's tittled .::101 in 1001 Pictures::. where I will share pictures of the tasks that I complete :-) If you make your own 101 in 1001 list, I would love to have you share it with me, to give a little encouragement or, who knows, I just may send you something to help you complete a task on your list...you just never know!! Just post the link as a comment below!

{Vintage Pyrex}

There are quite a few people that I know that have their one thing that they collect to decorate a room with. For most, it's something that they collect to add the little something to their kitchens. My mother is one of those such people. She collects vintage nut choppers (not to worry gentlemen, there's no need to jump to conclusions hehehe) and they're just really cool! Here's what I'm talking about...

She has a colorful assortment of nut choppers, just like the one pictured above, sitting up on top of all the cabinets. I love them! They add the perfect touch to her kitchen.

My hubby and I often talk about how we really want to find something like this to collect to add that little bit to our someday kitchen too. And I think I've figured out what I want to collect....

*VINTAGE PYREX*

But not JUST vintage Pyrex...vintage Pyrex in an assortment of colors!

Here is the source of my inspiration. I found this picture on Pinterest and I knew immediately that when I saw it, this is what I wanted to collect. Major brownie points to the photographer for the "rainbow arrangement"!! :-) 

This is exactly how I would do it too! I pretty much love every color of the rainbow and for this to have all vintage pyrex displayed in rainbow colors...SQUEAL!! :-) I get excited over the oddest things, I know.

When I moved into my first apartment with my husband, my Mom had actually given me a set of 3 of the green vintage bowls and I've held onto them for the past 7 years. I guess what triggered my want for more Pyrex lately was running into a pink vintage Pyrex bowl that was left behind when one of the tenants at our apartment complex that had moved out. It's the exact same pink one in the Pinterest picture above :-) 

For those of you that read this, you're AWESOME! It really means a lot to me that you listen to my random ramblings and humor me when I get excited over things like this! LOL! ;-) Love you all!!

{aNeMoNe} - Handmade Paper Flowers

You're probably looking at the title of this post and thinking to yourself "handmade paper flowers?? seriously??".

Let me be the first to tell you, that they're A-MAZING! Mary, the owner of aNeMoNe, made my wedding bouquet ENTIRELY out of paper flowers just over 2 years ago! Here is a photo of my bouquet from my wedding...

 Isn't it GORGEOUS!? I still promise you...this bouquet is made entirely out of paper!! :-) I also have a few of aNeMoNe's arrangements throughout my house and they add just the perfect touch. You never have to water them, they're made out of quality paper, and THEY NEVER DIE!! I still get to admire my bouquet 2 years after my wedding! (I know, that was a little bit cheesy...but it's all true!! LOL!)

What I'm trying to get at is....if you're looking for a really unique gift to give someone for the holidays/for anytime of year, or if you're like me and don't want to spend a fortune on flowers for your wedding that die shortly after, OR you just want to treat yourself and your home to something beautiful...GO CHECK THEM OUT! :-) They also have Christmas ornaments!!!

aNeMoNe

309 W. 2nd Ave. Ste 102

Spokane, WA 99201

Phone: (509) 838-7037

Email: info@handmadepaperflowers.com

Website: HERE

Facebook: HERE

Here is just another taste of their amazing work....

And not to forget about the Christmas decorations!!! :-) 

UPDATE!

Just hours after posting this, one of our local news stations aired a special of aNeMoNe!!! Here's the link, check out the video that comes with the story to see more amazing work from Mary and her crew! :-)

Here's the link:

http://www.kxly.com/news/29955368/detail.html

{Day 21-30} "I AM THANKFUL" 30 Day Thanksgiving Challenge!

WOW....I think calling me a "slacker" would be an UNDERSTATEMENT!! LOL! Sorry I disappeared for a bit but I have been super busy with Thanksgiving and traveling. I'll really be back into my blogging after Sunday. But since I was a major slacker...here is the rest of my 30 Days of what I'm thankful for...

Since I don't have my regular computer with me....I have a different photo for my last entry...

Image: Courtesy of http://alimoongoddess.com/

Day #21

 

I am thankful...for DISHWASHERS!!!!

 

 

About a year ago we moved into our apartment...and it DOES NOT have a dishwasher :-( I've definitely learned to appreciate how far we've come in this life to have things that really do help A LOT. haha.

 

Day #22

 

I am thankful...for the one vehicle we do have left!

 

When I got my license, I was SO used to having my own car. When I got older, started living on my own, then our family came along, money became tight and we could only afford to have one. I'm just thankful we have one at all!! I had to ride the local transit here A LOT for about two years and it's nice to have your own vehicle sometimes :-)

 

Day #23

 

I am thankful...for mattresses, box springs and bed frames.

 

 

Because of a minor moving accident...we have no bed frame and our mattress/box spring sits on the floor. And as much as I HATE the bed set that we have, I will definitely say it's better than sleeping on the cold hard floor! ;-)

 

Day #24

 

I am thankful...for music.

 

 

You won't see me doing it often...but I LOVE to dance! When I was 18, I loved the club scene with the loud music and fun people. Now that I'm a Mom, I find myself dancing with my daughter when music comes on the TV or when characters in her shows/movies start dancing. I just love to move. Plus, music is just SO therapeutic. There are songs for EVERY kind of mood, or day you're having, or moment in you life.

 

Day #25

 

I am thankful...for my right to own a gun.

 

 

I was raised around a hunting lifestyle. At 10 years old I passed Hunter's Safety and owned my first gun. I was raised to go out and get something that put food on our table. To this day, I still love to hunt. I love the idea that I can provide for my family and that my loved ones can help me do that as well. I know that having a gun or talking about them can be a sensitive subject, for many but I feel that with the right education about guns and learning of the responsibilities that come with them, they CAN be safe. I firmly believe that there are MANY people out there that should NOT own a gun, simply because they aren't educated about them, or are just plain unsafe and, for a lack of a better word, STUPID with them. They are dangerous when not placed in the right hands and I'm very happy that there are really strict laws that are out there when it comes to guns, as well as punishments that come along with abusing the right to have a gun.

 

Day #26

 

I am thankful...for college degree!

I am the first and only one, on either side of my family, to get a college degree. Words can't even begin to describe how thankful I am to have it, and everything that my parents sacrificed to help me get it!!! I worked VERY hard to earn it, and I'm DAMN proud of myself for getting it! :-)

Day #27

 

I am thankful...for my Brother!

 

I'm thankful for the Sister that I am today because of the Brother I've had all my life ;-) For those of you that have siblings...you'll get that this is all I ever need to say about my Brother and how much it actually means ;-)

 

Day #28

 

I am thankful...for my Father!

 

For the next two, I could sit here and write an entire novel about them...but the few things that I will write about my Daddy (yes, I still call him that, PROUDLY) is...how extremely thankful I am that he raised me to know what a true gentleman is and how they should treat a woman (I'm lucky enough to say I've found one of my very own). I'm extremely thankful that he was always the man I could run to when I felt like the world was shattering around me. I'm so happy that he is now one of the BIGGEST male role models in my daughter's life and there is just nothing better than that! 

 

Day #29

 

I am thankful...for my Mother!

 

There aren't even enough words in this universe to begin to express how thankful I am about my Mother. She is my ROCK. My light at the end of the tunnel. She's the reason I am the woman that I am today, and I'll go ahead and say it, I'm pretty dang awesome ;-) I'm so thankful that she is my best friend. I have learned SO much from her and have WAY more to learn from her still. She has gotten me through some of the toughest points in my life, in my parenting journey, and MORE! She raised me to be a strong, independent woman. To stand up for myself and what's right. She provided me with the knowledge to successfully raise my own family. I owe her SO SO SO much! I continue to be EXTREMELY thankful for everything that she still does for me and my family!!

Day #30

 

I am thankful...for my Husband!

 

LOL! He's my bestest friend in the whole wide world, he's my compliment, my soul mate. He makes me strive to be my best every moment in my life. He inspires me and supports me. He's the most amazing father to our daughter, Miss K!!! He works 3 jobs, goes to school full time and still somehow finds the energy to come home and be the best daddy every and loving husband any girl could ask for. He's VERY active in the day to day care of our child and that in itself is more than any girl could ever ask for in a parenting team mate.

 

I can never thank this man enough for what he does and I always try to hold my end of it all...and I hope he thinks I do! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BABE!!

 

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I must say, I'm kinda sad that this blogging series is over, but at the same time, I'm pretty dang excited to start new things with my blogging!! Thank you all again for following me and my blogging journey! I truly love having my blogging family!!!!

{Day 17, 18, 19, 20} "I AM THANKFUL" 30 Day Thanksgiving Challenge!

Wow, I definitely fell behind with my challenge, so I'll play catch up today!! I was a vendor in a craft sale this weekend so I pretty much had to put everything else on hold to prepare haha!

Day #17

I am thankful...for medical/dental insurance.

When our daughter was born...let's just say, we never saw A DIME of the $15,000 bill that it took just for her arrival!! YIKES, right?! I definitely don't take something like medical/dental insurance for granted...EVER. Just recently...well, over this past month, I've been in an out of doctor's offices (don't worry, I promise I'm fine) to figure some stuff out and once again...out of the 4 visits I had to make that I wasn't expecting to, I never saw a penny from those visits either. I have no clue what my husband and I would do if we didn't have medical and had to pay for all of Miss K's shots, well check exams, etc. It really frustrates me that there are people out there that try to cheat the system to try and get MORE out of something that is already a huge blessing. I'm VERY thankful for medical and dental insurance!

Day #18

I am thankful...for my husband's employment!!

My husband works so much to death, for me to be a stay at home Mom to our little munchkin and like I said in a previous post, I'm super thankful he does that for our us. As much as sometimes wish I had a job to help with the financial aspect of it all, I'm just super glad that my husband hasn't lost any of his jobs or has to struggle to find any during this tough time with our economy!

Day #19

I am thankful...for craft sales/bazaars/shows.

www.madewithlovebycaty.etsy.com AND www.madewithlovebycaty.blogspot.com

This was my cute little booth at the sale I participated in this weekend :-) This is only the 2nd one I've ever done and I JUST LOVE IT! I love the atmosphere, the people that come to shop...but I have to say, the one thing I think I love the most is...the other vendors!! Every year I get so excited about seeing what other vendors bring to the sale. This year was especially fun for me because we didn't' get much foot traffic this year, due to the snowfall (not the fun part) but at the end of the sale, all of us vendors just started trading with each other for goodies. I got some awesome handmade hair accessories, a handmade t-shirt scarf and an ADORABLE elephant pin cushion, plus a strawberry pin cushion. LOVE supporting local crafters and just buying local! Got some great Christmas presents there too...that I cannot mention...because the gifts are for a reader haha!
 

Day #20

I am thankful...for the National Football League!

During football season, it's a family "tradition" to make Sundays our family days and do nothing but cook, veg out and watch football together! I. LOVE. FAMILY. SUNDAYS. With our insanely busy lives, it's definitely nice to "force" ourselves to set aside one day where we do absolutely nothing but enjoy each others company. We don't do chores (which I sometimes pay for in the long run), we play non-stop with our daughter and just SNUGGLE...lots and lots of snuggling as a family! It's pretty much pure heaven! :-)
 

{Day 16} "I AM THANKFUL" 30 Day Thanksgiving Challenge!

Image: Courtesy of Meghan at www.lifeofnashvegasmeg.blogspot.com

Day #16

I am thankful...for laughter!

I just had the GREATEST moment with my daughter that makes me so thankful for laughter!

I was sitting on the floor with her and we were throwing a ball back at forth at one another. We paused for a moment because she ran towards one of her pacifiers, I grabbed it before she could get it, put it in my mouth and launched it across the room. Miss K started laughing HYSTERICALLY! So, I grabbed the binkie again and before I could even launch it, she started laughing again really hard, which in turn, made me laugh hysterically. Before I knew it, the two of us were laughing so hard at the fact that the other was laughing, that we sat there for a quite a few minutes just....LAUGHING! 

It was just one of many of the greatest moments I've had with my daughter since she was born. I'm a total sap, so when I took a breath after laughing so hard, I started crying. It's all these little moments that make me proud to be her Mother. It's moments like these that make me forget about all the tough times that come with being a parent. I definitely can't wait to have more moments like this!! Bonding with my daughter ROCKS!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!!