things you don't know

here are ten things you probably don't know about me...

but i think you should.

one. i watch the weather channel every morning while i get ready for work. (did you know today is al roker's birthday?)

two. i drink a bottle of spark pink lemonade every morning.

three. i love college football and root for oklahoma state.

four. i have two laughs: peter griffin from family guy or janis from friends. those are your choices

five. i hate roaches and people touching my neck.

six. i want to live on a lake.

seven. i chew stride sweet mint gum.

eight. i can count to fifteen in japanese

nine. i have a bottle of boone's farm snow creek berry apple wine in my fridge. i like it because it is fizzy.

ten. i like typing out numbers.

what are your ten things?

Possum Kingdom Lake

we have been on a much needed vacation. after all of the horrible, wonderful, stressful things that have happened to us this summer, i do not hesitate to say that we deserved one.

hell's gate

 my husband, who recently graduated from seminary, and i got together with three other couples that we have met through his years at SMU. we have decided to make a yearly outing together where we can get away (preferably somewhere without cell phone or internet access) and relax! this was our inaugural year.

everyone on the trip but me. i was taking a needed break from the sun.

 i must stay we started with a bang and that this year will be hard to beat. 

the valenta lake house

we stayed at a lake house at possum kingdom lake in graham, texas.

 it was so nice, quiet and peaceful.

we spent the entire week riding in the boat

john and mara

knitting....

me, alina and mara

floating in the lake...

the always reliable life jacket diaper

playing with legos...

and playing with our dog, rebel

rebel man, aka tumpkin 1

this was his first outing on the boat and needless to say, he totally enjoyed it! as long as that little yellow bouncy rubber ball was in sight he was in heeler heaven!

rebel climbing in the boat for, oh, about the hundredth time

 seriously. i have had him five years. in all those years, he has never so much as sat down in the back seat of the car. there are too many other cars to chase and worry about. after this week, he slept the entire way home.

my lovely husband

 we also ate like kings. um. actually, health conscious kings. one couple is on weight watchers and another couple is expecting so we tried to keep the meals light and healthy. lots of food on the grill and lots of lean proteins and veggies.

steak kabobs

beer can chicken

low fat peanut butter icing

 yum!

jared and alina

pransome hince and rindercella

the boys: jared, chris, rebel and john

the girls: me, alina and mara

 on the last night we watched the sunset. it was beautiful!

 

overall, it was such a relaxing time and we really enjoyed getting away from it all.

i has a button

i guess it is possible that you may have already noticed but...

i got a new blog design!

ain't she grand? i love the little green bird and the key with the ribbon tied around it. too sweet! :D

a big thanks to mrs. lambert at sweetie baby's custom blog design for doing such awesome, quick and affordable work!

thanks leslie!

she was so great to work with and very flexible. hop on over to her page and see what she's got going on.

by the way, her grocery shopping method is so streamlined and money saving it makes me green with envy. she is such a smart shopper!

additionally, as you have also probably noticed, i has a button. yep. my own cutie-patooty real world, grown up blogger button. do take one and stick it on your blog, please! it will make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

the vintage find

so, remember the other day when i was raving like a lunatic about the vintage find?

here is what i got:

maple syrup buckets (to be used to hold stuff on a future potting station i have in mind...)

the sweetest little milk glass lamp to replace the one that broke when we moved last year

such a cute little green, metal stool, to sit beside my new work station in my kitchen.

this lovely, sturdy chair to go to my desk.

what desk?

oh, this one. the one i got for free.

yep. zilch. zero. nada. not a penny spent. a friend of mine had this custom built as a vanity for her bathroom and decided she didn't like it anymore. she ripped it out (there is lovely spots on the side from where it was glued to the bathtub) and got a antique vanity from a local shop. i saw it in her living room (on it's way to the side of the street) and managed to save this beauty in the knick of time. it's just exactly what i was looking for. so simple and the right size. 

yay!

the desk and the chair will be getting a fresh coat of white paint and some distressing, along with some fabric updating. before and after coming soon for those! :D

oh, and my friend who went with me (and declared beforehand that she really wasn't going to buy anything...) bought a china hutch.

i know right? looks sort of like this:

i didn't take a picture of the real thing. completely forgot. but this is perdy close to the real deal. now, are you ready for this?

$50.

yeah. i said it. what?