Excited is an understatement!

In two days Spring Break will officially start.

Yes, I realize that I'm not a student, but I do work in a school.

No, I'm not pining for a chance to lay out on a Daytona or Siesta Key beach, but I am pining for some different things.

Like sleeping in.

Yes, totally like sleeping in.  Past 5am that is.

So, without further ado, here are some of my "to do's" for next week.

I've got a good 16 hours a day to get busy getting all those things done I've just been dreaming about finishing.

I've got seedlings to replant since they'll need to be in the ground sooner rather than later (with all this crazy weather we've been having.)

I've got some meals to make and freeze for easy pull-out on softball game nights.

I've got Etsy.com stock to start and maybe finish for my up and coming "store" opening this summer.

Things like fabric flower pins...

 vintage looking bulletin boards...

cabochon flower rings

and maybe some cute aprons if I so desire.

 After all that's done, I might rearrange the living room (since it's been a couple months...), sweep out the registers, and get rid of the clutter in the bedroom.

I need to take some more clothes to the resale shop and Goodwill. 

At the end of the list...more work in the flower beds.  More weeding, and the addition of some duck mulch. 
Ah, the joys of country life.

The end result...the feeling of something accomplished.  A great feeling!  What will you all be doing?

A Turn of Events

This week has been one of great highs and even lower lows. 

Today was a low.

I know it's Sunday, and aren't we all supposed to be happy on Sunday?  We're supposed to go to church and sing our songs and feel close to God.

Well, I had no problem being close with God, in fact I prayed quite fervently BEFORE church.  But I was praying for all the frustration inside to be taken away.

I was overloaded with frustration.  Frustration at someone who let me down AGAIN.  Frustration that my new job wasn't going quite how I planned.  (It is MUCH harder than I expected it would be...), and frustration that I am running out of time in the day, (and in the weekend), and my house cleaning, blog posting, and general happiness are falling behind.

So, needless to say, I felt as if I was overflowing and ready to explode.

Tears ran down my face during church.  I felt humbled before God, and knew he kept telling me to "let it go." 

It's hard, though, isn't it, to cut through the crap sometimes.

After church we went to a bridal shower for one of my cousins who I feel close to, and who is so great with my kids.  He actually calls them on the phone to come over and play video games with him.  In their eyes, he rocks.  We had a good time at the shower, and there was good food, of course, but I was still holding on to some of that stinkin' frustration.

Then we went home.  It was a gorgeous day today...sunny and warm.

I put on shorts and took a walk around the perimeter of my house, looking at the flower beds I STILL had not weeded, even though last week was in the 80's all week.

I knew in the back of my head it was Sunday, and you DON'T work on Sundays.  They are a day of rest.  But you see, even though weeding my flower beds IS work, it's also a great "cure" for what ails me sometimes.

I got to work.  I got my gardening gloves on, got my hand cultivator, and a small spade shovel.  I beat those weeds into submission, and all the while, my frustration at all those "tiny things" slowly dissipated.  I felt rejuvenated, and close to God with my hands in the dirt.

I got alot done, and I only have a little more left to do on Spring Break in a week.

It felt GOOD.

Cooking...with a side of manure

Yep, the title says it all, and so would Ree.  Ree Drummond that is.  AKA The Pioneer Woman.

That's right...we're like this (fingers crossed) but not really.  I've never met this woman in my life...but kinda want her life.

City girl, met a stud of a man when she was least expecting it, fell in love, got married, moved to a sprawling ranch his family owns, started a blog, gained notoriety, wrote 2 cookbooks, wrote a children's book, wrote her own love story, and then started a food network show...I mean, come on.  She's the girl next door!

I want to be her.

So, I bought her first cookbook a year ago.  Or maybe a year and a half ago.

LOVE IT!  Her meatballs are to die for, and many other things as well.  It's a MAN'S kinda food as Brent would say.  Meat and potatoes!

So, I bought the newest one tonight.  Like 5 minutes ago.

I'm pretty pumped.  I like new recipes.  I feel I'm in a rut too often.  I mean, how many times a week can we have tacos?  (no, you don't feel this way...)

So, while my husband is glued to the TV for March Madness, I'll be perusing my new cookbook...written by my idol.

YES YOU ARE PIONEER WOMAN...YES YOU ARE!

I'm a copycat! Are you?

So one of my favorite ladies...Shannan over at Flowerpatchfarmgirl posted today about her favs on Pinterest.

I know it's totally the FAD of the moment...Pinterest.com that is.  But the fact is, I've fallen head over heels for it myself just like those pegged jeans back in the 80's and 90's.

You see, if you haven't tried it, well, you should.  It's as simple as that.  You can search for ANYTHING under the sun.  Like the tape player/radio/boombox I had growing up....

I saw it and was immediately transported back to my childhood room that I shared with my sister, when I would tape all my favorite songs off of the radio and declare that everyone be absolutely SILENT while I did so.

Pinterest is where I discovered I'm not the only one with an affliction for mixing the colors red and aqua.

It's the place that I've also found great recipes like these baked zucchini chips...

source

and this cowboy casserole.

source

I've found hundreds of DIY projects/home ideas/etc. and I've copied them myself.

better homes and gardens

There are great quotes...

and even greater tutorials.

source

And I've had a million Ah-Ha moments just by browsing...

(totally great idea for ribbon storage)

Yes, you can spend HOURS browsing, but I'd rather be doing that and being productive than surfing facebook.

I'm addicted like a crack addict.  (At least I think I am, I've never taken crack...)

I'd highly recommend it!  You can follow me on Pinterest.com by clicking on my link on my sidebar.  

So, I'll admit it, I'm a copycat to the highest degree...are you?

It's all in a name

Funky Junk Interiors had a Saturday Nite Special linky party...right up my alley.

Donna, the creative mastermind behind this great blog, wanted some vintagey link ups from all of us...

So, I took the camera and walked around my house looking for some.

I realized there are some that are just "there."  Meaning, I collect them, and they just sit out on display.

Some are garage sale finds that at the time I didn't know what I'd do with, but they soon became part of my "look."

Others are "finds" Brent brought home for me, and I found a way to use them as a rotating display.

 Some of my "vintage" objects are vintage, but very re purposed into something else useful.  Take the child's refrigerator toy that now holds my spices, and the galvanized bucket that's now a utensil holder.

Still others, are just beautiful for so many reasons.

So, I'm linking up to Donna's place.  Hop on over and see some other inspiration.

Things I'd rather not know

This picture has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with this post, but it'll brighten up my thoughts.

I've been stuck in a courtroom for the last two days.

Now, before you go and jump to conclusions...I was only there for jury selection.

I've never in all my 19 years of eligible voting have I been chosen for this...and I have to say, I'm glad.

It's NOTHING like CSI or Law and Order or even The Mentalist.

It's hardcore, and you come away being intimidated and embarrassed.

At least I did.

The first day we were in the courtroom till 6:30 pm.  We had seen the prosecutor and defense attorney discard 13 people, and interrogate even more.

I sat uncomfortably in the "audience" watching all this and just praying, for the type of case that it was, that I wouldn't be called.

It's not worth the $17.50/day you get from the court.

At 6:30 pm the judge ruled that we wouldn't get finished that night, so we all had to come back in the morning.  The groans in the courtroom were LOUD.  I'm pretty sure my sigh was also heard.

So back we went the next day at 9am.  This time, my name was called first to go sit in the vacated jury seats they were still wanting to be filled.

To say I was nervous is an understatement.  I was sweating like I had just run a marathon.  My breath was labored, and I was terrified of what I was gonna be asked.

The ladies and gentlemen in the box that had already been chosen were very nice, and we talked awhile until the judge showed up an hour later.  (Yes, each day we waited an hour past the time we were told to be there for the judge to arrive.)

I was questioned first.  I was asked if this case would bother me.  I answered honestly that yes it would, cause YES IT WOULD.  I'm sure the questioning about my job in a school is also what eventually excused me from the jury.

I know it's our civic duty if called, but I didn't want to know any more details about the case than I already found out just sitting in the audience waiting to be called

I felt like a freed man, and I wasn't even the one who had committed the crime.

I hope the jury picked did a fine job with this case, and I prayed for each of them this morning.  They are certainly stronger than I am.

Keepin' it together!

It's been awhile since I've been able to go here.

It's sad actually.  It's my happiest spot in the house!
What with it's polka dotted lampshade...

and picture "chandelier"...

and all the maps (even those mysteriously missing Kentucky).

 My happy place hold old books for craft projects,

and my most favorite of Grace's school craft projects.

You see, I haven't been able to "create" anything lately because we've been too busy, and many other things have been occupying my mind lately and I've felt very "uncreative."

However, that plain purse calendar I bought on clearance a couple of weeks ago, made me want to go up to my craft table tonight.

First I picked out the paper I wanted to use.

All the paper I picked is from the October Afternoon paper line.  You can see them here.
(The gold flowered paper is from the Seaside line:  yellow bikini.  The dark turquoise paper is from the Fly a Kite line:  sprinkers, and the light turquoise paper with the flowers is from the Sidewalks line and it also has red stripes on the back.)  I LOVE October Afternoon.  The papers are retro and cool at the same time.

I used my Stampin' Up paper punch...

my Elmer's tape runner...(from Wal-Mart no less)

and my favorite distressing ink.

I cut my paper (I used the gold as the base) to the size of the calendar, and added embellishments that I cut from all the other papers. 
The result...

Now, all I need to do is fill it out!