K Lynne Designs

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World Book Review

2011-08-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

In such uncertain times here on this place we call Earth, Dr. Jeremiah's book gives light and hope to his readers. He calls us to live out God's word even in frightening times. This book was very inspirational to believers and was a joy to read. I found the concepts hit so close to home and were things that I could practically apply in my life to overcome the chaotic feelings life inevitably brings us.

Dr. Jeremiah's chapters are laid out very well and build on each other so that the reader really feels a seamless transition. With simple headers like "Stay Calm", "Stay Compassionate", "Stay Constructive", "Stay Challenged", "Stay Connected", "Stay Centered", "Stay Confident", "Stay Consistent", "Stay Committed", and "Stay Convinced" - each chapter has a unique message about how to walk as a Christian in these troubled times.

Overall, I found this book very insightful, encouraging and thought provoking. It was an easy read although the content does make you think! I would recommend this to anyone looking for inspiration and motivation in your walk through life!

(To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Thomas Nelson Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.)

Makeup Deal Alert! :)

2011-06-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Long time, no bloggin'! I just wanted to pop in with a deal on some makeup I came across today at Rite Aid!

In the Sunday paper this week there is a coupon for 5.00 of 2 Cover Girl Nature Luxe products! I love, love, love the NatureLuxe line so I was excited to see this. If you like the Cover Girl Nature Luxe Lip Balms or would like to try them - they are 7.49 and BOGO this week at Rite Aid.

The deal goes like this -

Buy One for 7.49, get the other for 3.74 - then use your 5.00 off coupon - to make your grand total 6.23 for TWO balms!

The deal gets even better though because when you spend 20.00 at Rite Aid on Cover Girl cosmetics you get 5.00 back in uprewards! Uprewards print on the bottom of your receipt for use next time on anything at Rite Aid.

So, what I did was use 2 of the 5.00 off coupons - grabbed 4 Nature Luxe Balms that I'd been wanting to try and paid 12.46 out of pocket. But, 5.00 in rewards printed out!

So, essentially I got the each balm for 1.87 pre tax!

So get out there and score yourself some awesome lip balm for cheap this week at Rite Aid!! :)

Linking up - Kitchen Vignette

2010-12-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

I'm linking up to Rhoda's Vignette Party over at Southern Hospitality - here .

Just wanted to share a picture of one vignette for this Christmas! I am still working on the others, so my little "Kitchen tree" will have to do!

Hope you enjoy!

A few pictures :)

2010-11-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I cannot believe it has been so long since I've updated! Nearly a year - wow! I started my RN program this fall and it's been a non stop roller coaster ever since. I am really ready to jump back into blogging full force and what better time to do it than my favorite time of the year?!

Here are a few pictures of my "not totally finished" tinsel tree in my dining room. I scored it on clearance for $50 down from - get this - $800 and this is the first time it's been out of the box. I am totally in love <3

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

2010-07-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Same Kind of Different As Me is an amazing true story that shares the tale of an unlikely friendship between two men walking two very different paths in life.

Denver is a black, poverty stricken man who escapes from the confines of modern day slavery and as a result spends the next 18 years homeless. Ron is a wealthy art dealer from Texas who does not reach out to many, instead choosing to live his more than comfortable lifestyle. His wife, Debbie however feels led to help Denver and what follows is an incredible tale of love, faith and friendship between two men from whom no one would expect.

This book is written in two narratives from both Denver and Ron’s point of view. It covers so many topics from poverty, slavery and prejudice to compassion, mercy, faith and love. It truly is an inspirational book that opens our eyes to how on the most basic levels we are all so much the same, regardless of our different circumstances. I cannot recommend this book any more highly. It touched me and made me think about the world with a fresh perspective and I believe it will for you as well!

Disclaimer - This book was sent to my courtesy of Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze program. The opinions and review above are solely my own and I received no monetary compensation for my thoughts and opinion.

Post about a giveaway! :)

2010-06-20T16:10:00.001-07:00

There is a great giveaway right now going on over at Red Door Home! I just love this blog and the prize is awesome - it's a dash and albert tote bag! I know, I'm squealing about it too just a little :), or a lot!! Here is the link - Red Door Home giveaway so head on over to enter for a chance to win!

xoxo,
K

Hi Guys!

2010-06-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile! I'll be back very shortly with some great thrifty treasures and decorating ideas later on this week :)

I just wanted to blog about a great new e-book written by Ruthie at www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com. This is one of my absolutely favorite blogs! She writes about so many wonderful ways to make a house a home - and includes so many tips and lovely ideas about family time. It is always a breath of fresh air to read.

I hope you'll all go check out her E book and her blog! :)

K

Christmas Decor

2009-12-25T01:03:00.001-08:00

I know I'm so late on this - but I wanted to show my Christmas/Winter decor before the holiday is officially over :) I'm linking up to the Nester's Christmas Home Tour (even though it's now closed) - visit and check out the awesome links to others blogs here .

Enjoy the pics!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!! :)

Giveaway over @ Domestic Princess In Training!

2009-10-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out Kendra's blog, you must go check it out! Her blog is one of my favorites and it's so cute too! She's hosting a giveaway here so go check it out and enter! I'm sure you'll want to stay a while and browse through :)

xoxo,
K

Cute Halloween Frame

2009-10-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

I revamped this little project I made last year. Last year this frame just had the orange backing, black tulle overlay, and the words BOO (very terribly cut out i might add).

I have way more scrapbooking stuff this year, so I decided to give it a little face lift! Sorry there's no before pic! :)

I just used a fun, foam picket fence stamp, printed out my letters onto white card stock and cut them out, and glittered and stamped until I had something I thought looked cute! There are little grey "blings" in that tree but they aren't showing up in this pic =/. Not bad for a $3.00 frame from Walmart and some random odds and ends!

K

Updated "Open Frame" Halloween Decor

2009-10-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

I finally finished up my decoupaged, scrapbook paper letters! I was going to hang them to look as if they were floating, but I hung them with sheer, .50 ribbon and I really liked the look!

I still need to add a crow and some cobwebs along with some more tags to the branches, but for now I'm really happy with it!

Branch Halloween "Art"

2009-09-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

I've been really stumped this year on how to decorate for Halloween/Fall. I don't have a ton of furniture or surface space to place things on and I really wanted to bring something new to the walls.

I got this old picture for $4.99 at a thrift store over the summer and painted the canvas with blackboard paint - but it sunk in oddly so I just tossed it and saved the frame. I really like the look of empty frames on a wall anyhow - so I popped it up the other day (well my husband did, but you know what I mean, right?)

I wanted to make one of those "branch" Halloween trees where you pop regular old branches into some floral foam, cover with moss and hang ornaments for Halloween on it - however- I have that space issue and couldn't find a single place to put such a large thing.

So, after a visit to a park, and a perfectly shaped branch - I came up with the idea of floating my branch off of fishing wire from my blank frame! I actually REALLY like this! I know, I know - a dirty, outside stick on my wall, but it works for me for now and it was free :).

I'll have updated pics soon. I got B O O unfinished wood letters at JoAnns for 1.50 a piece so I'm modge podging them and I was going to set them in front of my t.v. - but i think I'm going to add hangers to the back and hang them in the frame, at the top in the blank space to finish off the look.

What do you think? Good idea or weird stick on the wall? :)

Vintage Inspired SnowAngel Bottle

2009-09-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to make one of these little cuties after seeing pictures on another blog. Hers were more vintage looking and completely beautiful! I wish I could show you her pictures, but I have searched everywhere for where I originally saw the idea and I cannot find the blog! If you have any tips - please let me know as I'd love to link to her (hers are SUPER cute).

I used a glitter chipboard frame, some cardstock and put together some beads for a little bit of sparkle! It's "belly" is filled with feathers or "angel wings"

I used upholstery tacks for the eyes, a swarovski green bead for the nose, and the smile are flat back swarovski crystals as well. I love the springy little angel "halo" because it can bounce around, so fun!

I'm debating on adding hand made bent metal wings to the back for some more interest. I also thought it could be cool if the wings could almost be a picture holder if that makes sense.

What totally helped me with this project was to get a ziplock bag and grab everything I thought I'd like to use for the project before starting. An "inspiration bag" you could say! I picked through anything silver, girly, pink ,white, sparkly and ended up using a lot of what I pulled. I'm not sure I would have gotten started w/out that bag!

I am REALLY loving making these and plan on making a whole group of different types and some creepy Halloween ones coming up soon!

Sometimes I get so into my house projects I forget how satisfying it is to just sit down with a bag of "stuff" and turn something from nothing :)

I am catching up on comments and emails today! I am so excited whenever I get a comment and love checking out everyone's blogs also, but I started taking online classes and cannot believe how swamped I get with that - so I have got to get better about commenting in a timely fashion! I appreciate every single comment <3.

I hope you are all having a VERY WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!!!!!

xoxo,
K

Lots Of Great Stuff!

2009-09-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

I got so lucky at the flea markets and thrift stores this past weekend! I found some things I really really wanted at great prices! I went a little overboard, but hey - sometimes a girl needs to splurge!

Please check out Rhoda over @ Southern Hospitality! She has a great Thrifty Treasures Party where you can see all the great finds everyone got this week - here's the link !

On to the goods!

4 Gallon Crown Crock - My MOST FAVORITE FIND! I actually went to a sale and this was marked at 50.00 - it was a moving sale and I only had 25.00 on me so that's what I offered, not sure what to expect from it. They said to come back tomorrow and if it was available they'd take 25.00. Luckily for me, it was still there! I researched these online and it seems they go for quite a bit more. I saw one at the flea market going for 55 so I feel like I got a great deal and I adore it!

Right now, it's storing my tulle and wrapping paper, but I can see endless possibilities for this just about anywhere!

$13.00 table (what I didn't take a picture of was the hideous faux tile contact paper stuck to the top, yuck!)

Which has already been transformed into this:

Vintage Horseshoes 2 for $1.50

Rubber Coated Wire Egg Baskets originally 10 each but 1/2 off so I got both for $10.00!

Vintage looking girl w/some sort of storage cup type thing on the back - .75

Heavy Glass Vase - 2.49

Milkglass Dish - 1.00

Metal Tray - .60

London Pottery Crock - .79

Tinsel Christmas Tree Figurine - .75

Wicker Basket - 1.00

3 Dimensional Flower Plastic "picture" (major makeover project) - 1.99 (overspent)

Old Small Drawer - $5.00 (currently holding my paints)

Small Milkglass Cup - .39

Small Wooden Shelf w/Brackets attached - .49

That's it for me - I hope everyone else had fabulous luck w/their thrifting!

xoxo,
K

Just a few little things..

2009-08-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

.. I've been working on!

I'm still in the midst of my craft room redo (on basically no budget, btw) - so it's coming together very slowly and in bits and pieces!

So far all I've really purchased for the redo was a 35.00 bookshelf from Walmart and I HATED to spend the money on a press board piece with no charming details about it whatsoever but I needed storage and for the time being it will work until something perfect comes along!

I wanted to share some cute, cheap little pretties I worked on today :)

This was a .99 cent "fake" silver tray - it's metal but not nice silver so I spray painted it in a satin pink and then sprayed the center with chalkboard paint (what else?!). After that I used a little bit of silver glitter and some varnish and just sort of swirled it around on some of the details. I really think it's cute and like the way it turned out! I still need to find a permanent home for it in my craft room, but here it is!
This next project really wasn't much of a project at all - I picked up two of these small sized plates at the thrift store for .29 cents each. I've seen some around blog land that looked similar and I've seen them displayed with cute ribbons woven through and used to write messages on them with dry erase markers. I just slipped a ribbon I had lying around through the holes on the edge of the plate and tied it up with a bow! I love it though and I hope I find more of these sometime soon! I can see them for any season displaying a cute greeting - love it!

Thrifted Finds

2009-08-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a disappointing few weeks for garage sale shopping and thrifting - but I did get a few things!

Please check out Rhoda over @ Southern Hospitality for more Thrifty Treasures here !

Craft Supplies:

$1.00 old bottles (3 boxes)

$2.00 big bag of tinsel
2 tier silver tray .49

Silver Tray .99

Print & Broken Frame - FREE
Silver Dish .5

Milkglass Bowls - .49 each
Hope everyone else had a successful week!!!

xoxo,
K

Thrifty Treasures Time!

2009-08-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in one of my favorite parties of the week, hosted by one of my favorite bloggers - Rhoda over @ Southern Hospitality. Check out all of the great thrifted goodies found by her and other bloggers by heading over to her blog!

Here are my scores of the week!

ugly peach shelf I spray pained pink .25
yellow pottery urn .25

2 old books .50 each

Old Baking Tray? 1.00

Old Tin Molds $2.00 for all 5

Old Tin - .50

More Old Tin Molds .50 for all 3

Foil Bunny - .49

3 tiny plates w/peacocks - $1.00 for all 3

Kohl's Christmas Frame - not really my style but the 15.99 price tag on the bottom and the .99 goodwill price tag made for an impulse purchase. Maybe I can give it to someone who'll love it!

What I've Been Up To This Week

2009-08-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've been ...

Baking Cupcakes

Crafting Cupcake Charms
Working on a Craft Room Re Do

Crafting Fluffy Flowers

And Thrifting!

I'll have all my thrifted treasures in the next post linked up to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasure's Party over @ Southern Hospitality! Hope you'll check them out! :)

xoxo,
K

I've Gone Jar Crazy

2009-07-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

I have been buying up old Ball, Atlas, ect canning jars every time I see one and it's getting to be a bit of a problem! I think my husband is about to stage an intervention here anytime now :).

I finally found a cute way to display them for the summer. It's still a work in progress (I need some higher pieces on the ends to balance everything out right) - but I wanted to share!

Lit Up.
And Yes. I forgot to screw back in my outlet cover and it's been that way since I painted in January. Yes, I am embarrassed. Time to get on that!

I hope these pictures aren't too bad! I took them at night. The jars are filled with a little sand, a few shells, and a tea light. They really do look pretty at night sparkling through the aqua colored jars!

More to come soon!

xoxo,
K

It's Thrifty Treasures Time!

2009-07-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality hosts a fabulous linky party every Monday where everyone can show off their favorite thrifty finds of the week! I absolutely love looking at everyone's great deals and interesting finds and I love participating as well!

This week I got some really interesting things at some of my new favorite thrift shops and a local flea market! I was getting frustrated because our Salvation Army here is very overpriced and the selection is seriously lacking - but this weekend has given me a new found hope ;).

Ok, on with the treasures!!

Milkglass (I think) Pedestal Bowl - .99, Milk Glass Vase - .99, Old Atlas Jar - .49, 5 Wicker Chargers $5.00 total (all nwt)

Corner TV stand - 4.99, it's press board (maybe from Wal-Mart?) but it's going to get a dose of creamy, white paint so hopefully that will improve the looks of it! We REALLY needed something in this corner of our bedroom - before we just had our tv propped up on a little trunk and we had no dvd storage, so this is perfect for now!

Heavy, Snowflake Glass Dish - .99Tuscan Fine English Bone China Tea Cup and Saucer - 2.99 (Does anyone have any idea how to find out what pattern this is? There's a number on the bottom but when I google, nothing comes up and I've searched Ebay but haven't found this same pattern)
Vintage Stamps "New York State 100% Pure Honey" - .50 each, but the seller gave us both for .50! :)
Small Milk Glass Dish - .99 (sorry it is so hard to see!)
CUTE Tea light holder - .79 I really wish you guys could see the vibrant colors on this cute little thing! I just love it and there's glittered areas scattered around to mimic snow and it is the sparkliest glitter I have ever seen, love!
Deer Figurines - 1.00 each, but one ear was broken so I got both for $1.00! The red and green dots were just stickers so I removed those after I took this picture and my darling husband glued on the broken ear of deer # 2 :)

Vintage 60's Tin - .5 I LOVE those little houses! :)

Get Out Of That Pit - Beth Moore - .99 (I almost bought this for $21.99 a few weeks back)
Martha Inc - .49 (Excited to read this)
The Complete Christmas Book - .79 (By FAR this is my favorite find of the week. It was published in the late 50's I believe and it is the most fabulous, home making, Christmas book I have ever seen. I just know I'm gong to treasure this for years to come - Christmas in July for sure!!! :) )

Sorry about the next few pictures - I just ran out in my *very messy* garage to take them so I didn't forget to include them this week :).

6 old canning jars with the metal latches - $1.99

Vintage Cocoa - Cola Crate $5.00

Desk - $10.00 - This is a terrible picture, because I have it all pulled apart ready to be sanded, primed, and painted. I plan to use it for my sewing machine since it has those drawers which will keep my scissors, pins, and essentials close by.

Total - 39.04

Thanks for sticking with me through this LONG post - I know I got a lot of small things, but I really love everything I got.

It is so funny now that I've discovered thrifting, I'm really figuring out exactly what my true likes and dislikes are. I really have to search for the things that I like at sales, so when I find a treasure it's so much more meaningful for me than going to Home Goods and picking something off the shelf.

I find that I'm finding less and less at regular stores that I am drawn to. The prices just seem too high and there's no character or story behind the items. I've really enjoyed wondering about where the things I'm bringing home came from and giving them new life in my home!

I hope everyone found many treasures this week that are meaningful to you too! :)

xoxo,
K

Food Post - Healthy Eating

2009-06-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of posts coming up with pics of some DIY stuff I've been up to! I've been sort of in a diy/craft slump... everything I've attempted has sort of fallen flat of my expectations, but I am gearing up for an entire craft room/office remodel so I hope to get my "mojo" back :).

But I had some healthy and delicious food today so I figured I'd do a little "what I ate today" post!

I started off the day with a kids organic z bar - that I forgot to take a picture of and a slice of cheese - classy I know, but it hit the spot ;).

This dinner was right on for what I was craving tonight! The salad was made up of spring mix, local organic strawberries, roasted garlic cloves, feta cheese, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette. Then I baked up 1/2 of a sweet potato and topped it with a tiny bit of chipotle hummus - I love the sweet/spicy combo!

For dessert I had this yummy concoction:

.....Fage Total 2% Greek yogurt topped with a tablespoon of chocolate chips, a teaspon of sliced almonds, and a tablespoon of cherry fruit butter - delish! And this little yogurt cup has 17 grams of protein alone which is awesome, since my day today was very unbalanced and low on protein all around!

I had a few other snacks throughout the day that I forgot to take pictures of - but this was mostly it. It was an odd eating day :).

Now I have to log off and go play with this little girl before bed -

Isn't she just the cutest?!?!

xoxo
K

Garage Sale/Thrifty Finds

2009-06-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality is having a Thrifty Treasures party - so head on over and check out all of the awesome things other great bloggers have found! This is my first time linking up to any sort of party, so I hope I do it the right way! :)

It was a slow garage sale weekend here due to the torrential downpours! Everything was flooded out and I only saw a few people braving the storm in their tents - so the husband and I headed to a few local thrift stores to check out what they had and came away with a few cute things!

$1.00 cheese platter - (not sure what I plan to do with it yet!!)$20.00 Wooden PB style chair - This is one of my favorite finds!! It's a super old, heavy chair stained in black that looks just like the pottery barn ones that retail for $399! They recently put on new casters so it rolls awesome and it's so comfy!

$2.00 - 2 Ball/Atlas jars. Aren't they cute?

.49 silver serving platter type thing
.49 old Ball Jar

$1.00 vintage metal card catalog
$18.00 old, white washed chest. This is another favorite find - the asking price was $25.00 but I snagged it for $18.00. I thought it was a bit pricey, but I loved the aged paint job so I figured the price was worth not to have to repaint it!

$4.00 Huge wooden frame with beach print. I'm not sure if I'm going to leave the print or paint over it with chalkboard paint to use in my craft room. The picture is pretty, but the quality is not that great.

That's it for me! I am still on the hunt for a great "sewing desk" for my craft room - hopefully with a little luck I'll be sharing that next time around!

To Do List For Summer

2009-05-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

I know this is a boring post, but I like to keep this list where I see it frequently and I thought maybe some of you would have some ideas you're planning on working on this summer too that I could add to my list! :)

-molding for hallway cabinet doors (buy miter box to complete)
-paint kitchen cabinetry white
- add bead board to kitchen island (paint white)
-purchase pull out under cabinet storage system for kitchen cabinets (lowers)
-cut out middle shelf in hall closet (bottom closet) to install hampers
-organize basement "laundry room"
- floor lamp for better lighting
- folding table with hampers below
- easier to reach shelving for detergents, ect
- basket with hangers
- garbage can
- utilize workbench for tools, paint, ect to keep organized
- bring metal bookshelf upstairs to repurpose in craft room
-organize garage and get large trash cans for recyclables
- spraypaint two garage sale metal filing cabinets for craft studio

... to be continued :)

Spring Has Sprung

2009-04-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a very happy Easter! DH and I decided to forgo heading out to our family's houses and stayed in and made a little dinner for ourselves which was actually really nice.

I'm at that age where I really start wanting to make my own traditions as far as the holidays are concerned, and I feel that most people don't start to do that until they have children. I'm not ready for children at this point, but I do miss the traditions that families make together -- so I decided just to go ahead and start some traditions in our childless household :) !

It didn't turn out as planned exactly, but it was fun! Our "grand feast" consisted of deviled eggs, spinach artichoke dip w/tortilla chips, yam fries, and sugar cookie bars with buttercream icing. The DH had some ham, but since I'm a veggie girl -- I just stuck w/the sides ;).

It was a nice, relaxing day of crafting and eating yummy food! Saturday night however was somewhat of a candy disaster! Who knew that every 24 hour store would be out of ALL Easter candy including Walmart?!?!?! Well I missed the memo because I was shocked! DH and I finally tracked down some Hershey Bliss Eggs at CVS, but it just didn't feel the same! I will be stockpiling Easter candy the minute it comes out next year I can assure you ;).

Spring Projects!

2009-03-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have more project floating around in my head than I know what to do with! Isn't that usually the case with us crafty people though?

I wanted to share a few of the things I've been working on and a few pictures of updated decor around this lil place I call home! :)

*New Blackboard on the kitchen wall with some new hooks for aprons and potholders :) The cute apothecary jar is filled with a small white candle, two colors of sand, and a starfish! I found the pretty pink damask napkins at home goods and priced at only $7.99 for a set of 4, I couldn't resist!
*This side table started out as a Craigslist find. It's heavy wood and at only $20.00 I snapped it up! I knew the dark wood was too heavy for the redecorating I'm doing now, so it got a coat of "Beach Glass Blue", Ralph Lauren paint and now it's turned from sad and neglected into --

* -- a perfect "catch all" table right inside the living room, off of the front door! I just love the color and the table perfectly fits our "leash" basket. With 4 dogs, it's a necessity!

*Here's an updated look at the Living Room. I picked up the pretty lampshade on clearance at Target for $8.99 and while I don't think this room is it's permanent home, I love the shot of "spring-iness" it adds for now. I'm still on the hunt for curtains I like and the right Dash and Albert rug for the space, but it's starting to come together :).

What Spring projects are you working on?

xoxo,
K

April Goals!

2009-03-23T01:10:00.001-07:00

*Cook 4 meals a week for dinner.
*Make 1 of those meals a new meal!
*Save MONEY!! Make a goal and stick to it!
*Be slower to react when upset/emotional -- be more kind.
*Plan menus
*Have a happy April!!

What are your April goals? :)

<3
K

Shabby Chic Cupcakes

2009-03-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

I talked a little bit about my dream of having a cupcake shop one day in this lifetime and wanted to share some recent cupcakes I made just for fun and practice.

When I look at these pictures I can totally envision this shabby little renovated barn where I would sell cupcakes and crafty goods and gifts all day long. What a dream job!

The Bachelor Finale and After The Rose 1 Thoughts

2009-03-03T04:55:00.000-08:00

This post will definitely contain spoilers (if you haven't already read them courtesy of other internet blogs out there) so please stop reading now if you haven't seen the show yet :).

I absolutely (haha) had to blog about this because while I realize I am getting upset over reality tv and just how sad that truly is -- I was SO totally disgusted with the 3 hour show last night. I had read the theories on what would happen beforehand so I was prepared and I did believe they'd be true -- but watching it was so much more horrible than I thought it could be!

Maybe it is just part of being a woman and knowing how it feels to be broken hearted or broken up with, but the emotions I felt watching the show were definitely coming out!

As you all know basically "the bachelor" Jason Meznik chose Melissa on the season finale over Molly. It was a very cute proposal and they seemed very happy --- aaaaaaaaaaand the show is over. A moment later we see "the most dramatic rose ceremony EVER" in which Jason proceeds to dump Melissa on national television, ask Molly back and then proceeds to suck face with her. YUCK!

Now I am not so disillusioned to think that Melissa and Jason would definitely end up together even though she "won" and quite honestly I think the Bachelor makes intelligent, beautiful women look like absolute emotional train wrecks as they sit around competing for the same man. Hello? Where is their dignity and self worth??

But like so many others, this season drew me in with the premise of poor Jason who was broken hearted after being dumped by the Bachelorette DeAnna. The "single dad" with a heart of gold who just wanted what was best for his son and to complete his broken family tag line tempted me to yet again with this season after I swore off of it after the Andrew Firestone season.

I. Am. So. Over. The. Bachelor.

Seeing a grown man break a woman's heart on national tv and do it so coldly and in such a classless manner really just disgusted me. Surely this man who had gotten down on one knee only to be rejected by DeAnna would never subject another person to the same (or worse) fate. Or would he??

He proceeded to sit with this pained expression on his face that was so contrived and tell her that "something" had changed. What was this magical change? Well you know -- he just couldn't say. It had to do with "chemistry" and the fact that he was in love with Molly. He goes on to tell Melissa that he put 100% into them and Melissa doesn't look like she believes him one bit and to be honest I don't blame her. In one breath he tells her that "something" changed but he gave it his all, but he's still in love with Molly? I don't think you can give your all to anyone when you are fantasizing about girl #2. Melissa called him out saying that he didn't want to make their relationship work, he just wanted to give up and not fight for them, regardless of the promises he made her.

I think Melissa handled herself with grace and class and it completely broke my heart in the limo when she said something was wrong with her because she's always the dumpee. I seriously wanted to jump through the tv and give her a giant hug.

Molly on the other hand -- I felt she was clued into the whole situation and was way too giddy to see her dumpee. She took him back without question and was sucking face with him within minutes. Now I'm sorry -- but even if she WAS excited to get back together with this dirty two timer with his pathetic lines about "her eyes" (insert gagging noises here), she could have at LEAST downplayed it until a better, more appropriate time. Making out with him and giggling like a school girl after knowing what he JUST did to Melissa was one of the lowest things I've seen lately.

Maybe they just deserve each other.

OK, so there are my feelings on this Season of the Bachelor. I will NOT be tuning in tonight -- or ever again. I learned my lesson, lol.

What were your thoughts on the Bachelor?

<3
K

Cupcakes!

2009-03-02T12:40:00.001-08:00

I've been on this big painting kick! I am by no means a professional painter, or even very good IMO -- but I just love busting out a canvas and putting paint to it and creating something pretty. It's so therapeutic!

Here is a cute picture I painted last night of one of my favorite things -- cupcakes!

I just used canvas paper for this one since I had this simple, white frame ($3.00 at Walmart) to use up. I put some white computer paper behind it as a mat, but I'm planning to change that out for something better. I tied a creamy chocolate ribbon around the entire frame and I just love it!

Here are a few pictures!

I hope you all are having a very happy Monday!

<3
K

Five Random Facts....

2009-03-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

... About Me!

1) My dream is to open a cupcake shop. That's it -- just cupcakes - I *love* all things cupcake!

2) I think I want to be a mother and I hope the timing is right within the next few years to try.

3) I have design and craft ADD. I start one project, stop in the middle to do something else, and pick it back up later (much to my husband's annoyance, lol).

4) I lived in the Boston area for a little over 4 years and moved back to my small hometown for personal reasons. I MISS Boston terribly and really pray that my husband and I can move back there sometime in our future.

5) I'm anxious. I've come to learn to live with it instead of fighting it. I'd love to "go with the flow" and never worry. But I'm a worrier and I struggle with panic/anxiety disorder actually. I'm naive and have an overactive imagination and often this leads to thoughts that make me a nervous wreck!

Ok, now that I've completely over-shared -- please feel free to share 5 random facts about yourself in the comments!

xoxo
K

Gratefulness

2009-02-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

At Bible Study tonight with my grandma -- she talked to me about thankfulness and gratefulness. I think I really needed this lesson tonight. Lately I have been so stressed and my emotions have been all over the map. I actually CRIED yesterday because I bought a rug that didn't fit in with my home the way I thought it would.

Sometimes I really need to take a step back and realize all I have to be grateful for. I need to stop complaining and be so thankful -- truly, wonderfully thankful for all I have been given and just the fact that I'm here on this Earth.

Tonight when my husband picked me up after Bible Study -- he stopped at the store to pick up a gallon of milk for himself. I casually mentioned if they had a Reesee Peanut Butter Easter Egg, I'd love one (I'm dieting and was NEEDING that chocolate, lol). I saw my adorable, sweet hubby check out with his milk and then seeing a stand of those chocolates I'd ask for -- run over there and grab me one. Now I realize this is a small gesture but it's something I take for granted so often! I also take for granted the fact that he will ALWAYS turn on the car seat warmer for me before I get into the car or how many times a day he says he loves me.

I take for granted the roof over my head that I am so blessed with. Not only do I have a roof over my head, but it's our first home that we own. I cry over a rug that doesn't fit with my home, but forget to appreciate that I HAVE a home to decorate and be creative in. I have a safe home with a loving husband. I have 4 adorable dogs that I just love and that make me smile daily. I have SO many blessings that when I sit down to think, they so outweigh any of the small annoyances in life.

I complain and cry about my health issues, but I forget to give THANKS that I have a husband who has a job that provides us with health insurance so that I am able to get care affordably. I forget to be thankful that even through any health situation, I am still given the chance to be on this earth whether I be sick or healthy. I can CHOOSE to be grateful, thankful and at peace.

I am not the most religious person and I am learning daily about God. I am trying to reach out and further an understanding I don't think I've ever had. But right now, I am so thankful for my ordinary life with all of it's somewhat ordinary daily problems and annoyances. I am just so thankful and my heart feels so open and whole as I'm typing this.

And last but definitely not least, I'm grateful to my wonderful Grandma for sharing her knowledge of the Lord with me and opening her arms wide to help me. I am also thankful that the Lord shows me mercy. Even in all my non understanding, in all of my imperfections -- I am so thankful that I'm still loved.

Insomniac Post! :)

2009-02-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! I just wanted to make a quick post showing off what my dear, sweet hubby got me for Vday!

I begged him not to get me flowers that would die, so he came through with this gorgeous orchid I've had my eye on for a month! I just love it! He also got me the cute card pictured, that adorable white tea light flower holder, and an herb garden that isn't pictured.. oh.. and a balloon (that's still kicking after over a week I might add ;) ).

I hope you all had a very wonderful Valentine's Day with the ones you love! I'd love to know what you got or what you did for the day!

Happy Monday!

<3,
K

2009-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you spend the day enjoying the ones you love whether they be friends, family, a boy friend, hubby, fiancee, ect <3.

Defining Personal Style

2009-02-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Often times I wonder what my style truly is. If I had to define my style I would say it is "coastal". I am not into beach themed home style per say, but I do really love the open airy-ness of blues, whites, and shades of grey. I love texture and natural inspirations.

But, when we moved into our first home - a 3 bedroom ranch I found myself decorating in a very Tuscan style. I was trying to work with the color scheme that was going on in the home when we purchased it, which was very nice -- but just not my taste!

I've lived with it for 2 years now and have been craving a change to get my home in more of the style I find so comforting and relaxing! I finally took the plunge and painted all of the main walls a warm, cream shade - Valspar's "Malted Milk". The kitchen still needs painted and I'm going to go with a blue shade. I think the hubs and I have decided on Ralph Lauren's "Beach Glass" -- it's a very pale blue that should work with the cream and give a little pop of color and life!

I want to share some pictures of the transformation so far! Please don't mind the mess, I didn't really "stage" these pictures -- I snapped them as I was cleaning and decorating!

The Before - I didn't mind this yellow paint but I just could not make it work. Those curtains were all I could find that would work and it just made the room so heavy and dark.

The "Semi-After" Pics --

The Dining Room Before --

And the "Semi-After"! --

Thanks for looking! I will share more rooms and more progress in these rooms as time goes by!

Sigh

2009-02-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

I'm settling down with a yummy cup of pumpkin pie tea and the last issue of Domino that I'll ever be paging through *sniff, sniff*. I actually just subscribed to Domino and this is only my 2nd and final issue! Luckily my sub was only $5.00 for the year so it was like BOGO :)!

What magazines are you all still enjoying?

I am still reading my Better Homes and Gardens but am looking to expand my design mag addiction!