Wordless Wednesday

Good Will Madness

I stopped at Good Will this week. I think they missed seeing me. I've never had so much help shopping before. I didn't realize how predictable I have become. "The new frames are over here." "We just got in some coke glasses." And my favorite, "Did you see the new snowmen?"
Alas, I didn't love any of the snowmen...but these cute little bunnies did speak to me. Weird....I don't usually love the bunnies. I do love the cool white candle holders. Of course they needed some black spray paint....as did the frames I bought. I spent just over $12 for the 4 candle holders, 2 bunnies and 3 frames.
I loved the detail around the edge of this one. I have some fabulous plans for these beauties. I started with a few coats of magic black spray paint.
You'll have to wait to see the end result in a few weeks. I am saving the surprise for the end of next month. You're going to LOVE it. I promise.
Here are the newly painted candle holders. Doing their new job with such flair. I'm not sure if there will stay there or if they need a little something more. Who knows. I am linking up again with the fabulous Ms. Rhoda at Southern Hospitality. She always hosts such fabulous parties. Be sure to head on over there and check it out!!

Everybody Needs a Darla

I heard the most alien sound coming from Jo's room this morning. I sounded like giggling. But wait...that can't be right. Jo barely groans first thing in the morning. Sometimes I get a good morning grunt...but NEVER a giggle. Oh, crap....what if something is wrong. What if it isn't a giggle and she is actually having a seizure or something. So I run like mad calmly walk into her room to check on her. When I woke her up this morning I let Darla in to do the actual waking....I'm not risking losing a limb to her lack of morning etiquette. So now I see Darla perched next to Jo and every time Jo turns her head to look at Darla...Darla nips at her nose and then wags her cute curly tail like mad. Oh, the fun game this little midget has found. She pounces playfully at Jo and her nose. So funny to watch....even funnier to listen to.

On a sad note....I am dedicating the last portion of this post to our newly departed friend Bleeker. Poor Bleeker met his maker some time early this morning. Sources confirm that Bleeker was found floating on his side in his tank he shares with his companion Juno who is maintaining her innocence in the matter.....although she has no one to confirm her alibi.

So Busy

I have a TON of projects waiting for my undivided attention. There are the cabinets and walls in the 1/2 bath on the main floor of my house that NEED painting. There are 3 birthday presents and one "Yeah! For You" gift that need starting. I have carpet to order and kitchen cabinets to paint and Formica to finalize (we decided that since we probably won't be in this house for more than 5 years we are going to forgo the quartz). I have a craft room to organize and Christmas to plan. But I find myself working instead. Not that I am ungrateful. I LOVE being able to work. How else will I pay for the projects? But really...the beginning of fall is the perfect time to get this stuff done and out of the way for the long and dreary winter ahead of us. I will hate to look at the insanity for an entire 6 months (OK maybe only 5...but it seems like 9!) until it is warm enough to poke my nose out of the cave I live in all winter. Now if I could only figure out this whole hibernation thing. huh...Anyway....so I have been working with first and second graders lately. So funny. They are quite the crack up. I know some of them from last year. They are still the same cute, curious little bugs as before....but this year they seem to have lost just a bit of the doe-eyed innocence that they carried around in kindergarten. One little cherub told me yesterday as we were discussing her para (and friend), Laura, from last year...."I'm over her. I'm big now. I don't need her anymore." Oh...gulp...how sad. How quickly will they out grow my assistance? When will I become obsolete? It's just like with my own kids. You love them and kiss the ouwies and dry the tears and console them and laugh with them and cheer them on and then the ungrateful little buggers go and MOVE OUT OF THE HOUSE....leaving a big empty hole and a clean, stink-free, room behind. How rude! Seriously...how rude...((sniff)) I guess at some point there will be grandchildren to fill that gap. The gap left by the children I gave birth to and the children that have a piece of my heart just because they are surviving and thriving against all odds. I love that type of kid. One that can take what life has dished out to them...a crappy home life, a mental disability or a physical impairment and stay cheerful and keep striving to do the very best they can. I look to these kids for an example of how to live my life. Maybe that is why I will rue the day they no longer need me. Little do they know...I will be watching from a far....just to make sure that my assistance really is no longer required.

Baby No More

Today isn't technically Jo's birthday but it is the last school day before it. Kim was asking me what I was going to do to commemorate the day. I didn't have a clue. I am that way a lot....clueless. She suggested that since it was Jo's "Sweet 16" I do something BIG.
OK....but what. Well...Kim suggested getting 16 HOTT boys to deliver a flower to Jo and then sing to her. OK....I can do that. Well....with some help!!
I jacked Reid's (a good friend of Jo's) number from Miss Jo's phone and sent the first text (weird to be texting a teenage boy!!). He was cool though and didn't make me feel too creepy. I told him the diabolical plan and he agreed to help.
Reid (in the orange shirt) came through BIG time!! Jo's BFF (Stephy...in the back) brought a couple of Jo's guy friends to help out too. Reid arranged for them to meet me by the office (and thought to get passes to get them into class without getting in trouble for being late! What a guy.)
Miss Jo knew something was up when I asked her to wait here on the bench. Not a happy camper. I was SO excited!! The boys lined up and walked by Jo. Each giving her a beautiful flower. Jo loves public displays SO much. I do hope she will forgive me....(I think, secretly....she liked it)
Tyler...A SENIOR...well done, Reid!!
Lots of cute guys. Mostly from the soccer team.....GO OTTERS!!

Now that her face is a more normal shade she did manage a smile.
Until Reid led the group in a very bass toned version of Happy Birthday.
Oh Yeah!!! She will not soon forget her 16th birthday. There are so many things she will miss seeing on her birthday...but having great friends won't be on that list.
I will put some embarrassing baby pics on for her actual birthday blog....but I just had to show you these today. I can't think of a more fabulous way to start a birthday weekend!!

I just wanted to share this with you. Melissa hit the nail on the head for me. Have a beautiful day, because my friends, you are beautiful.

On The Flip Side

I have started subbing again. I am in the school that houses first and second grade now....all this month, actually. I am, of course, in special ed. They work their program a little differently there. Instead of working all day with the same 1 or 2 kids, every para works with all the kids. It gets broken up into 30 to 60 minute blocks. I can see definite pros and cons with this system. About the time you are needing a break from the kid you are working with...you get it as you move on to the next one. On the flip side....the side that matters most....the kids don't get a lot of continuity. Kids like my Shelby and others like her need consistency. They need to know what to expect and how things are going to be handled. Some of the others....the higher functioning kids....handle the change in paras quite well. So, there are a few tantrums and what not but all in all I like getting to know all of the kids. I do find myself focusing on Shelby a lot. She is still the sweet kid that she was last year. I just really like her. I have met some new friends. They are a funny bunch. I do think we will be great friends before my term there is over. I was pleasantly surprised while walking the halls my first day there. My friends from the classrooms I was in last year actually remembered me. My sweet (but slightly naughty) Dominick remembered me, and of course Max, "king of the wild things", told all of his buddies that I am the lady that read him his favorite book for the first time. Most of Shelby's class from last year gave me a hug or a high five. One little girl even said she missed me. ((sniff)) How sweet....So while some of the kids were the same and there were new faces and names to learn the feelings were a lot the same. I feel like I can make a difference with these kids....I feel like I am king of the munchkins when I walk down the hall fielding high fives. I actually like being around (most of) them. You know....until they try to (or successfully) bite me, or use me as a human tissue (ick, gross, gag) or screech really loudly. It is then that I do question my sanity. But mostly I look forward to seeing them and hearing about their triumphs and giving them a hug when they are down. Whoda thunk it. On the flip side...a lot of projects that I have been dying to start or have started have been put on the back burner. I have cabinets to paint and birthday presents to make....but they will have to wait. My days of endless "creative time" are over. It's back to reality. hahaha Yeah, me and reality have never been good friends. I'll get my projects done. It's just going to take a while. In the mean time....you'll probably be hearing about more of the insanity that happens when I am set loose in public places. It happens, that's all I can say.

On The Road Again

On Saturday, Jim and I did something we haven't done in almost 3 years. We took a 4-wheeler ride. We used to own Hondas. They were fun and we used them a lot. Then, when we moved to the The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes (they're not kidding about that BTW), we sold the ATVs and bought a boat.We used the boat a lot the first 2 summers we were here. This summer has been a bust for the boat. It has been either too cold or too windy or we were too busy to use it. Not fun. Due to a slight (almost) detour in our geographical area, we sold the boat. Traded it in, actually. A Polaris ATV is parked in the boat shed now. So, we looked up some trails on-line and found some not too far from home.(Yes, I know I look like a pirate, sans the patch) Of course my idea of not too far and Jim's idea of close to home are very different. I don't love the car ride. It is a necessary evil. The trail head wasn't easy to find either. I want a neon sign pointing me in the right direction.
So when we found it....I might have been a little pissy. Maybe. Jim was afraid I would be that way the whole day. He might have been right. Except. Except when we got on the ATV I relaxed and was able to enjoy the scenery. There were beautiful wild flowers and patches of fall foliage.
We passed quite a few big groups of riders enjoying the day. I did appreciate the fact that we were in the front of our group (truth be told, we were the only part of our group, so we were also in the rear). But we didn't get nearly as dusty as the poor souls in the rear of this group.
The sun was shinning, the wind was slight and the temperature was perfect. I loved looking around and snapping pictures. Jim asked me a few times if I wanted to drive, but I was having such a good time that I didn't want to spoil it.
If you know me, you know that I wasn't a fan of this bridge. Especially when Jim stopped on it. Chills. It was sound enough. I just didn't want to be on it too long.
Hey, look Renae!! Proper foot wear!! Oh, and just because you remember to bring the detailed map.....doesn't guarantee it is accurate!!!
Did I mention the sun was shinning? It was and it was brilliant! Just what we needed after a month of indecision and unsure footing.
Fall is quickly coming on....but I think I will be OK. The great part of it is I am friends with 2 of the biggest Fall Freaks around and I will enjoy the season through them.

It was a quick ride. We were only out for just over 3 hours. It was a great day just the same. If all Autumn days were like this....I just might be convinced to be a fan of fall.

Laundry Room Madness

I have linked up today with Rhoda from Southern Hospitality and Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Such lovely women....who don't know me from a hole in the wall....but with whom I have so much in common. I have decided to show you my laundry room make-over even though it isn't quite finished.....because frankly, if I wait 'til I'm done....you may never see it.
A while ago Jim went to Arizona for a few days and left me to contemplate the sad state of the laundry room. When we moved in 2 years ago, the color (2 tone pinkish rusty blah) didn't bother me. It was, after all, only the laundry room. No one would really see it.....right?? Sure. Unless the garage door is open and then it becomes Grand Central Station. The longer we have lived here the more distressing the color has become. So with so much time on my hands....I went and bought paint. I have read a lot of blogs over the last year and have jotted down various shades of wonderful that I have wanted to try. One that has popped up frequently has been Tobacco Road from Lowes. I managed to get the "recipe", since it has been discontinued, and took it to Fargo. I will just tell you right now I am TERRIBLE at "before" photos. I just get so excited to get started (so I can be finished) that I forget to document the "before". Here are a couple of laundry room "befores". Obviously this is after I took down the border. I did get a photo of it laying around. (The blue sticky notes have been on the closet door since 2/10/08. They are laundry instructions that I left for my kids just before I went to stay with my Mom....it turned into a month stay to help my Dad after Mom my passed away and I just can't stand to take them down yet.)
It's not a terrible border. Just not my thing right now. It was (thankfully) easy to take down.
I painted 2 coats on the walls and hung a new mirror with a cute saying on it. I got the mirror at a yard sale this summer and wanted to put it in my daughter's room. She didn't really want it...so I kept it!
I transformed this framed art piece into a lovely vinyl letter sanctuary.

These are some of my Good Will finds that I have spray painted and put on the shelves. The shelves are also holding my owls while the pumpkins have taken over the living room.
The 2 small shelves were found at Good Will, the larger one was in my closet.

I got a cute little lamp that needed a new paint job for the big shelf. Now I just need to decide how to refinish the lamp shade. It really is dreary.

More vinyl for the wall and it is mostly finished. I am going to paint the door that goes into the garage. Someone painted it to look like an oak door. It's not. It's metal...and it should be black. That an a few changes to the accessories and it will be finished.
I would love to hear what you think about it. What would you do differently? Make sure you go check out what Rhoda and Susan have been up to. They really do have some fabulous ideas.