the snow is falling here today

 

to do before we leave for Washington:

1. Clean out fridge
2. Laundry
3. Clean car
4. Get car serviced
5. Clean boys' car seats and adjust them according to their growth
6. Pick up chorizos and drinks
7. arrange for someone to take care of the chickens while we are gone
8. bake cookies and treats for drive (William's milk)
9. pack family's clothes, bedding, futon mattress, cameras
10. pack daphnie stake, lead, food, and bowls
11. clean the house
12. don't stress if it all doesn't get done...

Go to 320 Sycamore to enter to win a $250 gift card to Best Buy through BlogHer by clicking here!

~ always wear clean underware incase you get in a car accident ~

Sorry if I gave you a heart-attack. NO I wasn't in a car accident - I was just looking at funny t-shirts and ran into one that said this and thought it was hilarious.  I mean really? Who thinks this stuff up? My husband and I can spend hours looking at funny t-shirts and funny pins.

Another one we saw said, "Count your blessings, not your wrinkles".

and

"It's been lovely but I have to scream now".

These people, I tell ya! Hilarious. I can NEVER come up with something quick and witty.

Can you?

Not till after-the-fact...
and if I do come up with something
it always sounds BRILLIANT! in my head, but I'm so darned excited I can't get it out to save my life
and it just sounds like a big mumbo jumbo, leaving the other person thinking I'm a complete wreck!

... maybe I am.

hmmmmmm......

Well.
Something I do to get some peace and quiet and regather myself is go grocery shopping
at night.
by.
my.
self.

Sounds silly I know, but days and days will go by and I have either
A. Not left the house for days
or
B. Not been away from the kids for days
or
C. All of thee above.

This kills two birds with one stone.

I HEART IT SO!

I can get the kids to bed so the burden isn't entirely on the hubster, and that day I will have worked on my menu and list and have it all rarin' to go.

Get the kids to bed!

and I'm off!

Shhhhhhhh... don't tell my husband but my first stop is always Starbucks.

Grande Vanilla Chai Tea Latte, please. oh! with a slice of pumpkin loaf.
CUZ I'm ADDICTED! to myze pumpkin loaf!

Get to the 24 hour grocery superstore and sip my coffee and peruse through the make-up, and by the way - have you seen these?

**edited later - this is an eye lash curler! Insane, huh!?!

 What in the? I am totally putting one of these in my stocking this year.

Santa! Get on it!

and this?

Have you tasted this bite of heaven?

 I will not lie, this tastes like a type of cheese cake dessert!

Just ask my sister, the other week when she was here - I totally crunched up graham crackers put them in the bottom of a bowl cut up bananas put in a few scoops of this Honey Greek Yogurt and sprinkled the top with cinnamon.

HEAVEN!

You've got to try it!

Next I have to show off my loot! Now, this may seem quite ridiculous to some. Yes, I use total no-name brand stuff - I'm poor! My husband works for a nonprofit and I stay-at-home.

Poor as church mice!

and maybe you're the same... you go without and go without - then you find yourself a few months later using your kds' No Tears Johnson and Johnson soap and your husband's deodorant, old Old OLD lipsticks from years and years and YEARS ago - should be illegal to carry those things around that long!

but I totally went crazy and bought myself some treats.

Isn't it nuts when deodorant is a treat?

No worries, our cups are running over here in our little abode and I'll use my husband's deoderant any old day as long as my boys have blueberry pancakes during the week and warm jammies to sleep in at night.

 Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. -- Thomas L. Holdcroft

~ Our Master Bedroom ~

Our Master Bedroom is getting closer but still needs work.

I need to figure out a window treatment for one more window in the room (that wrought iron scrolly is OUT and I was thinking just white and hugging the ceiling and long and flowy to draw the eye up - making the room seem a lot grander...as well as matching nightstands (maybe something like these antique nightstands Layla and Kevin of The Lettered Cottage got from Mary at Urban Farmgirl), a bed skirt (which I was thinking of this one). I love the idea of utilizing painter drop-clothes - they have such a cool texture and look about them.

Then something on each side above the nightstands, maybe something like this. I figured I could recreate these using maybe dates that are significant to us: like when we met or the date of our marriage - These are tea labels but I really like the over-all design of the words and the numbers.

Obviously, the bedding is just something I threw together and honestly, my bedspread is a blanket my mama and my daddy (yes, my daddy totally helped) tied me for Christmas a couple years ago.

 This bedding would be ideal. 

You know, when I'm rich and famous I'd go with this one.

I'm keeping the yellow paint for now, I think later I would love to put up something like this.

Don't ya think?

Any other ideas? Thrifty ideas?

~ to: you, sistersue ~

Do you like Pottery Barn?

Pottery Barn 

 ::sigh::

with it's slipped cover sofas that whispers my name...

PB Square

with it's fabulous accessories

Found Oversized Wine Bottle

French Wire Hamper

amazing lighting options

Bacchus Glass Table & Bedside Lamp

endless home design options

Newport Single Sink Console - White

All of it.

at. your. fingertips.

Ms. Mary over at Urban Farmgirl is giving away a $50 Pottery Barn gift card! Go sign up!

and while you're there check out her adorable blog chalked full of genius thrifting ideas. She's cute, she's friendly and she is a genius when it comes to reusing and refurbishing furniture.

 (this is a girl after my own heart!)

 So GO and enjoy and sign up!

Don't dottle! 

 I did! *wink*

click here: Urban Farmgirl

Have a fabulous weekend, dolls!

~ Please meet Kimberly & Trixie ~

"Ben! My washer has moved around the room again and there is water on the floor."

 Ben sighs, "Okay, I'll take a look at it... again."

Ben takes yet another trip to the hardware store a couple of blocks away and shows up back at home with yet another hopeful remedy to keep our washer level and keep it from leaking. It was doing this so often that I'd go into our laundry room and the washer would have turned almost a full circle.

Amazing, right?

SOOOOO Frustrating!

I finally asked Ben if he thought we should just go put a brand new one on our Home Depot credit card or maybe look for one on Craigslist - I was to the point of tears because the majority of our clothes had a gross mildewy smell and well... I was at the end of my rope.

So, I prayed.

I prayed for God to bring us an answer of what we should do... We didn't have the money to go buy a brand new one, as I said we'd have to put it on the credit card and make payments or buy a used one and HOPE we bought it from someone that wasn't in the business of ripping people off... I couldn't deal with it on my own. So I gave it to Him.

It's always easier that way.

A few months went by and my little washer (that could NOT) was actually doing pretty good. It had been a few weeks since it was walking around the room and there hadn't been any leaks. I had cleaned it with Clorox and so the smell was very minimal and so I thought WOW! He healed it! He healed my washer.

Praise God!

and I skipped along my merry way thanking him for his blessings and washed and folded till my hearts content. (notice I didn't say put them away because putting away laundry is NOT my strong point BUT I can wash and fold like nobody's business!)

Then -

ring .. ring...

M - Hello?
AL - Hello Sami Jo!

(it was Aunt Louise or AL as I call her when I'm texting and such)

M - Hey Aunt Louise! How are you?

AL - Well - we're pretty good... I called to tell you, I think we are going to be moving back to Boise...

(they had moved to Idaho Falls about a year ago for work and my Uncle Brad [or UB as I refer to him when texting or otherwise]) was now looking for employment and they figured why not be back where they prefer to live while they wait for employment)

It's a bitter-sweet move (AL continued) but we are just waiting for the Lord to guide us to where he wants us to be permanently.

M - Ahh, well I'm happy you'll be back here so we can see you more.

AL - We are going to live in Mr. and Mrs. M's home as you know they have moved to Switzerland.

M - right, that's awfully nice of them.

AL - yes, it will be nice - and I have a question for you.

(I always hate it when AL says this because... well you have to know AL but who knows what her "question" could be - she's a sharp one that gal and so I silently prepared myself for well... as I said, who knows what she had come up with...)

M - yeah?

AL - The Ms have left their washer and dryer in their house and I have my own I'll be bringing and I asked Mrs. M what I should do with her washer and dryer and she said to just donate or find a home for them... how's your doing?

While she said this a lump crawled up from my stomach to my throat and my eyes welled up in tears.

M - actually my washer is dieing. Oh my gosh? ... really?

AL - yeah! they are front loading and Mrs. M said just find a place for them so you are the first one I thought of.

Still to this day I get goose bumps and want to just sob thinking about it.

M - Oh my gosh... AL, that's so awesome.... really?

AL - Really. So - here's what I want you to do.

Oh great - here she goes again, what is she going to want me to do... I'm telling you this lady takes great pride in being unpredictable and those flashy light blue eyes will burn a hole through your heart... She should really be a salesman - because you can't say no to her... no one can.

M - okay?

AL - measure your stairs from the railing to the wall and ceiling to floor and measure the door to make sure we can get them in there. We will be there Saturday to drop them off.

M - okay, railing to ceiling  - floor to ...

AL - railing to wall and ceiling to floor and measure the doors

you who know AL know first-hand how this sounds...

M - k - let me write it down.

AL - and we'll be there on Saturday...

M - okay, got it. and thanks again - so much - tell Mrs. M. thank you. I'm so excited!

AL - okay - see you Saturday sweety...

M - Okay I'll get it measured and see you Sunday - 

AL - SATURDAY!

M - Sorry, Saturday.

AL - All right, love you, bye.

M - love you, bye.

Please meet Kimberly and Trixie...

Kimberly is the Washer and Trixie is the Dryer - I'm a weird - o. I know. I name things like cars and washers - WHATEVER. I get it from my mother... she's a cuke - I love her.

Anyways, I love them so.

I actually sit in front of them and watch our clothes go around n 'round. I love how they have alarms on them and I can hear it upstairs. They are far more efficient and quiet and well... gorgeous.

Now if only my laundry room got the gorgeous memo...  I think it needs paint... what color - do you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So! As you read Mr. and Mrs M and family moved their sweet little selves to Switzerland... or somewhere foreign like that and I have no clue how to send them a Thank you and well AL is unpacking and she's quick but I thought... I know how I can thank them - Sami Jo style.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THANK YOU!

my dear sweet, thoughtful M Family!

You have blessed more than you know - you blessed us and we're paying forward the blessing by donating my perfectly fine dryer to someone in our church.

Our cups are running over here in Boise, Idaho.

Every. last. one. of. them. (even Daphnie's :)

We adore you all and miss you - as we know our Aunt, Uncle and cousin (and I think even Fancher) miss you oh so dearly and it tugs at our heart strings to see them miss you all so very much.

We're blessed to have met you and spend last New Year's with you and we will treasure that memory forever.

Peace be with you and God Bless you all.

Sincerely, 

Ben, Sami Jo, Paul and William ... & Dapher doo.

P.S. Wow! Just as I wrote that my dryer beeped... lol!
It's a God thing.

xoxo

15 films

Here is a fun list I've compiled. I'm bored. My camera battery is dead. I'm too tired to charge it.

I. am a HUGE movie buff! I love them! WE love them.

Here is my list of my top 15.

1.  You've Got Mail

2. Stepmom

3. Cinderella

4. The Family Stone

5. Devil Wears Prada

6. Return to Me

7. Steel Magnolias

8. Cowboys

9. Pearl Harbor

10. Serendipity

11. Up

12. The Blind Side

13. Father Goose

14. Gone with the Wind

15. John Q.

Tell me your favorites!

♥ we laughed ♥ we cried ♥

Casi and Me.

Our 3 munchkins.

Paul, William and Ronald.

Paul loved Ronald so much. He would put his arm around him, whisper secrets in his ear, hold his hand - it was so stinkin' cute.

Sweet Pea and Small Fry.

She's a goob.

I love how sitting on this was so much fun for them - we didn't even have to keep it running.

Casi and I did a photoshoot.

She took my picture...

Man! I need a dye job.

and a tanning bed.

... And I took her picture.

She's so gorgeous.

and tan,

and beautiful

inside

and out.



Thanks for coming to visit sister. ♥



little girl with a BIG ♥heart♥

“Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without.” ~ Dr. James C. Dobson

Yahoooo! I got a blog award! and I'm passing it on...

I met

Jane

through Etsy.

She made me the cutest aprons that I had intended to give to my nephews but I'm keeping them for my boys as the nephews already have some. (really should do my homework before I buy Christmas presents:) So the nephews are getting a cookbook and my boys will keep the fancy aprons. Works.

Anyhow, I remembered a few days ago that I hadn't left any feedback on Etsy for her so off I went to do so, as she was so awesome, the aprons are really cute and she catered to my every request and need.

She. Is. Amazing!

I found

Her blog

and of course, I had to go take a peek -

she has amazing tutorials from making coffee bag rugs and apron AND (which this is such a totally cool way to acknowledge your readers) she posts tutorials of her readers' creations and how they made them like this oversized tote one of her readers sent her...

She is super creative with her designs, she puts her heart into her creations and her family.

She's been a joy to read.

I found a post back in October that she had given me a blog award and I was thrilled! I've got one other blog award before. So thoughtful!

I kind of feel bad that I didn't notice it back in October so I could of paid it forward back then but at least I noticed it in November of 2010 instead of November of 2011, right?

So here I am, ready to Pay it Forward! With the award I am also supposed to share 7 things about myself.

1. My biggest pet peeve is the correct usage of the word to vs. two vs. too.... eeeeek!

2. I'm a huge fan of thrift stores!

3. We have 4 chickens... in the city.

4. My dream is to one day have a boutique with  refurbished furniture, home decor and all that stuff that makes my heart sing.

5. Disney Movies make me happy.

6. When I fold my towels they all have to be exactly the same and then stacked in my cupboard exactly the same... (as my eye twitches... ha! ha! ha!)

7. I HATE flies. So gross.

and I'm also supposed to pass on the award to a new blog that

I've enjoyed reading and the award goes to....

this gal

I her met briefly before her and her family moved away to start a new adventure. a new life. in the backwoods of central Michigan. 

Her name is Melyssa Williams and she is... well to simply put it -

she's mama to all.

Her and her husband are house parents in a Baptist Children's Home. Her blog is chalked full of witty humor and she has a wonderful way of making you feel like you're not the only one...

 - I'm not the only one that collapses to the floor in tears.

 - I'm not the only one who wants to lock my self in the bathroom and refrain from pulling my hair out.

 - I'm not the only one who says easy peasy. 

I can relate to her as her husband (like mine) knows right at that littlle second before she will turn into the evil "fire-breathing shrew" - that's when he knows she needs a break. Cracks me up. That's usually when Ben will say maybe you should go grocery shopping BY. Your. self. 

Yipee! A moment of peace and quiet! I get to go battle the grocery store, by myself. I'm In!!!!

Anyway,

Her blog

has been such an awesome blog to read and I'm trying to go back in the past posts and catch up with her life... let me just say - she's super entertaining.

So here you are Melyssa...

Thanks Melyssa for stopping by here and leaving sweet and Funny! comments and I feel so blessed to have met you before you moved - you and your family are in my prayers.

Happy Weekend All!

~ Small Dark and Handsome ~

Enjoy William's 1st year of his life...

through pictures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Happy Birthday, my boy.

Love you Always Always, William.

~ Mama