Friday, April 25, 2014

Oh Friday...

Hey, peeps, its Friday. We made it through the week! Hooray!

I am thankful its the end of the week. My heart and brain have been processing through some things this week. I am worn out mentally and emotionally.  I don't want to be a Debbie-downer on this fine day.  Sometimes, the best Band-Aid to issues that take time to get through are distractions. Its nice to lose yourself a little in things that are awesome.

Today, I'm sharing some of the things that are distracting me, in a good way :)

1. The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell: I received this book as a gift for my birthday this year. It is blowing my mind, in a really good way.  I've always considered myself a nerd, and gravitated towards math and science. To my surprise, I am growing more and more fascinated by studying people and why they do the things they do.  This book analyzes social epidemics and how they work, whether they are fashion trends, diseases or behavior patterns.  I have always found history borrrrinnnnggg, yet, after reading the first few chapters of this book, I want to know more about Paul Revere. Why was his midnight ride SO effective? Did you know there was actually another guy who went in the opposite direction to let people know the brits were coming? Yeah, neither did I. Malcom uses his theory of social epidemics to explain why Revere is in history books, and why William Dawes isn't. Again, so fascinating!

2. Prints by Lori Danielle: We are getting close to finishing our home, and I am daydreaming about what will adorn the walls.  A few of my favs :
Image of A Bushel & A Peck {Print – Blue}
 
Or how about these in my kitchen?
 
 
 
3. Backsplash: I had originally thought I wanted to use 3"x6" white glass subway tiles like these:
 
  
 
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Traditional Kitchen by Kennewick Kitchen & Bath Designers Darryl Vaughn- Kitchen & Bath ReStylers

until I saw this backsplash from one of my favorite designers, Sarah Richardson:



How beautiful is that?!
New Ravenna | Backsplash | Mosaic Tile | Medina | Quilt | Ming Green | Thassos White
(New Ravenna Designs)

I am in love with the patchwork type feel of the tile.  The gray, white and green are so fresh. We will probably move in before we do the backsplash anyway... now we might have to wait a little longer to install it so I can save up for some just like it!

4. The Tale of Two Tings: I've been following this blogger for a while now.  Besides being ridiculously cute, she and her hubby are currently on a 6 month trip traveling all around south east Asia. It has been fun to read about their adventures. The experience of a lifetime, for sure!

Enjoy your weekend!






 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Happy Birthday DJ

Where there is dirt, you will typically find Will. Will and Presley were playing outside, while the rest of us were in the house.  It was oddly quiet, so I grabbed my camera and went looking.  My parents had a tree removed from their backyard recently, which left a large area of loose dirt. Dirty kids are happy kids.

















We got together for my little sister's birthday. Danielle (we call her DJ) turned 22 back in February.  I have always had maternal feelings towards her I think because she is six years younger than me.  I am sure that was annoying to her, after all, she already has a mom, and another older sister, so she effectively had 3 "moms". As she has gotten older, those maternal feelings have shifted more towards sister-friend. She is driven, but not pushy.  I have always admired her for knowing who she is, even from such an early age.  She is not often swayed by other people.  She is kind, and gentle, and has a way with children that I could never understand.  She watches Will for me and is going to school to be a computer geek... I mean... she is studying computer science :) (love you Deej!). She is smart, talented, and loves on my little guy while I am at work, which I am forever grateful for.








 
Happy Birthday DJ! You are awesome and we LOVE YOU!