Keep your pinching hands to yourself!

I love decorating for the holidays, so I will take any excuse to decorate. 

I don't have a fireplace in the apartment, but this old shelf from my parents works perfectly.  I gathered some old candles and vases from the thrift store in different shades of green.  I knew I wanted a banner like my valentine's banner.  I had a DSW bag from a previous shopper spree and decided to make my own instead of just printing one.  I wanted it to to say BLEST instead of LUCKY, but those letters are a lot harder!  I added some green buttons with a glue gun and strung them up.  Easy peasy!  

I found some free printables here.  (Seriously, why would you ever buy them?)  I put them in some old frames and shabam, we are done!  I love it!  

Now to start thinking about my spring one...

Holiday Decorations aren't just for Christmas!

I love holidays!  I love holiday decor!  And I love a good deal!  

I don't have a mantle, so I had my parents help me install a couple shelves in the kitchen and along the length of the hallway.  Now, I have a place to put all my decorations.

I found this banner when I searched for  free valentine printable.  I wanted to do something with burlap, but I didn't have anything in the house, and I didn't want to spend money.  Next best thing--crumpled up brown grocery bag.  I punched holes and strung it together.  It was a super fun project, and I love the way it turned out!

Right underneath my kitchen shelf, I have a black bookcase with these on top.  I found the plate  at the thrift store for 99 cents sitting on top of a plate stand that I also found at the thrift store for a buck.  The candle is wrapped in twine (left over from the fall decorations).  

The heart plate on the left is from my sweet mother.  I made the one on the right at a  pottery place.  Isn't is gorgeous?!?!  

Hanging and Banging outside my door.  It is bright and glittery, and helps my friends find my apartment since I no longer have my rotting pumpkins out there.  

My grandmother saw this last night and commented that it looked like a sampler.  I guess subway art is like a modern day sampler.  There are so many creative people that make these and post them for free online.  All I have to do is print them off!

Love the owls!  I got this and the wreath on clearance last year at Target.  I know it is hard to wait until after the holiday to get the decorations, but, for me, it is so worth it!  If you can't wait, try going to the thrift store.

For my wedding, we used several large vases.  I had pinecones in them for  December and January.  I had popcorn kernels and candles in them for fall.  These flowers were on sale after Christmas.  They look great for Valentine's Day, but they also match my regular kitchen decor!

My two favorite men

1.  I love that my hubs and my dad  have a good relationship.  My dad is such a great guy, and hubs has so many of those wonderful features.  In fact, the longer we are married, the more peculiar characteristics that are similar to my father seem to pop up.  I guess it is true what they say about marrying someone just like your father.

  

2.  I have done really well with my fitness and running over the break.  I haven't done 10 miles a week like I had planned, but I am pretty close with 9\week. 

3.   I got to spend some time with some old friends this week.  Some of it was rough (more on that later when I can wrap my head around my thoughts), but most of it was a sweet relaxing time.

4.  All Christmasy decorations are put away, but I can leave out my snowman stuff until I can bring out Valentine's stuff in a month. 

5.  Hubs and I have been looking around at houses again.  We enjoy driving through neighborhoods and picking out the ones we like.  We are super excited about the possibility of moving this summer!

It feels like fall!

*UPDATE: I forgot to post this a few weeks ago, but now that it is starting to feel like fall again, I decided I would let you in on my fall obsession.

 

As I have mentioned before, I love holiday decorations.  Love, love, love.  As you probably also know,  I love, love, love a sale.  This last week, we got a cold front, and I could no longer resist the urge to decorate.  Out comes the fall stuff:)))

 Outside my classroom:

 By my window, the leaves coordinate so well with my curtains.

 I also stopped by school on Saturday and realized that I have lots of decorations up there, too.  I get to decorate two places.  Be jealous!

Scarecrow in my fish water.  Hopefully nothing nasty happens.  On a side note, the fish are still alive, and the students love them!

10 things Part 2

6. Like a week or so after we got back from our honeymoon, Anthony's car starts having trouble--like major, $2500 transmission overhaul, trouble. Turns out that wasn't what it was and fortunately, the car is still drivable. However, it was kinda like God asking us if we thought He was big enough to take care of and provide for us. I have been slowly (slllllllllllowwwly) making my way through The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. In the section of what wives need to know about God she says, "He considers all the possible ramifications. There is no limit to his understanding. This enables Him to determine what is best for you and how you can glorify Him the most." Anthony's car needing repairs was NOT in our financial plans. I mean, we knew we were going to need one eventually, but we didn't want to fork over the money now. We were faced with an adversity. Martha Peace continues by saying, "One example of good that comes from adversity is changes in your character as you become more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Another example of good that comes from adversity is that God is tremendously honored if you respond biblically." What an awesome thought that God could use a lowly sinner like me to bring Him glory?!?!


7. Hello DVR!!! I had been living without a TV for the last year and a half. Now, I am being spoiled rotten. Cable...a gazzillion channels...DVR...Could I ask for more? I have made sure to keep Anthony up to date on The Real Housewives of Alanta and Beverly Hills, Millionaire Matchmaker, and Keeping up with the Kardashians. He gets so agitated with each show--it is amusing to watch (both him and the shows!).


8. We finish our first couple's project (snaps and claps for us!!). We had purchase some vinyl wall art last weekend. The kind that you press on to the wall and then when you move it (hopefully) comes off. We got the phrase "The fondest memories are made when gathered round the table." I love this phrase! and I hope that it is true for my family as it was true for me growing up. Getting that phrase straight was a big huge ordeal. Getting it to unstick from the paper was another ordeal. I was worried that certain letters would be stuck to the wall and others to the paper. Long story short: we got it up, we didn't kill each other...SUCCESS!!


9. Before we got married, Anthony said that he would help write half of the thank you notes for the wedding gifts. I finally nagged him enough to finish his thank you notes for his shower gifts. His shower was like 3 months ago. SO, if you are waiting on your thank you note, it is taken long than intended because I am having to write them all. Lesson learned: nagging works occasionally and it was dumb of me to believe that Anthony would write thank you notes. Here is an example of his thank you note: Dear_____________, Thank you for the ___________. I like it. Thank you, Anthony. hahaha I love you, dear!



10. Oh apartment living:) I naively assumed that once I moved away from my drunken neighbors on fry street that I would no longer need to hear my neighbors. But apartments are way worse\better. Worse in that you hear people from all sides. Better that it is like eavesdropping without all the effort or guilt. I mean, I am the one sitting in my home. They are the ones being loud. Unfortunately, nothing of interest has developed on either side of my apartment. Updates to follow....