Monday, Monday

Hellloooo Friends! Well hasn't July just flown on by?  I  sure have missed you people! I had a computer problem and I thought it was gone forever, but I played with it until it I got it working again and now it is back in commission! Whoop-whoop! I do have an IPhone, but evidently all I know how to do is check Facebook, Pinterest, Vine and play Family Feud.  I really should get with the program.

So, now my dilemma is what to talk about first! My nieces, cupcakes, thrifting, the great youth retreat I went on last weekend, the Royal baby?  Ha, ha, I don't really need to discuss the royal baby, it just seems like all the bloggers did, I just didn't want to be left out! ☺

 

My nieces have been here a couple of times this summer and most recently they came for a week of bible school.  They are cute, they are sweet, they are awesome...I'm not partial or anything ☺

Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!

 I love cupcakes.  I made some that looked like popcorn for bible school (It was a roller coaster/amusement park theme.) 
 

Later that week I made birthday cupcakes for Miss T and Miss A's combined July family birthday celebration.  They each got to pick what kind of cupcakes they wanted. Three year old Miss T chose orange cupcakes with purple monsters on top.
 

Eight year old Miss A ordered chocolate cupcakes with pink and blue icing.
 

Thrifting-I've done a bit here and there when I had time.  July has been crazy busy, but I found a little time to thrift. 

Last but not least, I spent last weekend at this beautiful Christian retreat with a wonderful group of kids from our youth group.  (I will post more about that later.)

 

I hope everyone had a magnificent Monday! I will be back later this week to share...something! Lol

 

Later friends! ☺

Patriotic Outdoor Decor

Hellloooo Friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!

 

 Barbecue ✓ Fireworks ✓ Family & Friends ✓ Great Day! ✓

 

I also got to sleep in and do a little housekeeping and laundry before I spent the afternoon/evening celebrating.

 

There are a few things working on the day after 4th of July taught me.

 

1.  Most people don't work the day after 4th of July (when it falls on a Friday)  This is evident by the lack of cars in the parking lots (we have five or six lots, not even two were totally full)

 

2. Evidently everyone in my office also have neighbors who shot off fireworks until well after midnight (and by midnight I mean 2 am.)  Everyone must live near one of "those" people. If you don't live near one of them, you might be one of them.  Ha Ha! ☺

 

3.  I can not function on 4 hours of sleep. (Thank you my patriotic, celebrating neighbors!)

 

Anyhoo, I am hear today to show you how I changed my outdoor decor from this: 

 

  To this:

 

 Not quite as colorful as before, but properly patriotic.☺ I have also added mulch so that I don't have to weed as much, but obviously that cuts down on color.

 

I made my Uncle Sam outdoor decor from four thrifted items.  Wouldn't you know that I realized after I arranged and glued everything on that I didn't take any picture of the pieces by their self!?!  Ugh, oh well!

 

The Uncle Sam part was originally a door hanger but since I already have a door decoration I had other plans for him. 

 

I scored Uncle Sam for $ .75.  The cute ladder was $1.50 and the rustic looking American flag and Liberty Bell were $ .25 each.  I arranged them all on the ladder, fired up my hot glue gun and

Ta-Da! 

 

A new addition to my patriotic decor for less than $3. I like that! ☺

 

I also would like to wish my sweet niece, Miss A, a very happy 8th birthday today!!

 

Miss A is beautiful inside and out and I am so blessed to be her Aunt!  

(Miss A being photobombed by Miss K-haha!)

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I will be back Sunday with my thrifted treasures from Saturday! Hope to see you then! ☺

 

Linking this up with the awesome ladies at  

The Creative Connection

and

Thrift Monday Store Musings

Hellllloooo Friends!  I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Welcome to my "Thrift Store Saturday/Monday Musings"  mash-up! (On a Tuesday...confused yet? ☺)

 

So this is what I have been doing instead of blogging: 

hanging out with these two sweethearts!

 

 

My two middle nieces, Miss K & Miss T came to visit for a few days! Oh I love these girls! (and their sisters; Miss A, who didn't come because she was busy celebrating her upcoming birthday, and Miss G because she is still too little to leave Mommy for very long.)

 

 

Saturday morning my Mom got to sneak away for a bit (Thanks Dad!) and we met for our weekly coffee/thrifting date.

 

(Worth every point...yummmm!)

I got this awesome little rolling cart...I'm thinking about putting it in the pantry, but really it could go so many places...between the washing machine & dryer, in the bathroom, in the craft room...For $5 I couldn't pass it up.

 

A Swiffer for $1. 

 

This lantern that I have big plans for, $2.

 

 

And a dress that I was going to show you but the picture makes it look ugly. It's not. Maybe you will see me wearing it someday and I will tell you about my $2 dress ☺

I love thrifting.  I think I say that every week.  True Story.

 

On Sunday after church we met my sister at the zoo so she could pick up the girls. It was an awesome, fun afternoon. The weather was fantastic!!

 

We even got to see the new baby elephant!

We said good-bye to my sister and her girls and then topped off our lovely afternoon/weekend with a stop at Trader Joe's.  (When you live 2 hours from a Trader Joe's you always make time to stop when you are there!)  I wish they would bring one a little closer to me...fingers crossed ☺

I am linking my Thrift Monday Store Musings on a Tuesday (haha that's a mouthful) up with Sara (It's Good To Be Queen) again at her Thrifted Thursday Linky Party

 

Thanks Friends! Come Back Soon!☺

Monday Musings

Hello Friends! I hope you are having a Marvelous Monday! ☺

 

I know that Monday is not everyone's favorite day of the week, and it is definitely not mine either, but I also do not hate it.  What I like about Monday is that it is a fresh start to a week. (Yes, I know the week officially starts on Sunday...just work with me here...)  I've decided to start a regular Monday post called "Monday Musings."  This weekly post will just be a random hodge-podge (not to be confused with Mod-Podge, which I am a fan of) of whatever I want it to be about on any given Monday.☺So sit back and enjoy my Monday Musings... (disclaimer-I was not feeling very well last night (Monday) so I didn't get this blog post finished...I know it's not Monday... oh well, maybe I should have re-named this Tuesday Tales...lol ☺)

 

So, to address the elephant in the room...yes, I have been gone from blogging for a few months.  I took a little break without really meaning to and then it just turned into a big break.  I may have very well lost every follower (ok, not everyone, I know your still here Mom ♥) but if you are still here, I'm grateful, and I love you.  The end.

 

So, the last few months have been very busy; my sweet Nana (you can read about her HERE, HERE & HERE ) has had a decline in her health and after her last stint in the hospital (after a mild heart attack and a nasty fall) it was necessary for her to no longer live alone.  I helped my Mom & Dad fix up their extra bedroom and Nana moved in with them.  It has been hard, and it has been very emotional, but I am still so thankful to have my grandma with us. My parents are amazing, generous people.  I have such an awesome, amazing family.  Blessed, I am.

 

Nana and her five great-granddaughters on Mother's Day 2013

Speaking of family...in April, we welcomed my new, sweet niece, Miss G, to our family.  (You can read about her sisters, Miss A, Miss K & Miss T HERE )  Yes, that makes four, FOUR, girls for my sister's family! I'm such a slacker over here with one...☺  Welcome to the world Miss G, I know God has a great plan for your life and I am so happy to be your Aunt!☺

(Isn't she a doll!☺)

 

I joined Weight Watchers in January, and I am happy to report I have lost about 30 lbs so far! I feel fantastic, and I am looking at reaching my goal weight (about another 30 lbs) by my birthday in November. It's do-able, and I am motivated!☺

 

Now for some real random weirdness...do you know they make gummy vitamins?? I recently found out I was Vitamin D deficient, and my doctor also got onto me about not taking a multi-vitamin, so I high-tailed it to the store to look at my vitamin options... Gummies...go figure. For the first time in my life I am having no problems taking my vitamins.  I really hope by the time I have to take as much medicine as poor Nana that every medicine is a gummy. ☺

 

So, I have been busy thrifting & creating and I can't wait to show you some of the things I have snagged & things I have created.  I will be back Thursday with my latest project...here's a hint...

 

Are you intrigued? Ha ha!☺

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!☺

A Birthday, Bible School & Busy Times

The past week and a half have flown by, as they often do, but this time every minute was filled. 

We started out by celebrating my beautiful niece, Miss A's 7th birthday!

Per her request Aunt Amanda made strawberry cupcakes with strawberry icing. :)

Miss A is beautiful inside and out. She lives her life with so much joy, people are just drawn to her. She has a megawatt smile. She is my oldest niece and is the one most like me. We are social girls, we love to talk...to pretty much everyone....we are emotional...we wear our hearts on our sleeves.  We share the same middle name and have the same initials. (Which is very cool to a seven year old, we will talk in ten years, I'm sure it won't be near as cool!) 

Speaking of cool...

My nieces think my 17 year old daughter is a rock star, so anytime she graces us with her presence is a big deal.  She gave up a Saturday night to celebrate Miss A's birthday, and a week of sleeping in to be a group leader at bible school. 

I think I'll keep her...and her giraffe...:)

She is a good cousin, and she is great with the girls!

Miss A and her sisters, Miss K and Miss T, don't live in Missouri. They live in another state, about 4 hours away. Miss A's birthday wasn't the only reason they made the trip though.  My older two nieces, Miss A and Miss K, stayed here for the week and we all went to bible school! I was the bible study teacher, my mom was the director, and my daughter was a group leader. It was so fun!

I love bible school, I always have! It is one of my favorite things about summer!

Miss T was not very happy that she didn't get to stay.

Miss T is my youngest niece. She goes 90 to nothing the entire time she is awake. I have no idea how my sister ever gets anything done! She hardly ever smiles for pictures, but she smiles all the time in real life! Miss T loves all things Elmo, and I love the way she says my name, "At Mana." :)

(The only "smiling" picture I got of her-and I had to trick her with food!) :)

Miss K is my middle niece, and she is a hoot. You never know what is going to come out of that child's mouth! She is witty and has great timing and she is only three!

All week I heard "My mom said" followed by some of the funniest things! I should have written them down! By the end of the week just hearing "My mom said" made me giggle!

Miss K also loved Aunt Amanda's high heels. Every time I turned around she had on a pair.

Who doesn't wear heels to bed? :)

The week with Miss A and Miss K flew by... bible school, visits to the park, swimming, playing Barbies, just playing. Miss A did some fishing with my dad while Miss K and I did some ice cream eating. (I think we got the better deal!)  On Saturday morning we packed up and headed to their home, where I stayed the weekend. (Miss K kept telling my sister, "Aunt Amanda is going to spend the night!")

I came home late Sunday night, and I think I could have slept all day yesterday if I had the chance. I was exhausted! But it was that life is good kind of exhaustion, so it was worth it.

I love being an aunt, and I love those girls so much! I treasure the time I get to spend with them. My sister is such a great mom. My nieces are three of the sweetest, most loving girls.

This week is going to seem super boring compared to the last one I bet! :)