Valentine Recap!

Again Cellophane and ribbon make anything look great. Class Teachers Gift for Valentines Day - ceramic mug and Target gift card. (collecting money at the beginning of the year sure pays off and makes the year go by so smooth)

My traditional Valentines apron for the teacher.

Our Valentine project for Annie Kate's Valentine Party went great! Jeff gave his patient (story behind our activity here) all of the Valentines yesterday along with the itunes gift card and he love it

don't you love Jeff's creative candle arrangement

So I just turned 38 and started a new year. I almost excited to turn 40 in two years because I kind of feel like it is the beginning of a new life for me. By then my kids will all be in school (which surprisingly makes me kind of sad) and we will have just moved.

Last year I did not make 100 list and regretted it all year. I promised myself I would make one this year and it has taken me 2 weeks to finish it. I tired to do 138 things but only came up with 126. So Here is is 126 things about little old me!

126 things about me

1. My favorite dessert is probably mint brownies, I love them
2. I taped the movie the Holiday this Christmas and probably watched it 10 times
3. I am still not biting my nails, yea me!
4. I fell off the diet coke wagon at girls camp after I found some hidden in the fridge and have probably had at least one a day since June
5. I love listening to Radio Disney
6. I took a last minute trip to southern Spain this summer with my little family - it was amazing
7. I collected sea glass and broken bit of pottery on the beach
8. My parents gave me the most awesome Brighton Charm bracelet for my birthday with a charm for all the states I have lived in - I love it!
9. I already bought my plane tickets for Women's Conference in May and I can't wait
10. I am going to the blog party - are you?? First weekend in May
    
11. I am still teetering between 2 words to pick one for my word of the year, can't decide
12. Since being in Young Women's I have been prompted by the spirit to do things that don't make any sense but I have done them and watched MIRACLES take place - it has been very humbling for me.
13. I am leaving town for the Inauguration - I was really disappointed that I couldn't get tickets, (sha right free to the public, the rich public) Photo of me at my own Inauguration on Thursday.
    
14. Jake Jillenhall and Mark Walberg just may be my two favorite actors
15. I started directing my creative mind to 2cleverblog.com
16. Jeff gave me this great book for my birthday and I read it every night!!
17. still suffer from depression... grrr!
18. sometimes when I am having a bad day I will go to the Etsy home page and just watch the rotating vendors photos and it puts me in a better mood to just see how creative people in this world are
19. Caroline and I have become great friends this year, we seem to be understanding each other better, she is so funny
20. Being in Young Women's keeps me techno Savvy
21. I found my face on facebook
    
22. I still have no fashion sense and hope someday I can learn how to buy clothes
23. My favorite thing I got for Christmas was my toothbrush sanitizer
24. My favorite gift I gave was running a marathon for someone and giving them my medal
25. I am horrible at returning borrowed items
26. I often need to remind myself that I look horrible in bangs and not to cut them again
27. My favorite shoes when I was a kid were my Kangaroos and my gray Nike's with the pink swoosh
28. I love documentaries
29. I could not live in a city this big without my GPS system in my car
    
30. I dream almost every night really intense dreams
31. I love juice called Naked and have that Sam's club has it for the best price, I chose to drink it with my clothes on.
32. I Turkey trotted this year
    
33. I often visit Goodwill twice a week
34. This year I went to Utah, Virginia Beach, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Morocco
    
35. My 2oth High school reunion is this year
36. Mornings are so hard for me - my kids are so cranky in the mornings and I feel like a need a nap by 8:30 am.
37. I am too cheap to be an adventurous eater ($50.00 tapas in Spain, we didn't eat any of it)
    
38. We have a jar in our kitchen for the kids to save money to go to Disney World this year - they have some awesome military discounts this year
39. I am signed up to run my 4th marathon in October
40. I wish I knew how to throw a baseball and not look like a goof
41. I still want a perm
42. Cellophane and ribbon can make any gift special
    
43. I would love to learn Spanish and the art of origami
44. I often say the sentence, "it changed my life" I think it kind of looses it's meaning when I say it for so many things, but really I always mean it.
45. I spent an amazing weekend in Chicago this year. I made lots of friends.
46. My two favorite were Nora and Pam.
    
47. I get totally panicked flying except for the planes that don't have windows (C5, KC10)
    
48. I got a letter in the mail telling me I had unclaimed money from Louisiana
49. It was the exact amount of a iphone
50. I got the iphone
51. It has changed my life
52. I take lots of feet photos
    
53. We are moving in 18 months
54. we have know idea to where
    
55. Housecleaning is not my greatest skill
56. I have sleepless nights thinking about my Young Women
57. I got my first piece of cashmere for Christmas this year, ahhhhh!
    
58. This is embarrassing to admit but I told Jeff that the next time we travel I am bringing my own sheets
59. I am a sheet snob (this does not apply to homes for friends or family)
60. I rode on the back of my youngest brother's mo-ped on his way to college graduation screaming, "My brother is graduating!!" that was one of my best days of the year
61. I also got to hear the prophet of my church speak a few hours later at Women's Conference
62. This year I wish I would have blogged about, My birthday, Sally Jane's birthday, our trip to Europe, being at both my brother's graduations, Virginia beach, our day to day in New York City, the change I have seen in myself while serving in Young Women's, Caroline's and Annie Kate's birthday,Christmas and New Years and the Richmond Marathon.
63. Ok so if i didn't' blog about all that what did I blog about!
64. I wish I didn't talk so much
65. I love $2.00 bills
66. I feel the need to prepare for emergencies
67. The cold is really hard for me
    
68. I don't have a problem with road rage
69. My ears are pierced by I have not worn earrings in about 3 years
70. I sent my watch in to get a new battery and it has been a month without it, boy I really miss my watch
71. I taught Annie Kate how to make purses this Christmas, it was really fun
72. My 4th grade teacher was the best!
73. This was my favorite book I read this year - The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
    
74. My favorite lipstick remains, Lo'real - Mica
75. Lip liner - Wet'n'Wild 666
    
76. I read all the Twilight books
77. I saw the movie twice and loved it and would watch it 10 more times if I had to the time and money to do so.
    
78. Young Women's keep me trendy
79. I would love to meet Thomas Jefferson
80. I probably dress my kids too matchy-matchy
    
81. My favorite shape is a scalloped circle
82. I have a memory of singing "Cat and the cradle and the silver spoon" to our 8 track in our families Buick as a kid
83. I love a good deal
    
84. I sleep with a fan on in my room year round
85. I have too many freckles
86. I sold my old digital camera to Annie Kate for $10.00, that is kind of pathetic
87. our grapefruit knife from Crate and Barrel is one of my favorite kitchen tools
88. The chair and a half that my friend dug out of the trash will not fit in our house or in the garage - anyone want it, i am actually serious
89. I sent a Christmas letter this year in our Christmas card. I wrote it as if it was written by our mailman. I am already thinking about who will write next years
90. I wish I had more self discipline
91. Sitting in Portugal at the "end of the earth" (the southern most tip of Europe) watching the sun set with crowds of people and then hearing them all clap was one of my other great days last year. I hope to go back and do that someday.
    
92. I would love to be a political photographer
93. I love to decorate for every holiday
94. I went to Phoenix in December and got a tan at my brothers graduation. (Ryan thanks for not getting your MBA in North Dakota)
95. I have a great neighbor who has seriously helped me in raising my kids
96. I buy slime, floam, finger paint and play dough for my kids
97. I usually always regret it
98. Saying goodbye to our ward downtown was really hard this year
99. Of all my bags I think my new $5.00 Coach bag (thank you Goodwill) is my favorite, I refinished it with shoe polish and it almost looks brand new
100. Taking my Christmas cards down off of my kitchen cupboards is always a sad day, but it makes my house look so clean.
101. This year we are planning to go to Italy for 2 weeks but who knows maybe we will end up in Korea
102. Being in the military has been a wonderful experience
103. Grocery shopping totally stresses me out
104. My Young Women notebook is bright Pink
105. I framed a few of my friends Christmas card photos and plan on keeping them up year round from now on
     
106. I like sharing my ideas
107. I like keeping a few to myself too
108. I wish there was something athletically speaking that I could do better than my husband
109. Being married to an awesome guy can sometimes be hard (just kidding Jeff!)
110. I currently have a Wii Injury on my right leg - darn that advanced step aerobics
111. My doorbell has now been broken for over a hear and a half
112. I love my monogram
113. There is a tie for my favorite D.C. monument - The Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial
114. I have gained a whole new appreciation for the artist Jackson Pollock. And when I was downtown by myself the other day, I ran into the Smithsonian Art Museum just to look at his painting again for about 15 minutes and then left.
     
115. This year I want to push myself to sing in the church choir but am so NERVOUS
116. I sang in sacrament meeting with the young women last month and I think that was maybe my third time ever singing in church as an adult (they have no idea how scared I was to do that)
117. I wear Brooks running shoes and love them
118. This fall our family took family tennis lessons a few times a week. The coach was so awesome and cute too. He has gray hair, braces and cute freckles. Lucky me!
119. I wonder if I will ever be able to spend real money on real furniture and not just buy junk to spray paint from Goodwill. I kind of hope not
120. I would wear elastic waist pants every day for the rest of my life if it was socially acceptable.
121. in 2007 my #130 of my 136 list was, "someday I want to run a marathon" I swear writing that on my public list is a huge reason why I actually did it.
122. I rode a camel in Morocco this past summer
123. I made the most awesome apple pie last year and am so proud of it
124. I have missed blogging on Everything Pink
125. I have felt missed
126. I am coming back!!!

I Spy with my little eye...

what do you think of when you see this photo??

How lucky for me that I had 20 extra minutes in my day today. So I ran into Goodwill and look what I spied with my little eye and snatched up for my house.


these pewter napkin rings. They are not Arthur Court but they look just like they could be and I love that stuff. I don't think they will be used at napkin rings but will probably be used for something with lots of ribbon on them. $1.99 for all 4

lately when my friends have a birthday I make the amazing Choc. Chip cake put it on a goodwill plate or cake stand and wrap it tons of cellophane and ribbon. So when ever I find a cool plate or cake stand I snatch it up for the needed cake holder. $4.99 - more than I would normally pay but this plate is so big and so heavy.


my friend Lisa's birthday is today so I was trying to find something for her. This beautiful bowl is silver plated and the bottom and was so gross and rusted. The glass is thick and not one chip. So I got it to fill with fresh strawberries and take to her tonight. It even has the made it Italy sticker on the bottom. $2.99

here is the after photo after I used my tarnish gel.

and here it is ready to deliver! not too bad of a birthday gift for $2.99

I also found 8 more of these dessert plates and found 12 of these glasses that come with the set. I now have 26 plates and always seem to find them when I go. I love these and now just need to host a gathering to use them all. Plates $1.99 each Glasses $.59 each
this mirror is awesome and so heavy. i cant' believe it didn't break right through the bag. It is likely it will get spray painted pink and put in the girls bedroom. But for today it is silver. $2.99

I also got 4 black toille plates (Melinda thought of you!) of 4 different historic places in Maryland

they each have the location and when it was built on the back. Company is Adams Antiques of Steubenville They were $1.99 each.
and last but not least did you recognize the top photo. Is there anyone who didn't have this pitcher growing up. Sally Jane and I were both thrilled to find this vintage yellow drink pitcher. It is in great shape and is a testament of the durability of Tupperware. It was $.99.

What do you think was my best deal?
What do you think I paid too much for?
is anyone else wondering where i find the time to thrift shop and then take photos and write about it - because i am wondering the same thing. I think the pile of laundry downstairs is the answer to that question.