Challenge - where do you go to get away from it all?

This was a great challenge and I was so excited since I totally missed last weeks SPT.

I have two.



The first place I go to get away is the left hand, lower shelf of my spice cabinet. No, I don't fit in there but I always seem to go there when I am stressed, happy and excited or just need a break. Look closely do you see anything hiding in there. (I hope my husband does not read this post and figure out my secret.)




I seem to always have hiding in the back behind the spices my secret stash of goodies. And for me that is a Ritter Candy bar. They are the most awesome Candy bars, yummy and packaged oh so cool. You break the candy bar in half to open the wrapper. They have 16 mini squares. I always think of my friend Mindy that this candy bar would last her 16 days, as she has enough self control to eat a piece a day. I now can go a few days on one, but not 16. The blessing of this candy bar is I never buy any kind treat at the grocery store or such, because nothing can compare to it's goodness and a bag of m&m's just don't do it for me anymore after discovering these (thanks to Pam in Chicago) I can get them cheap at the commissary but I also discovered them at Target. I realize hiding and sneaking food could also be called an "eating disorder" and for now I am fine with that.

My other place I go to is very new for me and I just found it in April of this year.

it is the road

it is where I run, where I cry, where I curse myself for spending the last 36 years not taking care of myself. Funny, in that way, it makes the pain more bearable sometimes because I feel like I deserve it.
but running has been my new passion and total therapy. I have ran or walked 297 miles since April 16th. My feet are killing me, I have a great tan, I cried (seriously tears) at the store when they wouldn't return my $130 shoes like they told me they would, i have a secret running blog that I update daily and now have an awesome running mix of songs on my ipod.

So running at eating candy bars could not be more of the extreme but what is funny is they seem to justify the other. When I eat the chocolate I tell myself, "you better run today after that" when I walk in the door from running I say, "you are awesome go get some chocolate behind the spices, you deserve it"

thanks again Lelly - I just can't say enough how awesome these challenges are. If you want to do SPT, email Lelly and then just do them!

SPT
Challenge, just say Hello!

Hello my name is Kristi.

and today I have many other names.

• queen of laundry I am on my 5th load as my Sally Jane has thrown up 5 times today
• queen of running around cleaning the house because my brother is coming in town in a few hours and I have throw up house.
• queen of good mail, I got 5 pieces out today - woo hoo!
• queen of foot pain. Could not even attempt to run today, my feet have been sitting on beds of frozen beans for days (thanks to Anne) going over to see my friends husband tonight he is a ortho/foot guy!
• queen of wishing I still lived in the 80's. I am wearing my hair like this all day to keep me in a good mood. don't you think I look like her.
  
• queen of I need a nap, chatted until 4:30 am with a friend who I have not talked to in about a year. but totally worth it.

ok back to cleaning my house so my brother does not call social services when he gets here....

this week's challenge:
is to look around your home and help us showcase the history and folklore of America!


I am sure silhouettes are not American folklore by any means. But it reminds me of early American history. I love having silhouettes of my kids and plan to get new ones this year at the Craft Fair at Mt. Vernon this year. (my being in the family photo on the wall is counting as my SPT this week)
You can see a peek at my curtains I made in my family room. They are red and white checked. I love decorating with Red an love Red and white checks. I am always on the search for the perfect chair to recover in a great red check. This also has nothing to do with Americana I guess but for me worth mentioning.

This is a print we have of Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home in Virginia). We have loved our many visits to Mt. Vernon this year.
I do not spend a lot of money on art, this was a $5.00 postcard like item in the gift shop they I came home and put in a frame
This hangs in my living room a Goodwill find of all finds. It was $2.97. It is George Washington with his dog (Great kids book)
Anyone know the name our current President's Dog? I will send 11.5 yards of yummy ribbon to the first one who answers. (no googling allowed)

these were the cupcakes I made on Sunday for our dinner

we have with our Church Congregation once a month.
(oh my Sunday was amazing, I have got to take time to write about it)

This is a BW photo wall I am trying to make going down our stairs. One of my favorite items is the mini - super mini flag quilt given to me by my friend Chanel for my birthday. I treasure this item!
the front door of my house. We live in a row type house and don't really have anywhere to hang a flag. I have these flags hanging right now in my flat as a pancake basket.

and my favorite family photo hanging in my home is my Christmas card photo from lat year. I have high hopes to have each year in front of a D.C. landmark and this year was the capitol. (we took 183 photos to get this one)

SPT

Challenge: your favorite color.

Photo above - Me this morning in my white shorts and white birks,
Like my unshaven Popeye legs?

Yes I know this may be shocking to some but I am documenting my favorite color to be White not pink. I am a huge fan of pink, I love it, love it, love it and am not turning my back on the color that gives me great joy, but here are my reasons why I love White!

I own 5 white skirts. It is my uniform in the summer. 3 are eyelet and look exactly the same. That is kind of embarrassing.
This is a small sampling of my many white shirts. (laundry is on a pile on the floor) I seriously think I only wear three colors, white, pink and black.

This is a photo of my first monogrammed pillowcase. (this is pre awesome software where I could change the size of my font* note the C should be bigger than the K & B) I can't throw this away, see the gigantic hole. I only love white sheets and they cover all our beds. There are few things better than getting into new bleached sheets on your bed at night.

Some of the best white sheets for a great deal are the Hotel sheets at Sam's club.
I am also on my second pair of white pj's that remind me of the ones' that Cameron Diaz wore in the Holiday. I love sleeping in White. They are from Target and made by Gilligan O'Malley. They always have them.
the only color of bath towels in our house are white. I like adding the color by monogramming them. If you embroider with polyester thread the color will not fade when bleaching.

because of the above, this is one of my best friends. I love bleach and probably use it too much!

I have cool white glasses that make me look like Willie Wonka but I love them. Whenever I wear them Jeff says to me "I want to be a Choclatier!"


I love to refinish furniture and almost always end up spray painting it white. This is a table and chair set I did a few years ago. I love white furniture that looks shabby chic.


All of my dishes are either white or clear glass.
I only buy all white paper towels, the ones with the designs on them kind of drive me crazy.

So yes, after writing this I am starting to feel a little OCD coming on, but there is just something that i love about the color white that takes the guess game out decisions for me. What does not match with white - except after Labor Day.

Challenge:
What's in your wallet?

So here is my wallet. It is clean and new and a gift from Mother's Day. (and to think Jeff never reads my blog, here was my major hint in January)
I have many things in my wallet but here are a few that say something about me.

I am sentimental.

I got this membership card in 1998. It is for the Girl's Club. I have carried it with me since I got it. My niece who is now a teenager came up with a girls club for all the girls in Jeff's family. On the back of the card it has a list of cute rules of what it takes to be in the club. My relationship with the girls in Jeff's family has been a incredible blessing in my life and carrying this card is a reminder of that.

I am Lazy.

To avoid having to write my phone number down on little slips of paper or email someone my address, I carry Mom Cards (like business cards) around with me. I got them for free from Vista Print and then splurged the $5.00 on the silver case to carry them in. It has all my information on it and saves me lots of time. ( credit to this idea goes to my friend Stacy, really all my good ideas stem from the think tank in her studio) You can get cute ones from Doodlebugs or Stationery with Style.

I like a good deal

These are my Ritz Camera photo cards to get cheap but great prints. I prepaid for the 300 prints this past Christmas to print my photos for my cards. By buying two years worth of photos at once I will be saving money in the long run. So this year's photos are already paid for. I am such a nut!

I am in love.

This is a photo of Jeff when he was... well I don't know how old. My sister in law, Julie, sent it to me when Jeff and I were engaged and it has been in any wallet for 13 years. I love this guy so much and just love seeing photos of him when he was a kid.

I enjoy wholesale shopping.

I love mastering the items that are worth buying at Sam's and Costco. Here are a few: Bleach, batteries, lettuce, printer cartridges and milk.

I am spiritual, love history and treats.

My Temple recommend was surprisingly in my wallet, I never seem to remember where it is, I love my church.
My annual pass to Mt. Vernon. I hope we have one every year we live in the D.C. area. I have been about 8 times this year.
Marble Slab club. two more stamps and I get a free cone. I have you tried the nutter butter mix in... peanut butter lovers beware!

We are a Military Family.

I would never thought I would have a military ID. I love having this. I feel a sense of pride using it and always do when I need to show photo ID. Jeff will only be in the Military for 3 more years and it has been a blessing to us in so many ways. This also could go under my thrifty category, I can not believe how many military discounts there are out there.

Lelly, thanks again for all you do for the wonderful weekly challenges.
This is journal-ling at it's best!

She Photographs on Tuesdays
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

thifting is the reason why I have Purell on my key chain

I chose to focus on the Reuse aspect of today's challenge.
On my 100 list is says:

#4 - I would rather have something old and
sentimental than something shiny and new.

I love to go to thrift stores. I love to dig through good trash and pull something out that still has life left in it. (the wooden high chair I have used for three kids, I pulled out of someones trash in New Orleans) I love to make something new out of something old. I have a hard time throwing things away. My heart jumps when I see a garage sale sign. I make photo galleries of things I have bought at thrift stores & garage sales.

I buy used items to give away as gifts. I recently gave a baby gift to someone that I got at a consignment sale, she loved it and I even admitted it was used.

I bought these silver serving spoons at Goodwill for $.29 cents each. I polished them up and gave them to my sister in law for her birthday.
from the left over brown felt from my Easter Cards, and ribbon from Kacey, I made a holder for them

I also reuse any salvageable mailing envelope. It is a good way of keeping the good mail circle going. I also save all my cereal boxes to ship packages. they are bright and cheery and FREE!

So today I made a goodwill stop to celebrate earth day. (what a new great tradition eh?)
I made a great discovery. I enjoy finding the items as much as buying them. Taking photos of items I wanted to buy, but didn't' were just as fun as buying them. I also thought this would be a good way to promote thrift store shopping, you never know what you will find.
So here is a list of what I wanted to buy but was trying to be thrifty and didn't.

What I wanted to buy

this awesome fabric. It was 4 curtain panels for $2.00

large curtain of lime green, raw silk fabric for $1.00.

brown and white eyelet fabric for $1.00

the lime green and this fabric would have made darling dresses for the girls.

remember the Avon perfume that came in shaped bottles. This find was fun to find.

These little dishes were great, i took a photo, turned away and then came back and a lady picked them up. She thought if they were worth photographing then they were worth buying. Rats!this was so cool. It was a crewel embroidery of a jungle theme. it needed to be reframed, but would have been darling in a little boys room! $3.99
I loved these salt and pepper shakers, but they were too big. 5" tall. $.59 cents each

this talking Ed Grimley would have been so fun to send to my brother Bevan,
but I resisted the $1.99


So what did I buy?
this total 80's Nancy Reagan look alike dress. I am going to cut the top off and put red and white ribbon ties on it to make a 4th of July sundress for Annie Kate.

this great dress up for Caroline and Sally Jane. $3.00darling little tea set. $3.00. They had two. I bought both.
I thought one would make a great gift.

My Thrifting tips:

1. everything that comes home goes straight to the wash with bleach
2. I usually walk through the store twice, there are somethings I miss the first time around
3. when the employees bring out a rack of clothes or anything to put away... follow them, it will be the best stuff in the store.
4. ask the employees what is the best time of day or day of the week to come
5. make friends with employees. let them know what things you are looking for. In TN when one of the girls in Goodwill saw me walk in, she would always say, "I have some girls clothes in the back you might like"
6. anything can be repainted, re-framed, re-sewn or polished. Don't get distracted by the fact it stinks or is dirty.

there it is my love of thrifting in photos and words. I love it!

** What is the best used item you have ever bought? **