Why hello, 2013.

Gosh, where did 2012 go? I feel like the first part druuuuuuug on (while we were building the house), and now the last part just FLEW by!!

It seems like a lot happened in 2012, but I didn't blog about it to prove it. Hmm. Well, what can I say, it was a busy year! That's for sure!

Chris and I started building our house in 2011, continued in 2012 and finally finished is in July 2012! Whew! It was a long, exhaustive process, but we are so pleased with the results!! We feel so blessed to be able to come home each night to a house that is our very own!

That was the highlight of 2012, I'd say. Chris worked his tail off every other week at the rig and the other weeks at home. Poor boy. When he comes home, he never rests. I've got him tackling all kinds of projects when he's "off."

I worked my tail off at my old job, and my new job! I am so pleased to be working back at The Community Foundation and just look forward to how I can grow in 2013 and beyond with the organization.

I don't really have big plans for 2013, but I do have a few things I'd like to accomplish. I think a New Year's resolution is too much pressure. But as a blogger friend said, I do have some "intentions" for 2013 I'd like to accomplish.

• I want to enjoy 2013. Like, really enjoy it. I loved 2012 and all its excitement, but sister needs a break. From about October through December I had something to do after work almost every.single.night. That's just not normal. Or sane. And I was beginning to feel it. I want to cherish moments with hubby and friends and family, because life really is too short and could be gone before ya know it! 
• I want to save money in 2013. Who doesn't want this? But I don't want to save, just to save. What's the point in that? As the song goes, "You can't take it with you when you go." We spent a lot of money on the house and it is time to start building up the savings account again. I want to save for a trip. [Then go on the trip and start saving for another :)] I want to save for our future babies. How ridiculous to have to start saving for college before kids. I can't even begin to imagine how much that will cost?! Such is life... I want to save and build a fence. I want to save and make a double mortgage payment. I want to save and be wise with what God has provided us.
• I want to grow in 2013. Well that sounds odd, because I also want to shrink as a person! Haha! I want to grow and flourish in our marriage. I want to go beyond just the surface with my friendship. I want to get to know my friends on another level, and I want my friends to get to know me. Chris and I have a wonderful group of friends from church that we are just beginning to grow with. I can't wait to see what God has planned for the crew of friends! [Grow? Oh you thought I meant grow our family? Well, maybe that too ;)]
• I want to shrink in 2013. Seriously though. I know this is such a cliche New Year's resolution, but this ship has got to shape up, or it's going to sink. Ick. I don't even feel good about myself right now, and that is just no fun. I'll probably stay out of the gym in January and February because all the other crazy New Year's resolution folks will be in there, but I can and WILL start haulin' my butt around the block come January 1! (Shoot! That's tomorrow y'all!!) 
• I want to read the Bible in one year. Chris and I are going to try to tackle this one together! I think it will be so fun to read together and see what God can teach us. I also want to read for FUN! I honestly can't remember that last time I did that. Probably when the Twilight Saga was out. Yikes.
• I also want to charitable, loving, honest, responsible, caring and selfless. Ya know, just those few, small things.  

Wow! Writing all this made me super excited about 2013! I can't wait!!

New table

A coupe of weeks months ago I came across this on Pinterest:

I thought: I need a smallish table in the living room. And I don't want to spend a lot of money. And I could do that, with a little technical assistance. 

So here was my shopping list:

6 crates @ $12.99: $77.94

7 legs @ $5.98: $41.65

Plywood: $24.38

Screws: 5.58

Stain: $7.77

Paintbrush: $2.96

TOTAL: $160.28
(Don'y worry, like any other project I made about 37534857 trips to Lowes, Home Depot and Micahels.)

Testing it out in the store.

The Pinterest picture showed a square table, made with 4 crates. We needed something a little longer, and not so square. So We added two extra crates to make a rectangle.

Table legs, sold individually at Lowes/Home Depot

After the stain

My assistance, helping piece it together. 

We put the crates together and then took exact measurements. We went to Home Depot to get an exact piece of plywood to use as a base. We stained it as well, since you can see it through the slates in the crates. So Chris screwed in the base plywood, then we added the legs. We put 3 down each side and one in the center for support.

I am still deciding what to put in the middle. My lovely helper is going to help be build the center up to be a little more shallow and then I can put something in there. A vase? An arrangement? Candles? Time will tell! 

The project really was pretty simple. As long as your can semi- work with tools and have some help putting it together, you'll have a new table in no time!

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.

What a great link up! I was already planning a post about all my recent Pinterest projects, so this is perfect!  

Pinterest exploded in my garage a couple of weeks month ago. First I made the tomato planter Christmas trees.

The planters were $5.99 each at Home Depot and I used some lights Chris's parents had given us. I bought matching bells for the top of "tree." The planter in front of it, was a gift from my mom- which was one of her Pinterest projects: wooden box, sprayed with chalkboard spray paint. I wrote Merry Christmas on the box. Then put my Black Friday $0.99 poinsettias in the planter. Ta-da!  My next project is our monogram above our bed. I bought these big letters on my recent Canton Trip. I used left over paint from when we built the house, so no cost there! The I purchased the crackle paint. Using the crackle paint was so fun! I just followed the directions on the bottle and it turned out great! I haven't actually hung my letters, but I will get to that eventually.  Letters: $28.15 Crackle: $ 16.49 (1 Quart) - plenty left to crackle everything else! 

Finally, the grandiose Pinterest project, our new living room table! Stay tuned... 

Merry Christmas

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas from us! 

Canton

Well I experienced my first trip to Canton. Canton, if you don't know, is a HUGE outdoor market for anything and everything: antiques, furniture, crafts, decorations, ribbons, even animals! When I say it is huge, it is huge!!!!! I probably didn't even see half of it! But I did get some good deals. 

This was my first purchase of the day: 

Is that not precious?! I just loved it. 

I chose the one above instead of the big Nativity scene, because I figured my handy husband could build the "barn" if I ever needed him to. :)

There were also vendors with these awesome doors:

I know that may sound weird, but I loved the white one in the back. It was so pretty. Would be perfect for type of decoration. Just not sure what... But I am thinking on it.

 I also got these great little pillows:

This one, obviously, says Merry Christmas. And I got another that say Joy. The total for the 2 was $25! She was having a one hour sale, so I got them for a deal!

Then I got the beautiful birdhouse, sorta:

I saw this birdhouse and just loved it. My mom's best friend, who is also my other mother, came on the trip too and she said she would get it for me for Christmas! So I technically do not have the birdhouse yet, because it is under her tree. But I will have it soon! :) 

I also got these cute letters. I know they sell letters like this at Hobby Lobby, but they never have ones big enough for what I want to do. So I bought these: 

I bought a big S and then a smaller J and C and I am going to hang our monogram above our bed. I even did the crackle painting myself! But I have a whole other post planned for where my Pinterest projects have come to life!

I had a great time in Canton, but I'm not going to lie, I was exhausted. I also got up at 6:20 a.m on a Saturday to drive over there!!! TOO early for Saturday! But it was a great trip and I am so glad I got some great things for the house!