Watermelon and Wings and Dumpster Diving

Peek-a-boo!! Sister Kristy is in town!! Kristy came to visit me in Memphis for a few days. We did a lot of shopping. I took her to several antique malls and salvage stores. We also hit up the Pottery Barn outlet, Target, Walgreens, Old Navy, The Collierville Mall, etc.

I also took her to the Collierville Town Square where I found this little cutie for lease....possible cupcake shop??

For dinner we went to one of my favorite restaurants, The Beauty Shop.

We both had watermelon and wings....yum, yum!!

After dinner we even did some authetic Memphis dumpster diving :) I love me some Kristy time!!

Honey I'm Home

I recently bought some "vintage" flash cards off Etsy (I'm a little obsessed). I took a frame from Michael's ($4.99 after using my 40% off coupon) and a scrap of burlap and voila!
We have cheap art :)

Sisters Getting Crafty!!

Sister Kristy came to visit for a few days and I put her straight to work :) Joe has been on my case for a few months to either make or buy curtains in our bedroom. I have looked at all the regular store...Bed Bath and Beyond, Wal-Mart, Target, Pottery Barn Outlet, etc. and I could not find anything that I liked. So...I decided that I could make some myself...out of BURLAP!!Here is the window pre-curtain and below is Kristy ironing out the burlap. We folded the piece of burlap over so that there would be more coverage of the light outside. We ironed it flat.

Then, we folded over the top and made sure to put the clips where we thought they should go.

After we had it looking like we wanted, we hung it up on the rod and I cut the bottom.

Next, I ironed it AGAIN!!

In order to make the fancy no-sew hem, we applied a heat bond strip and ironed.

Then, we hung back up the curtain and used the ever fancy chip clips to make ripples. I plan to take them off today or tomorrow. Yay!! I like them...Thanks Sister!!

Letters to Little Sarah

Dear 12 year old Sarah,
Although you have been at the same school with the same kids since you were in Kindergarten, one of those girls is going to try and make your life HELL! She will call you names and make you question whether or not life is worth living....of course it is silly pants and she is just jealous....you were always cuter than her :) Stick with your true friends....you will have them forever. Don't try and grow up too fast and for God sakes, when you meet Justin Timberlake at the mall and then hang out with him at basketball games....KISS HIM!! He will be VERY famous one day and you will regret it if you don't.

Dear 15 year old Sarah,
Gosh you are so boy crazy...sometimes you get a little carried away...take your time and notice what's right in front of your nose. Please don't disregard those 2 boys that are a little awkward. You will always wonder....what if?? High school is crazy and I know you are intimidated by all the so called "popular" people. Please don't be...you will grow up to be happy and successful and they will grow up to be divorced with several kids....if married at all :)

Dear 16 year old Sarah,
You will drive a car by yourself this year on the way to the grocery store and literally cry because you are so excited to be driving...by yourself!! Cherish this moment because you will always remember it. Remember that your mother is the best...sadly, she will not be around by the time you have a baby :( Oh, and when a boy picks you up for a date to go to the drive in and has a mattress in the back of his truck....run!! He is up to no good!

Dear 18-20 year old Sarah,
Wow!! You are in college now. Make sure you think hard about the school you go to and the sorority that you join. You will make some lifelong friends here. When you meet a boy at a frat party, don't kiss him on the dance floor and then proceed to date him for 2 years...what a waste of college...there are a lot of fish in the sea...live a little..he's not the one for you. Go and do a study abroad...if not you will regret it.

Dear 21 year old Sarah,
You are about to fall in love with a guy that is ALL wrong for you...think Romeo and Juliet. This relationship will be doomed from the start...sure you have history, but let's keep it that way-H-I-S-T-O-R-Y!! Do not allow yourself to be swept up in the excitement of it all....sure, he's cute, but he is NOT the one for you.

Dear 23 year old Sarah,
It's all over. This is the year you will meet the man you are going to marry. You will know it the first time you meet in person (yes, you will meet online....don't laugh!). Trust Kristy when she says, "I like that one". All those years of picking the wrong guy and you will finally find the right one. He is respectful, super funny, cute, responsible, financially independent, and treats you like the princess you are. Your mother will also get cancer, something that you never thought could happen to you. Don't worry, she will dance at your wedding :)

Dear 26 year old Sarah,
This year will be the hardest year of you life...your mother is going to die. I know it seems crazy, but it's true. Amazingly you will get through it. After years of treatment and spending quality time with her, she will leave you. You will see her take her last breath and it will change you as a person. But don't worry, she will still be around and you will feel her. You will talk to her in your dreams, because you had a bond....a mother/daughter bond that cannot be broken. But something good will also happen to you....you will have a dream to bake cupcakes....go for it!!

Dear 27 year old Sarah,
So what if EVERYONE else is having a baby. You just aren't ready yet. Your time will come. You have gotten to spend 4 wonderful years with the man of your dreams and travel the world. What's the rush??

Farmer's Market Flowers

This is what I buy at the downtown farmer's market :) I like to go on Saturday mornings and pick up fresh flowers. This beautiful bouquet only cost $15...what a deal! I also bought some zinneas at 50 cents each and put them in mismatched jars.

Copy Cat-Ballard Designs

I have been lusting after these prints from Ballard Designs for over a year and had tried to talk Joe into helping me make some. I had just about given up hope when I saw Laura's post a few weeks ago. Enter inspiration :)

I set out for the $1 Tree and snagged 9 of these babies....U-G-L-Y...these frames is UGLY, yeah these frames is UGLY!

That was nothing a handy-dandy can of spray paint couldn't fix :) I had bought this paper months ago in the hopes that one day I would find the inner desire to make these. They were between 25 cents each (love me some 1/2 price paper at Hobby Lobby!) and $1 from Archivers.

Ta-da!! They look great above the bed in our master bedroom. Joe admits that while he wasn't really on board with the silver frames (he did not think they would look good), he loves the way everything turned out :)

Check out my new pillow from Pottery Barn too!!

Been Feeling a Little Crafty Lately...

Check out the cups and clipboards that I made for my friends :)

Weekend Fun!!

There is a tradition here in Memphis this last Friday of the month....The South Main Trolley Tour. It had been too long since we took part in this fun downtown event. Joe and I went with our friends/neighbors/new favorite people....Tyler and Katelynn.

We ran into so many people that we knew, drank free wine and ate an "interesting" restaurant called "Safari". The waiter was only 15 years old and horrible!

I can't wait until next month :)

Bouquet of the Month

I picked up my bouquet of the month from Holiday's Flowers yesterday. I am not really a fan of roses....but with the year of flowers, I never get to pick. They are pretty in their own way :)

Whatcha Looking at Mummy??

"M"

Look at the "M" that Kristy had her dad make for me. She told me that it's made out of old barn wood from Franklin, TN. I LOVE it!!

Like Father Like Son?

Lord have mercy...let's hope not! Joe's dad came for a visit for a long weekend and we had a lot of fun. We went to a Redbirds game and to all of Clarence's favorite restaurants....Gus's Chicken, Central BBQ, Memphis Pizza Cafe, etc. It's always good to have the old guy come and visit.

In New York....

Look at my new subway art courtesy of Z Gallerie :)

Dream Big!!

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread...

This is my new favorite time saver...plus is makes my clothes smell yummy! I like the "tropical scent". You seriously just throw a sheet in your laundry and it cleans, softens, etc. Try it :)

Menu Monday.....or Sunday....

Sunday: Red Lobster with the Dad's for Father's Day :)
Monday: Hot Sauce Chicken with Grilled Green Beans
Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner.....Pancakes with Bacon and Sausage :)
Wednesday: Pork Skewers with Pineapple Scallion Rice
Thursday: Coconut Shrimp with Maui Mustard Sauce, Mixed Greens with Mango Macadamia Vinaigrette
Friday: Trolley Tour downtown with friends
Saturday: Pool party for a friends b-day
Sunday: Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage, Italian Salad, Garlic Bread

**I will also be making Praline Apple Bread, Easy Granola, and Apple Crisp

Let's Get Sweaty, Shall We?

Even though I feel like I am working out a lot, I have not been seeing the changes in my body like I want. I have decided I might need to switch things up and kick it up a notch. Here is my workout plan for the week.

Sunday: 2 mile walk around the neighborhood
Monday: 9-10 am "All in One" class at the gym....I have never done this before and do not know what to expect.
Tuesday: Hike in the morning at Stanky Creek with Allison, kickboxing in the evening at the gym
Wednesday: Kickboxing in the evening at the gym
Thursday: Kickboxing in the evening at the gym
Friday: Elliptical in the morning at the gym
Saturday: 9:30-10:30 Spin Class at the gym
Sunday: 2 mile walk around the neighborhood

Phew! It makes me tired just thinking about it. My goal is to be active at least once a day....some days two times :) What do you think? Is this too much exercising??

You Know You Wanna Know....Top 10!

I saw this on a friend's blog and since I cannot think of anything to blog about at this very minute....here you go...in no particular order.

Top Ten Favorite TV Shows:
1. Full House
2. Reno 911!
3. Supernatural
4. True Blood
5. LOST
6. Wonder Years
7. The Hills/The City
8. The Soup
9. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
10. Anything on Food Network


Top Ten Favorite Foods:
1. Pizza
2. Chicken Strips
3. All Fruit!!
4. Chips and Salsa
5. Broccoli
6. Anything Chinese
7. Ice Cream
8. Apple Crisp
9. Hummus
10. Shrimp

Top Ten Favorite Colors:
1. Pink
2. Lime Green
3. Yellow
4. Turquoise
5. Red
6. Grass Green
7. Teal
8. Coral
9. Black
10. Tiger Blue

Top Ten Favorite Things to do:
1. Explore new cities with Joe
2. Go shopping with my dad.....we love Big Lots, etc.
3. Snuggle with my Hanky-Boo
4. Laying out on the beach
5. Read US Weekly by the pool
6. Bargain hunting
7. Go walking at Shelby Farms
8. White Water Rafting
9. Go to theme parks and water parks
10. Travel to fun new places

Top Ten Favorite Places I have visited:
1. Mykonos, Greece
2. New York City, New York
3. Laguna Beach, CA
4. Savannah, GA
5. Barbados
6. Disney World!!
7. Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
8. Destin, FL
9. St. Kitts
10. San Francisco, CA

What are your Top 10 favorite things?

Gunga Doo-Ball

If you have not had the honor of watching this video....do yourself a favor...WATCH IT!! You will pee your pants!!

Don't get excited, don't loose your head Augustus.....we wouldn't want anyone to loose that

Can you name the movie?? Seriously....I am soooo not pregnant, but it seems like everyone I know is already pregnant or trying. I am not jumping on the bandwagon JUST YET but since I am such a nice friend I am showing you all the rooms like I like first so no of them can steal my ideas...haha!! Once again, they are ALL girl rooms...strange...I don't think I could ever do brown walls, but I like the Amy Butler bedding/pillow on the chair. I also love the walls...beautiful wood :)

I love, love, love anything Amy Butler and Heather Bailey...dang I wish I knew how to sew! Look at this cute bedding....nice huh? Now picture it with pinks and greens....ahhhh!

This is just gorgeous! I LOVE the blue walls and then all the pink and green with white furniture...I will most likely do something like this except with a polka dot chair :)

This room looks nice and cal. I love the paint color for a little boys room...with vintage maps and globes everywhere.

Heavens to Betsy!! Look how fun these wall ABC's are!! I imagine myself searching the flea markets and Etsy looking for all the letters with Sister Kristy. I bet when I am pregnant I will not feel like doing any searching....

My Aha Moment

http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/12694

Click the above link to see my Aha moment that I filmed in May.

Show Us Your Proposal...

Joe and I met on Match.com in December and by July we were very serious. Joe told me that it was FedEx day at the Redbirds game. I was excited because we love going to baseball games downtown. About a week before the game, Joe told me that they had a contest at work and he won: We would get to be the "Ashley Fine Furniture Fans of the Game" and get to sit on a special couch. I was a little nervous about this.....not quite sure how I feel having all that attention on me...

We were running late to the game and several friends were with us. As soon as we walked into the stadium we were greeted by the Red Hots cheerleaders (Joe later told me that if I had said "No", he would have proposed to one of them...). They had us sit on a couch and told us that a camera would be coming over in a few minutes and that we would be on the jumbo-tron for being the fans of the game. When it finally happened we were waving and smiling and then the announcer said "Joe has something that he wants to ask Sarah". Then this happened....

I was so excited!! Everyone says that I pounced on Joe....I don't remember that. Turns out our friends were involved in the whole thing!

Look at my skinny arms....dang!!

We look soooo young!! I can't believe that this was 5 years ago! Next Joe had another surprise for me....my whole family (and I mean whole family:uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.) and friends too were up in one of the private boxes with food, drinks and cake. They had seen the whole thing! It meant so much to me that the people we cared about most (especially my parents) had been there to share this awesome moment. Joe did such a good job and continues to surprise me everyday :) How did YOU get engaged?