Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Favorite Things in My Town



























So, I saw that Centsational Girl is having a "Favorite Things in My Town" party. So, it made me start thinking about the town that I have lived in for the last 11 years. Hard for me to believe that 11 years ago we left Virginia Beach (where I lived for 28 years) to move away from our families and make a new life in North Carolina. I miss my family and life in VB, but I am learning to embrace where I live now. So, here are three of my favorite things that  about my town:


1. Peaceful and Calm Living:
We live in the country and it's quiet and a great place to raise a family. It takes me 20 minutes to get to the grocery store and 30 minutes to the closest Target. And, I am learning to be okay with that travel distance in exchange for a quiet and happy life on a golf course in the middle of nowhere.
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2. Location:
We are right in the central part of North Carolina. That means that we can make it to the mountains in about 3 hours and the beach in about 4 hours. We are 2 hours away from Charlotte, an hour away from Durham, and just a little over an hour away from Raleigh. The perfect locale to travel to all kinds of different areas in our state.
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3. Furniture Stores Galore
We are lucky enough to live so close to so many great furniture, fabric, and home decor stores. We are only about 45 minutes from High Point, NC and this is known as the furniture capital of the world. Much of our furniture has come from the Furniture Markets held twice a year in High Point.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Chalk Paint Art

We are sending out the summer fun with another little project. I have seen this idea floating all over the internet/blogs. Here is our interpretation of sidewalk chalk paint.





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sorting colors and placing in ziploc bags

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hammering the chalk 

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hammered chalk (need to go a little finer than this)


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paint brushes and paint---ready to go

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football team spirit


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school spirit


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spouse spirit


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Even daddy got in on the action

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splatter art


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No longer SIDEWALK chalk paint---now it's BODY chalk paint


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Painting her sister
I wonder what sweet sentiment she is creating????


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A bit hard to see, but it says "Kick Me"
Sisterly Love

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until next year






Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Help


I went with some friends to see this movie last night and loved it. What an amazing and powerful story. I cried and cried and cried. I also applauded at the end of the film. Don't think I've ever done that before. So, so good! Go see it.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Daisy Update


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Now that the girls are back in school, I have less opportunities to snap their photos. So, my latest photo victim is Daisy. She loves to hang out on the desk while I'm at the computer. I caught a few pictures of her the other day and realized how much she has grown in the last few weeks. I took her to the vet today and she weighed in at 4 pounds 13 ounces!!! We are loving our little Daisy cat.

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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Krissy Goes to College!


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Our niece Krissy headed off to college today. She is now a freshman at UMW. I am so proud of her and know that she will do well at school. My sister and brother-in-law are now empty nesters. I think that means she can come see me more often, right???? Love to all of you.


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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Haphazard Thoughts

More of my disjointed thoughts for the day. Chose not to use the word random in the title...that seemed boring and repetitive.


Our Summer to do list came down and this is what it looked like before it was removed. We had plenty left on the list to do, but with our shorter summer, I felt fine with what we completed.

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I was at TJ Maxx and I found this cute set of cards by this terrific artist. I think I'll use a few of them to frame and add to our art galleries throughout the house.

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Shelly sure loves to hold Daisy! They have a good time together.



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Tuesdays! What is the deal with Tuesday??? My sister and I decided it was one of our least favorite days of the week. Every other day seemed to have a purpose. Tuesday...not so much.


Glad that the new tv shows will return soon.


It's quiet in my home these days with those girls at school. (Boo hoo)


Shelly left me this note the other day and I like it.

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Wishing my mom was here. I miss her so much and would love to chat with her about the girls' new adventures at school. I would listen to her advice and ask her questions about my own youth and her mothering skills when I was in junior high. Every day I find something different to miss about her. Every day.


Here's a little video of Lily and Daisy. Daisy loves to suck on the girls' fingers and here she is doing just that (and that is the cat making those little sucking sounds):






Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Success



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The first day of school was a success. Everyone got to school and home without a hitch. Smiles were on their faces and lots of stories to be told. A good day and a relieved mother. First day of 6th and 2nd grade is now under our belt!

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Monday, August 15, 2011

A little "Ade" for the Teachers


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The girls are off at school this morning. I created little first day of school gift for their main teachers. It was a simple plastic cup with a lid and straw filled with the small packages of lemonade and pink lemonade. I also found this cute school year calendar at Target to add to the gift. Hope the teachers enjoy it and hope the girls have a great year.


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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Chh Chh Chhanges!

Thinking of that David Bowie tune in my above title. So many changes are sitting just around the corner for our family. Middle school, elementary school without her big sister, and an earlier wake up time for all of us. Changes! All good (well, maybe not that early wake up time) changes.





Questions hang in the balance. How will it go for my girls? Will they make new friends? Like their teachers? Take new risks? Handle things well? 


It is another year of starting fresh and becoming the best they can be. It's an exciting time, yet a bit of a melancholy time for me. But, the focus is on them and I know they will shine.



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Good Bye dear summer---see you in late May!!!! :)

Friday, August 12, 2011

Remember from the Summer of '11

I've been thinking about the highlights (and some of the low lights) of the summer. There are certain things that I hope the girls will remember about this summer.

1. In the midst of the lazy summer days when there isn't much to do, imagination and creativity are powerful tools...The Lily & Shelly Show was created!


2. Gaining a new family pet can be rewarding (soft purring snuggles) and a bit challenging (scratches and kitten bites = ouch!).
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3. Being with your cousin for a really important part of her upcoming new life is exciting and so fun.

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4. Rainy days are made for fusion beads and lots of artistic talents.


5. Frozen yogurt stops are the best!!!!!!!!!


6. Glow stick necklaces in the pool at night are awesome.






7. S'mores in the oven are good, but not as tasty as they are over an open fire.


8. Attending one baseball game a season is just right for our foursome.

9. Accomplishing a goal that you've set for yourself feels great (Lily's babysitter course).


10. Shopping is a great past time; even when nothing is purchased.


11. Taking a risk and jumping in the deep end (of the pool) can feel so good!!!!





12. Pedicures make a plain day feel fancy!





13. Having good friends who you can count on is rare and special.


14. There is nothing quite like looking out into the ocean while digging your toes deeper into the sand all while feeling the sun beaming on your face.

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15. Learning to bake a treat is satisfying and tasty.

It has been an interesting summer for us. We are normally pretty busy with trips and activities. This summer not so much. At times I was loving our very relaxed pace but other times I felt a bit antsy and wished I had made more plans for our family. Overall, the time off has been good albeit short. The girls finished school on the 10th of June and will head back on the 15th of August...so short this summer. But, next summer we are hopeful that they will get out before Memorial Day (as long as that nasty white stuff stays away over the winter and doesn't close the school doors)! So, here's to a happy summer where free time filled most of our days and let's face it, that's always a good thing.