HOPE

School starts tomorrow.

 I can't believe it.

 I guess with all the moving and shopping and pool days, summer just slipped away from me. But, I'm ready. I'm so excited to get back on a schedule and get back to "real life." And, most especially, I'm excited to meet 20 sweet babies in the morning.

I hope they're as excited as I am.

I hope they're funny and like to laugh.

I hope I can be the teacher they absolutely deserve.

I hope I have enough lockers.

I hope I can find patience in times of stress.

I hope they like hugs.

I hope they are eager to learn.

I hope I can be enthusiastic and excited for them at all times.

I hope everybody makes it home on the correct school bus.

I hope I can be firm and tough when I need to be, even if I don't like it.

I hope I can be tender and loving when I need to be, even if I'm not feeling it. 

I hope their parents trust me to take care of their most prized possessions.

I hope I don't let my own personal inconvenience effect how I teach them.

I hope they support each other and become a community.

As you can see, the room is all ready for them.

I HOPE IT'S A GREAT YEAR!

 

I'm Not Getting Off the Couch Today...

I'm totally not getting off the couch today! I am so excited to have some den furniture that I'm just going to sit and enjoy it (and a few episodes of Toddlers and Tiaras and Teen Mom) all day. My roomie Claire moved in yesterday and brought with her a couch and some chairs and a table... all for the den. Woo Hoo! I love how all her stuff and my stuff blend together and I think it's off to a good start. Here are some pictures of the "new and improved" den...

Here's the couch side of the room.

The TV cabinet and a sofa table. Ignore the two random vases on top of the TV.

 I'm trying to start a little collection :)

And, here's the straight-ahead shot of the TV cabinet with the two brown chairs and my new ETSY pillows.

I'm really excited with how it has turned out so far.

Now, I'm off to enjoy it!!!

Pretty Pins

Ya'll, I can't stay off Pinterest.

 There are so many cute ideas out there and for some reason, I feel like I NEED to create every single last one of them. And as quickly as possible.

Here are some things I'm loving right now.

How adorable are these DIY ruffle pillows made from old sweaters? I might be making a trip to Goodwill soon...

I just can't get over these walls with old frames! They are so pretty to me. I might have to do something like this in my bedroom since there's a vaulted ceiling and I don't quite know what to do with all that space...

I really like the fun colors in this space. And, I totally didn't know you can use ikat, chevron and floral fabric all in the same room! But, it looks so fresh and fun to me. And orange, navy and yellow?

LOVE THEM.

Such a pretty space! I love the colors mixed in with a lot of white.

You can never have too much yellow.

I don't even really know what all that stuff is. But, I WANT this room. It's so pretty!

I don't know why, but I can't stop thinking about this idea. This girl painted ceiling rosettes. I don't know if I would ever hang up a bunch of them (maybe?), but one hanging over a bed or something would be so cool! A great pop of color...

I am  loving the bright yellow chair and the gallery wall. How easy would it be to just frame fun scrapbook paper and hang it up like that? Hmmmm....

Okay, I think that's enough daydreaming for one night ;)

(All sources can be found on my Pinterest homepage, which you can find over there on the right -------->)

My First Place!

My place is by NO MEANS done or even remotely close. But, I have set out some furniture and tried to prop up a few pictures here and there. And, my OCD kicked in and I can proudly say there is only 1 box left. When Claire moves in Saturday, there will be alittle more furniture and "fluffing" to post. But, since several people have asked, here's a peak at what it looks like right now...

Let's start with the outside. Looks a little more "lived-in", huh? I hope you enjoy this picture because it came at a price. I totally locked myself out of my house without my cell phone (or shoes) when I took this and had to call my parents who live twenty minutes away to let me in. And, did I mention it was lightning like crazy and about 95 degrees outside? At least I got to meet my neighbors...

Here's my room from the doorway.

And here's the view of another wall.

I have to say, I am LOVING my new dresser. So much storage!!!

This is the front room. It's kind of random right now.

But, I'm really liking the teal and gold together.

I wanted to show you my curtains in this room. Didn't my mom do a great job?

This wall obviously needs a little more. Maybe a bench in front of the window or something?

Another view of the front room.

 Excuse the box of junk. It's not staying there...

A view of the hallway.

Kitchen hallway table. I should probably hang that wall thingy, huh?

Here's the kitchen. My favorite part is the light fixture over the

sink that my mom gave me. Isn't it fun?

Just another view...

Here's the den. It's obviously VERY far from being finished.

But, check out my new chair and pillow!

Curtains in the den.

Just waiting for a table... ha!

Another view of the hallway.

And, last (and probably least), is the patio.

With my six dollar ferns...shout-out to Lowes!

It's got a long way to go, but I think it's off to a good start.

Come by and see me sometime!!!

A Night at Big Flex's House

I seriously have the best co-workers ever! I couldn't ask for better people to be around every day. And, no matter where we are, we have a LARGE time, ha! Last week, Flex had all the first grade girls over to her place for dinner. It was so fun to see everybody!

 

Flex has an amazing pillow collection! This one was my favorite ;)

Me and Lane...

We're all so sad Melissa is leaving us...it won't be the same without her!

Who will I talk to at recess????

Love me some Flex! She's the best hostest (and friend) ever.

Love, love, love these girls!!!

And, for reading this blog post, I will reward you by allowing you to view the best picture in the entire world.

The "Before" Pics...

Well, guys. It's official. I'm a homeowner!

I have lots to share. But, I wanted to put some before pictures on here so I will remember what my house looked like on the day that I bought it.

I closed on the house last Friday.

This is the front room. It was intended to be a dining room, but I'm just using it as a living room.

I love the big window!

This is the hallway that leads from the front room to the back of the house. It goes right through the kitchen area. I love the arch at the top!

Obviously, this is the kitchen. It looks over the den. I was so excited to get to pick out all the cabinets, counters and flooring.

Another view of the kitchen...

No idea why this picture is so dark. But, this is the den.

This is another view of the den so you can see the actual wall color :)

This is my bedroom! It's another dark picture, but the wall color is the same as the rest of the house.

And, this is the master bathroom.

Super proud of my new keys :)

Stay tuned for some updated pics soon!!!