One Year Anniversary

A year ago today I woke up with pure excitement of the events that were to unfold. Owning my own home was always on the list of To Do's, but never did I think it would be crossed off so soon. After countless number of hours, days, weeks, and months of my Dad and I doing our homework together, I finally came across the perfect place.

Although the place I bought was older and needed a little "updating" I was blessed to be able to move in to a clean, well kept home. The previous owner was a single, 90 year old woman who never married, had kids, or pets. Pretty sure she had to have been the cleanest lady in the United States, if not world... she even ironed her dish rags! 

 That's me stripping wallpaper. I was so determined that week to get everything done, I have never worked so hard in my life!

I thought I would share a few before and after pictures with everyone.

Before Kitchen

After Kitchen
(Stripped wallpaper, put in new appliances and flooring)

 Before Living/Dining Room

 After Living/Dining Room
(Painted, put up crown and base molding) 

 Before Guest Bathroom Before

 Guest Bathroom After

(I have re done this bathroom about 3-4 times since I've moved in, but I think I'm happy with it now)

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since moving in, but I love my place and feel extremely blessed.

Clothespins.

My creative juices are flowing again. 

What better way to close up a bag or help hang a picture or two than with a decorative clothespin. Anyone can go to the store down the road and purchase a bag of plain old pins. I thought it would be fun to create a few different ones, in hopes to make my day just a little bit brighter every time I grab one from the drawer. 

Pretty fun, huh!

Have a wonderful week.

xoxo-Joyful Me

Rosette

I have been practicing my Rosettes. Not the best, but I will get there!

Wet Little Willies.

I recently had the privilege of shooting some photo's for a local swim club. They saw my blog and were impressed by my photography skills (which by no means are skills, more like luck) and asked if I would take some pictures for their post cards and billboard. Of course I was excited and said YES to my first paying photo shoot.

How hard could it be to capture a few kids swimming around? Yikes, one of the hardest subjects to capture in the history of my picture taking days. The lighting was extremely difficult to shoot in, and silly me forgot how much kids squirm around. In no way am I complaining, because I had a great time interacting with the kiddo's. Just put it this way, don't ask me to take your child's Christmas picture this year unless they are tied down to a chair.

Just Teasing. I had a wonderful time and lets just cross our fingers they like them!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Oh the sweetness of Victory! What a long and grueling campaign this has been for the Senator and my Momma. From the weekend parades in the middle of hot July, to working 60+ hours a week, victory is finally in the hands of one who truly deserves it. The down right dirty commercials, lies, and fraud couldn't surpass the greatness of Dave.

I don't think I could ever be involved in politics. Really, the way he must have been feeling while waiting in anticipation for the results would probably give me a stroke. It takes a strong man of faith to be able to stand his ground and remain calm during the storm. The only comfort I found was knowing that God was in control of the situation and already knew the outcome before they even started campaigning!  I'll just stick to licking envelopes and closing them shut for now.

 

This is one heck of a Gal who has been my moms biggest cheerleader from the sidelines since the beginning.

How could you forget these clowns?Been with Dave since the very first day he took the Senate seat. 

Congratulations Dave- You Deserve It!

Two B's

Don't you just adore the innocents of children at Halloween? After buying a bag of 360 pieces of candy and only having five Trick-or-Treaters ( one being a 50 year old woman by her self...strange), my girl friend brought her three year old  daughter over to see me. 

I am " Aunt Teh-ah" to her and I'm pretty sure she LOVES to come over to my house. Number one because most Aunts give in a lot easier than their own momma's, and number two, Charlie lives here. Almost positive she still thinks he is a stuffed animal the way she drags him around. Poor Charlie, he can't help his size and defend himself. Anyways, they had a great time running around in their bumblebee costumes chasing each other and it definitely wore him out which I was thankful for to say the least!

It was time to leave, and Miss Bumblebee told her mom she was just going to stay at my house for the night. She explained that she would even be okay with just sleeping on the couch. Unfortunately, I attend a little thing called work every day so it didn't work. We arranged for a slumber party in a few weeks and I think I am just as excited as she is!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat.

 Ever wonder where the phrase "Trick or Treat" came from? Wonder no longer.

The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.

The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for the returning spirits on Halloween night. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

 

The tradition of dressing in costumes and masks on Halloween finds its roots in both European and Celtic history. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly realm, people thought they would encounter the ghosts if they left their homes. Therefore, to avoid being seen by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.

Bumble Bee Boy.

 Char and I did a little shopping this afternoon for ourselves. C-Man was in need of a new costume for the holiday that awaits us right around the corner. The first  costume was a spider with legs that hung down to the ground. He was not very fond of the idea of adding an extra eight legs to his own four, so we went for a bumblebee instead. No, he won't be going door to door for candy this year, but he would surely take your leftovers, and so would his mother! 

Oh Lord, please help me when I actually have my own children (or should I say, help the children)

Christmas in October.

Is it to early to start thinking about Christmas?   

 Alright, Alright.... I just had to get a head start on my stockings. After all, practice makes perfect as the saying goes.

It was all going sweet as sugar until Charlie Ray of No Sunshine decided to take my pin cushion and managed to get every single pin out so he could play with it. I suppose that would be my fault for leaving it on the floor, and in his defense, it does look like a tomato. I'm a terrible Momma, but at least Santa will have a place to store his gifts until the 25th of December.

Lavender Love ?

 By no means am I an expert on gardening. In fact, I couldn't even tell you if this was sage or lavender! What I can tell you, is that it caught my eye and was in a pile of scraps in my neighbors yard waiting to be thrown out to the curb. You know me, I marched on over with my scissors and mason jars in hand and started snipping away. Thanks Neighbors, it really brightened up my day!

No Weekend Worries.

As much as I love weekends, I wouldn't enjoy them as much if I didn't work hard during the week. This weekend was full of pure bliss and enjoyment for me. Sometimes we just need to let the inner child  come out and explore. That is exactly what my weekend entailed.

 

Stopped at a road side stand and came home with homemade potato chips and pop corn kernels from the Amish. Talk about De-lic-ious !

Peach Pie Anyone?

I loved the color combo going on in these bins

Played until the sun went down.

Bring on the work week please! This girl is refreshed and ready to go!

 

Oh Women.

Normally I don't take the time to open forwards sent to me with my busy schedule. However, this one was sent three different times by family members so I figured I'd better see what the hoopla  was all about. If you are a woman reading this, I think you will understand why...

This is an actual letter from an Austin , Texas woman sent to Proctor and Gamble regarding one of their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. 

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts.

But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now.  As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body.
Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women.

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'

Are you f------ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything I mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James?
FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong'.

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullsh!t. And that's a promise I will keep.

Always. . ...

Wendi Aarons
Austin , TX

Hope you got a good chuckle out of this! 

Did you know?

1. Composting fall leaves is an excellent way to improve yard and garden soils. Mixing green and brown materials together is the basic rule.

2. Most leaves fall from trees because the ends of the branch are sealed off near the leaf stem to protect the tree through the long winter months.

3. Fall days become shorter and many plants stop making food. That is when the green chlorophyll starts to disappear from the leaves.

4. Fall colors are best when late summer is dry and autumn has bright sunny days and cool nights bellow 40 degrees F.

5. Maples, Oaks, Elms, Birch and Ash trees are just a few of the trees that give spectacular colors during the Autumn season.

Super Star Momma.

If you have been keeping up with me since the beginning of Joyful Expressions, you would remember the photo shoot my mom was in for a magazine. After about 500 + pictures being captured, the magazine is just about ready to hit the shelves all across the Nation. Her beauty, style, and energy must have really caught the eye of the editor, because she even made it on the front cover! Here is just a sneak peak of what's to come, hopefully by October 18th, 2010. 

 ( Sorry it's a little distorted) 

Be sure to pick up a copy of "For Women First" in the next couple weeks. 

Weekend Wishes.

May your weekend be filled with Wine and Merriment!

Addictions.

Am I allowed to make two posts in one day? I'll answer my own question on that one... It's my blog, so why not?

 I get the urge to play arts and crafts these days. I don't know what I did with my time before I was into all of this! It's almost like an addiction to be honest. I should probably seek professional help. A little decor to spice my day up. I have decided I need to move into a bigger place, just so I have more room to decorate!  

 This idea was inspired by another blog that I read. However, I had no idea how she went about doing it so I just put my mind to it... and Wallah!

Significant Numbers.

 Dish Towel. 

Ghost House.

Going through some older pictures on my computer, I came across this one. Over the summer a good friend and I took a little road trip to do some exploring. We spotted a grave yard with this old shed still standing strong beside it. It was almost eerie, especially with the door opened a crack. Since we are in the month of October, and Halloween is just around the corner, I figured I would share.

Moral of the post... I really liked this picture... probably because the shed has white chipped paint :)

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

    

Divine Evening.

The start of fall is always one of my favorite times of the year. Although I'm not a huge fan of the sun leaving me much earlier in the evening, and not re visiting until after I am up for the day, I  do enjoy watching the beauty around me transform. For some reason, the change of seasons makes me reflect a lot more on life. I'm not sure what is is, but maybe it's because I get in a routine of a season and all that it brings and as soon as it changes, so do I. Sort of like chapters of our lives beginning and ending. Either way, I found myself very reflective tonight and decided to take a cruise and capture some beauty that surrounds me.

 

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good Evening.

Charlie Ray Turns One.

Charlie was one spoiled pup this afternoon at his birthday paw-ty. He loved spending his day with good friends and family, a hot bowl of chili, apple pie, and his very own birthday cake. Those brown eyes couldn't stay open any longer by the end of the day.

Here's to many more years to come with my buddy!