Master Bedroom Redo

As you all know, I've been trying to finish up rooms in our house, one by one. We've lived here for almost 4 years and some rooms still look very close to the same as move in day!

Well, we started with the Living Room (you may remember this or this). And then summer came, which put everything at a stand still. And now, I'm happy to report that the Master Bedroom is completed!! No major changes here. Just getting things organized and put up on the walls. So...check it out!!

Before-very blank walls. We did actually have curtains, but they were being washed. Still, pretty boring.

After-Those bookcases were a great find. They used to be a deep dark ugly maroon color...now, they're a pretty chocolate brown, thanks to my husband's frustration with paint remover! And you see that we now have curtains...which were also a steal! I got 4 panels (2 that are a linen silk blend and 2 that are thick textured panels) for less than $30!!

Before-Nothing on the walls here either. And again, we have bedding, but it's being washed!

After-So pretty :) We got that pretty new mirror for $13 at Hobby Lobby. We also got 2 new bedside tables for $7 each that I slip-covered with some extra fabric around the house.

Before-Can we say BORING?!?!?!

After-Ahhh, now that's better! We still need something for that corner...maybe a big plant? We may be getting a new chair that will go somewhere on that wall...any suggestions??

Before-Blah, blah, blah.

After-Not a whole lot of change here besides a new frame on the wall and the addition of the bedding, but it still looks MUCH better.

Stay tuned for more makeovers!! We're hoping to get the kitchen painted and revamped sometime this fall! I'll keep you posted!

Mars Hill-billies

There are only 3 stop lights in our town. There are 5 barns on the road to our house. There's a cow pasture that borders our neighborhood. Our neighbors are good ol' boys and girls with accents that remind me of home. So, it's no secret that Mars Hill is far from a thriving metropolis, and I'm ok with that. Other than having to drive 30 minutes to the closest Wal-Mart, I really kinda like this slower pace of life. I do have to say, though, that living in more rural areas like this provides moments of randomness, like when the guy up the hill takes the neighborhood kids (and even their moms) for rides in the trailer behind his 4-wheeleer. Or when the local cows escape their pastures and end up eating our neighbor's grass. So, these things happen and we chalk it up to "country living".

But our most recent random happening takes the cake. Our neighbor has a large bank behind his house. He and his wife work long hours and, like most people, probably don't prefer yard work. So, as one who DETESTS weed pulling, I was actually jealous when I heard that he bought a goat to live on the bank and keep the weeds at bay. And, while most people I know own weed whackers instead of goats, this was yet another case of "country living"...

...until we saw him walking through the neighborhood. With his dog and his goat. Both on a leash. Twice. It's official. We've reached hillbilly status, here people.

For all my loyal fans...

...I am not going to Hollywood.

For years, I have had dreams of becoming a recording artist. When I was little, I really thought that I was Reba. My hairbrush was used far more often as a microphone than it was for an actual hairbrush. As I got older, I was convinced that I was the next Mariah Carey and participated in every talent show or competition that I could.

Then, American Idol came on the scene. From day one, I heard "You should really try out for that American Idol" every time I turned around. Somewhere along the lines, I heard that it was a waste of time (too much of a cattle call audition) and that it cost $250 just to sign up for auditions, which didn't even guarantee time in front of Randy, Paula & Simon.

As I was getting older, I knew that I still loved performing and loved to sing, but wasn't quite sure that I was cut out for life on the road. I have some minor health issues that wouldn't quite gel with being awake for days on end or sleeping in random places every night of the week. Then, last year, I was doing some reading on the Idol website and found out that yes, it is a "cattle call" audition, but no, it doesn't cost any money to come audition. So, I decided that I'd give it a shot. What did I have to lose? A drive to the closest audition city? A few hours sleeping on a sidewalk? Those were mere sacrifices if they got me a little closer to experiencing my lifelong dream.

Fast forward to the summer of 2008. The audition cities are posted. The 2 closest sites were Atlanta and Charleston, and I had conflicts around both dates. After MUCH debating, I decided I was going to go for it! I had worked things out so that I could leave in time to make it to the Charleston audition, and was beginning to get really excited about it! Then, about a month ago, I checked the site again to get directions and rules and all that jazz, and I was very quickly confused when I saw that the original dates for the auditions were there, but the Atlanta and Charleston locations were changed to Jacksonville, FL and somewhere in NJ. And in case you all haven't noticed, gas is $4 a gallon. And, my body HATES long car rides. So, there was no way it was going to happen.

So, for all of you who have been anxiously awaiting some news about my audition, I'm not going to Hollywood...this year. And I'm ok. Of course, it's disappointing when a plan of that proportion falls through, but I think I'm going to live. And there's always next year...

4 years later...

...through the busy-ness and the calm and the weight gain and the weight loss and the church drama and the happiness and the financial strains and the hard decisions and the easy decisions and the disagreements and the exhaustion and the new jobs and the old jobs and the misunderstandings and the good communication and the crying and laughing and weekend road trips and weeks away from home and each other and sharing the remote and dinners that didn't turn out so well and my OCD and the stubbornness and the births and the deaths and the joy and the sorrow and the good days and the bad days...

...and he still loves me.

Happy Anniversary, my love :)