Bridal Shower

A beautiful woman I know is marrying a kind cowboy in a few weeks. I was honored to attend her Bridal Shower and celebrate her approaching nuptials with her family and friends.

Her Aunt hosted the shower and did a phenomenal job creating a special evening for her. The attention to details was amazing.

Each guest was asked to write a special memory or words of wisdom for the bride and read it when she opened your gift. It was fun to hear all the advise and memories. Some were funny. Some were sentimental. All were lovely.

The wedding will be amazing!

Wedding Day Survival Kit

Those who know me, know that I like unique things. I like fun things. I like made things. I love shabby chic things. This is a blessing and a curse. A blessing when I have an idea or vision. A curse when I need something but can't find inspiration.

Luckily, I found inspiration quickly for the bridal shower gift I was in need of. A quick Pinterest search for "Bridal shower gifts" resulted in inspiration...a wedding day survival kit. Brilliant! Thank you, Sue at Creative "Try"Als.  This was exactly the inspiration I needed.

I was off and running!

 All the goodies! I couldn't find a bag I liked so I opted for a paint can.

I put a message on each item in the kit. The bride-to-be enjoyed reading them to the crowd. :)

So, what exactly does each thing say?

• Fashion tape-There will be no wardrobe malfunctions on your special day.
• Compact mirror-Mirror, Mirror...who's the fairest of them all?
• Tissues-Here's to shedding tears of joy. 
• Band-Aids-We'll be there in the nick of time. 
• Q-tips-Need any tips?
• Make-up Remover Wipes-What smudge?
• Secret deodorant-It'll be our little secret. 
• Aveeno lotion-Don't underestimate the importance of moisturizing. 
• Cocoa butter vaseline-Smile away with my perma-grin power!
• Lint roller-Insert pet's name snuggles leave some strays? At your service!
• Manicure kit-We'll get you out of a snag in a snap!
• Downy wrinkle remover-Leave the pressing issues to us. 
• Breath spray-You want to be ready for "the Kiss"
• Pain reliever-You never know when you might need us. 
• Clear nail polish-Let's get this clear, I'm here for you!
• Colgate Wisps-You won't hear, "You've got a little something..." with us on the scene. 
• Altoids smalls-There will be lots of smooching!

I love how this turned out. Even though I originally wanted to put it in a bag, I do love the effect of the clear paint can container in the end. Happy surprises! We like those. :)

Coeur d'Alene

If I were to live anywhere other than here, I'd have to say it would be Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. That place is da' bomb! Small town feel, big city amenities. Nature. Technology. Mountains. Plains. Trees. Waving grains. Lakes. Rivers. Outdoors. Bliss. Peace. Tranquility.

Gorgeous!

Tick-tock...

I love this place!

Lake Coeur d'Alene

Walking on the Boardwalk out over Lake Coeur d'Alene

So pretty. I can hardly stand it.

Intensely serene.

Just before walking the Boardwalk, we had breakfast at "Jimmy's Down the Street." It was featured on Diner, Drive-In's and Dives and we had to check it out. The service was phenomenal. The restaurant quaint. The food delicious. We had to order the caramel pecan roll described "as big as your head" on the menu to go. It became our family snack when we got home after our long drive. It was tasty!

Silverwood and Boulder Beach

This summer we're laying low. Hanging out. Reading a lot of books. Doing little projects around the house. Just. Relaxing.

Hubbs wanted to take a trip to see his sister in the Coeur d'Alene area and take the girls to Silverwood and Boulder Beach. So, we packed up the car and headed out.

6+ hours...and many stops later, we arrived! Time to let Puppy meet Cousin Puppy at the dog park. They sniffed, and ran, and played and panted and were ready to go.

I had to get a quick snap of Biggs and me. I'm not called "Mamarazzi" for nothing!

The next day, we went to Silverwood. Did you know that if your kids forget their swimsuits for the water park they get upset? True story. Hubbs swooped in and bought them new suits so we could get wet and have the most fun possible at Silverwood. Love this man!

What better way to pass the time than to take pictures in line? They think I'm crazy. I think I'm brilliant! ;)

Biggs drove Hubbs on the antique cars. Lil' Miss drove me and Auntie. We couldn't help but make a ruckus. She kept covering her eyes while driving! It was scary! Okay, a little fun to embarrass her harmlessly too. She kept saying, "people are looking at us." That just made us do it more. You'd think she'd learn to not react to us. We might stop...okay, you're right...probably not. Hee hee.

So, my new motto...the family that thrill rides together, stays together. We LOVE thrill rides! I have always loved them and it warms my heart so that my girls have the same passion for them Hubbs and I do. Biggs and I rode in the very front our first time on Tremors...the wooden roller coaster. Fan-freaking-tastic!

The Aftershock is so smooth you can't tell how fast it's moving. Such a trip! The girls wanted to go again and again and again.

"C'mon Mom...stop taking our picture and let's ride this thing!" ~ pretty much what I heard all day

In another line, I want to take pictures and Lil' Miss poses so nicely!

I love, love, love this one of Auntie and my girls! Such wonderful people!

We spent so much time on the amusement park side that we only had about 1.5 hours in the waterpark. The wave pool was our favorite! I forget how much fun it is to get out there and just play. We all need to do more of it!

Today is Our Independence Day!

This 4th of July was spent at home. Well, for most of us that is. Biggs went to spend the day with a friend on their boat and watch the Fort Vancouver fireworks show from the comfort of the Columbia River. Lucky duck, huh?

Hubbs bought some outdoor lounge chairs for my birthday this year. It was just what I asked for and I couldn't wait to use them on the 4th.

Nothing fancy, but they are perfect!

Later in the day, we pulled them to the driveway and set up camp for the show.

Hubbs let Lil' Miss pick out some fireworks at a local stand. She was quite strategic in her purchases. Lil' Miss wanted more smaller things than larger, more expensive fireworks. Her loot included:

• Colored smoke balls
• Blooming ground flowers
• Black snakes
• 4 purple and gold crackle fountains
• Gold sparklers 
• 4 boxes of Pop-its

She is so thoughtful. Each thing she picked out, she talked about who in our family would like the different things and that was why she wanted to get them. Love her! 

Since there were hours and hours until fireworks time, Lil' Miss and I went to the neighborhood school to swing. I still love swings but they are definitely not made for lady hips! 

Seeing Lil' Miss in her old stomping grounds proved just how much my sweet little girl has grown up. When she was just 2-years old, this adventurous little girl sneaked to the school on her own. I found her on this same play structure, bare foot, and wet from a potty accident but happy as a clam to be playing. She even said, "Mama, you come get me?!" Talk about mixed emotion moment. How can you both want to throttle and hang on for dear life to your baby who has literally vanished in the blink of an eye? I can't help but think of her still as that little girl. Alas this girl has grown up. She has grown into an extremely loving, passionate, thoughtful 12-year old.

The sun finally began to dip below the roof line and Lil' Miss was ready to light the smoke balls and snakes.

A neighbor friend couldn't help it. He had to come dance in the colored smoke with her. How could anyone resist dancing in the street to your own music?!

Once the sun went down, we settled in with our chairs and blankets to enjoy the festivities. Piper, our beloved 8-year old puppy, loves to be outside with us during the fireworks. As long as she knows where her pack is, she's good.

Sparkler time! Okay, I have to say, you definitely get what you pay for with sparklers these days. A box of 5 for $1.17. Deal right? If by deal you mean having to deal with holding a flame to it the entire time to try to get it to light, then you've got it right! It was a little comical. We tried and tried and tried again to get some of the sparklers to light and stay lit. Only 2 out of the box actually remained lit for any amount of time. In classic Lil' Miss fashion, she was there to assist those in need of sparkler power. Neighbor's sparkler never did fully light. If she moved at all, it would go out. So, this was a good as it got. :)

Lil' Miss is a true bookworm. She loves to read. Mostly she reads fantasy. She's been really into the Wings of Fire series. There are 3 books out so far and she read each one is just about that many days. Under the soft light of the streetlamp and firework filled sky, Lil' Miss read and read and read the night away.

It wasn't a big, extravagant celebration but it was ours and it was perfect. I love my little family! 

There's a First Time for Everything...

...at least that's what they say and, well, they are right! After putting new shelves in the coat closet, I was itching to do something else around the house. It didn't take long for me to know what project would be next.

Refinishing the cabinets in our master bathroom.

Why? I've wanted to do this for a few years and I finally had built up the courage to go for it.

Time to say good-bye to honey oak from 1998

The removed TP holder was the same color,  basic wood model. 

The red in the grain is the only evidence of Biggs painting the entire sink and counter with 7 bottles of nail polish when she was 3. Bittersweet to see this go. ;) 

With a list of supplies in hand, I was off to make this dream a reality.

The main supplies I used. 

What I didn't anticipate was just how much sanding and sanding and sanding this would encompass. Just when I thought I was finished, I sanded some more.

The first coat of ebony stain gave results I didn't anticipate.

Don't mind the stuff still in the cabinet. I was being lazy and didn't empty it. :) 

My heart sank. My head swirled. What did I do?! I've ruined them! It's not solid, dark, deep and gorgeous like I envisioned! How am I going to tell Hubbs that I completely ruined perfectly good cabinets for no reason other than I wanted to see what it would look like and I was itching for change?

Then, I calmed myself down and really looked at what was going on.

That's actually quite nice! Hubbs came in to see the progress and asked if I like the "charred" wood look. Yeah, I actually think I do. Being the wonderful, supportive guy he is, he said he was interested in how it would look in the end and asked what I thought of it. I had to be honest. I wasn't loving it but wasn't hating it either. I'd know better later.

On I went. I did a total of 3 coats of ebony stain and 2 coat of polyurethane. I love the final results...including the charred wood look. Charred wood has a different meaning to me now and I can definitely find beauty in it.

Lovely.

Depth and dimension.

New TP holder!? Finally! 

It coordinates with the flush handle we put on months ago. Details I tell ya!

I really do love this look!

 The side of the cabinet is Hubbs' favorite part. He really likes the contrast of the light and dark colors in the wood.

Do you see it? 

New brushed nickel hinges make this transformation complete. 

It's done!

The wood grain shows through beautifully. 

Another perspective

Inside of the doors. 

This project took me about 4 days to complete. It might be that I wouldn't start on it until about 4 pm and each coat needed 4-6 hours to dry plus sanding in between. Or, it might be that this type of project truly takes days to complete and I should learn to be patient. You decide.