"....I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~James 10:10~

Friday, July 29, 2011

{Finally F.R.I.D.A.Y!!!}

Howdy BLOG WORLD!
This morning started off with a 'nana and a slim fast cookie dough meal bar. I just happened to find these slim fast bars at Big Lots--12 for $4 and thought they'd make a good quick breakfast.

I ended up paying 33 cent for each of mine and I noticed they are over $5 for five at Walmart
so I got a great deal! And they're really yummy, too!
I just HAVE to brag on my new AVON MASCARA! It's the Super Shock Max and it's.......

FAB-U-LOUS! It really adds some ooomph:)
I tried to open my little eyes bigger so you could see them better:) I promise you...this mascara is the BOMB!

I wasn't very hungry at lunchtime so I went by Haven Of Rest to check out the wares...
... I found a few treasures, including another tupperware container (I LOVE collecting old tupperware:), a soon-to-become fish bowl, a Precious Moment Easter yard sign that was, well---PRECIOUS!, two really pretty handpainted juice glasses, and a few other little things for less than $5 bucks.

BUT BOY WAS IT HOT-HOT-HOT!!!
I mean, REALLY HOT! There's no air, just a few fans, and you really have to "sweat it out" to find the good stuff:)

Afterwards, a staple for all thrifters....
...and the best thing I found today----

A cute trinket that reminds me of my family:) So far there's me (the pink bird:) and Travis (the blue bird:)....
...and our little nest that has yet to hatch! Awww:)
I met a really interesting lady once at a DSS training on 'Creating Calm in your Hectic Life' and she said it's important to make your home a sanctuary and fill it with things that make you happy and mean alot to you. Ever since then, I've tried to keep my kitchen sink window sill dotted with bits and pieces from special trips or things that hold special memories. Right now I have a perfect teeny-tiny seashell, my LAUGH rock, my PRAY OFTEN reminder, and now our Family Nest:)

Speaking of homes, I just LOVE this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt (Who knew she had so many great ones!):

"The only advantage of not being too good a housekeeper is that your guests are so pleased to feel how very much better they are. "

I'm proud I have the privilege of making my family and friends feel so good! LoL!

Oh, and a quick word to the wise! Today on Yahoo there was a story about the top 10 filthiest hotels in the US. The Polynesian Resort at Myrtle Beach was ranked #4 so buyer beware!

Happy Friday Friends!
Love,
Laura

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

{Weekend Happenings}

Saturday morning I woke up TRES EXCITED because Ali, Morgan, and Camryn were coming to spend the day with me!

We went to Target to get some goodies for the movie theater:)
Yum!


Cheese!


Aren't these new whole grain Goldfish shaped sandwich buns neat?:)

Camryn didn't get the Golden Ticket but she did get to see Winnie the Pooh!

It was a really cute movie!

Afterwards we went to the pool for a few hours and played water baseball:)



When we got home, we got dressed....


Ali did some fabulous eye makeup...

and we set out for Wild Wings:)


25 wings...

and a heaping platter of BBQ Chicken Nachos later we were STUFFED! It's a good thing we did lots of swimming earlier:)

Sunday morning we needed a big breakfast before another fun day at the POOL! Travis had a golf tournament so Ali and I went to Denny's after Sunday School:)

Hawaiian Pancake Puppies....

Peach French Toast....

and GRITS! Yummy!

I had so much fun with my girls!!!



Love,


Laura

Thursday, July 21, 2011

{Thursday's THIS ~n~ THAT!}

Last weekend I got to babysit Makayla! A tv tray worked perfectly for her:) She even kept trying to get the hang of her little fork. I was so proud of her! You can tell this Aunt is totally SMITTEN!

Mmmmmm! Must be tasty!


Speaking of tasty....

I think Cracker Barrel is a WONDERFUL place to eat lunch! A group of us went from the office today and you can get the kids meal, which comes with a drink and is plenty of food, for just $4.01. Plus tip that's just about $5 for a delicious lunch out. And if you work it right, you can get some extra biscuits and blackberry jam thrown in there, too:)

I love all the stuff in their store, too. I wish I would've had more time to browse around today but I had to get back to the ole' grindstone...hehe:)


So...I realized that I never posted the pics from Cow Appreciation Day!

I got to babysit Makayla that night while her Mommy and Daddy had a date night:) Molly fixed her up a cute lil' outfit and we MADE Travis get dressed up a little bit too!

"Moo!" This $1 dress I found at Goodwill the night before made a PERFECT girly cow costume!

Trav's shirt said "Will Golf for Chicken:)" He's such a good sport! I love that guy!

And he LOVES spending time with little cows who like to play on the playground:)

And I'll leave you with this---
Come on BK....it's not that hard!

Love,
Laura

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

{Finally... A Homemade Hair "Do"!}

This is what my hair looked like when I took it down at my Dad's birthday party:) A lion mane, yes, but that's not the point. :) Look at those roots! Actually, the roots weren't as bad as I thought they'd be after going so much blonder a few months ago. And since I had to cancel my hair appointment last week due to a conflict with work, I decided to take the matter into my own paws...I mean...hands. :) Several of my sisters, cousins, Vanessa, and my mom have had lots of luck coloring their own hair and I've been wishing I could do my own for a long time. Last time I tried and just used a boxed color which resulted in a DISASTER---a real homemade hair "don't!" But I decided to try again and do things a little differently.

I went to Sally Beauty Supply and bought myself a mixing bowl, brush, 40 volume developer, an extra rich conditioning packet, and some Kalidecolors bleach for about $12. I was determined to do it myself!

So, I mixed the stuff up and painted it on the areas where I saw dark roots and the places I knew I wanted to be blonder. I didn't get all the underneath layers but you can't see that anyway:) I did some pieces on the very underneath that show when I pull my hair up. Critical, since that's about every other day. And then I waited----and hoped for the best!




And here are the results!
Not the best pic but as you can see, the roots are gone and it's bright and blonde once again:) Next time, I'll let it process a little longer to let the blonde come up another level or two but I was pretty pleased with the results. And I SAVED MONEY which made me VERY HAPPY! Not just a little bit---about 70 bucks!

Best of all, next time all I'll have to do is buy the bleach for about $4 since I have plenty of developer left! Yes, these kinds of things make me really happy:)



Love,

Laura

Monday, July 18, 2011

Happy 50th "We's Deddy!"

I have so many wonderful childhood memories with my Dad! He used to take us bike riding, get us chicken little sandwiches, make us star bologna and curly weinies, help us fly kites at Falling Creek, let us go in the woods with him, and sometimes even paint our toenails. He is AWESOME!!! One time he even took us on vacation after he cut his arm SEVERELY a few days before. He didn't want to disappoint us so he took his pain pills, loaded up the car, and took us all to Myrtle Beach as planned. We have pictures of him holding up his big casted arm so the waves couldn't reach it. We called him "Clubby" that vacation:) It's a blessing to be able to say that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt there is NOTHING "We's Deddy" wouldn't do for us! The least we can do is show him some BIRTHDAY LOVE!
Mom planned a fun party in Elberton...
...and Fran and crew showed up, too:)
Everyone loves Big Daddy!
Even Max!
Dad got lots of nice gifts which makes me so happy because he never gets anything for himself. He's so generous and unselfish!
Makayla had fun with her Big Daddy while trying to tear down the EZ up:)
He got a new belt from the Macks....
and other presents included a Visa Gift card, lots of Bass Pro Shop gift cards, a Columbia Tshirt, two new coiled water hoses, a Frog Cool Cloth and more:) Hope you enjoy it all, Dad!
Afterwards we sat around, listened to some music, and enjoyed the time together:)

And we laughed...
and joked...



... and ATE DESSERT! Yum!
Lots of Ice Cream...
TONS O' Toppings....
Sauces and Syrups of all kinds:)
The Birthday Boy blew out his candles and shared his sweet treat with Makayla:)
...which made her a little thirsty:)
Happy 50th Birthday to you Dad!!! We love you!
Love,

Laura