Monday, April 27, 2015

HELLO Monday!!




It's time for some Monday HELLO's and today's will consume a whole of pics from my Hubby's 50th High School Reunion that was held this past weekend.  And, of course, some other "stuff."  
Happy new week!



HELLO 1965 Grads......plans have been underway for months and months and this past weekend the grand occasion took place.  It was the 50th high school reunion of Hubby's graduation class.  I think their first reunion was for their 10th year and Hubby and I have not missed one of them.  They are such a great group and a large majority of them have kept such a strong friendship.
Friday evening began the festivities with a wonderful dinner at one of the area's finest restaurants.  Then, on Saturday evening the events took place at one of our local venues with a wonderful catered meal and lots and lots of visiting and reminiscing. I'm so glad that I married into this class as many of them have become very dear to me.
~~~~~
HELLO fallen trees and a lot of cleanup....this past Wednesday afternoon an awful storm hit a large portion of our area.  I'm not sure if it was classified as a tornado or not but, nonetheless, it "tore up jack" for a whole lot of folks.  Hundreds and hundreds of trees were completely uprooted and fell in all directions.  Amazingly, no one was injured and very few fell on houses.  But, roads were blocked, power was out for many and the clean up will be in process for weeks to come.  Of course, it was made all the worse because the ground is so completely saturated.  We missed everything except the torrential rain.
~~~~~

HELLO new house progress....it's more of the same, still painting and still working on all the tile.  Last week the painters started on all the doors in the house and the tile guys worked on finishing up the Master Shower and bath.
 The painters also painted my laundry room ceiling.  The color is Copper Wire but it looks a little like burnt orange in this photo.  This is going to be my "fun room" where my decorator and I chose some colors and fabrics that will certainly keep the room "livened up" and fun.  We are using a beige and black zebra print fabric on the window treatment.  I can't wait to see it all come together.
Things continue to go well but we STILL need a driveway!!! It stopped raining long enough for the yard to be graded and sloped but now we need forms for the driveway and then concrete.  And, we have not had enough rain free days to dry the ground out enough to lay the forms or even think about concrete.  But, surely it will happen.  As it stands now it is looking like it could well be the first of July before we get to move. UGH!!!!!
Have a happy new week!!!!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Wednesday Hodgepodge


 It's the Hodgepodge once again but next week has been proclaimed "spring break" for the HP.  So, don't despair, we'll return the following week.  For now, enjoy today's HP.

1. Have you ever had to wear a uniform? If yes, tell us more. Did you love it or hate it?
No, I have never had to wear a uniform.  I use to wish that my kids wore uniforms to school because Bridget would often change clothes 2-3 times before settling on something to wear. ~smile~ I like the idea of uniforms for businesses as they have such a professional look but then where do we really see a professional look anymore?  And, I'd be the first to say that some uniforms can be very frumpy looking and who wants to look frumpy.  I think I would have loved a uniform during my working years as long as it has a "sassy" look. ~grin~


2. April 22nd is Earth Day. What is one thing you do personally to be a good steward of planet Earth?

I would love to recycle but our city does not have provisions for that, but Hubby and I do dispose of our trash (items outside of what fits in our garbage cans) with Mother Earth in mind.


3. Brown rice, quinoa, or couscous...your healthy grain of choice? How often are one of the three on your menu at home?  Given a choice between white rice, brown rice, wild rice, and fried rice which would you go for? 

Brown rice would be my grain of choice and we probably do good to have it monthly.  I like rice anyway you can fix it so I'd be happy with any of the above choices.  Here in Louisiana we have some of the best rice dishes in the country. ~cajun style~


4. In your opinion, who has the best job ever?
Well, I have more than one but a top one is those folks dealing with Public Relations for a company.  I would thoroughly enjoy trying to maintain a favorable image between the company and the public.  And, I'm quite certain that is a tough, tough job in many instances. As I said, I have a few others too.


5. What's a situation in your life currently requiring patience? 

Well, that is easy peasy, building our house.  My goodness, we have been in this process a little over 10 months and we probably still have 2 more months before we can start talking about moving in.  It has been a really fun experience but I'm just so ready to be moved and settled.  But, I have no doubt it will be worth the wait.


6.  Do you live your life around days of the week? Explain.
I would say yes, I do.  I have certain things I do on certain days and have for years and years.  It seems to work for me and I don't have to wake up and wonder what I'm going to do.  Now, this applies to Monday thru Friday.  Saturday is left for whatever "floats my boat."  And, Sunday is for worship.


7. In a nod to the A to Z challenge happening around town this month, what 'R word' best describes your April? 

R for rapid!  Yes, it is already April 22nd and the 1st was just yesterday. ~time keeps flying by~


8. Insert your own random thought here.


Isn't this the sweetest picture?  This is Hanna Beth and her best friend, Hannah.  This was taken on Monday as they were leaving school together. They go to school and church together and their parents are good friends. They are all on the same page and that is a win win situation for these little girls.  It's such a picture of innocence and it made my heart smile.
 

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

The Creative Closet - Pastel Me

The Creative Closet

I'm linking up with Jana today over at Life Could Be A Dream. If you have never visited Jana's blog then I urge you to drop by.  She's a young Mom and has a lovely blog and blogs about such interesting topics.  And, each Tuesday she hosts "The Creative Closet" with different styles, colors or clothing items featured.  This week's feature is all about pastel colors.
 I love, love pastels!  I found the two tops I am wearing in the pictures today in two of my favorite pastel colors, baby blue and a salmon pink.
They are a peasant style that reminds me of dresses and tops that I wore back in the early 70's.  The biggest difference is that the dresses and tops then usually had elastic around the sleeves and today we see more of the angel wing sleeves.  And, while I think they are so lovely and very feminine, they can get in the way, especially if you are reaching for something. 
My daughter was visiting when I was doing these photos and I could tell that she thought it was pretty silly. ~laugh~ And, I suppose it is, outside, taking picture of ones self with a tripod to be used on their blog.  But, I had fun and since my blog is my hobby and something I thoroughly enjoy, then I just went with it. ~big smile~
And, at least I had a gorgeous background with our azalea's in full bloom. The photos are not near as brilliant as I would like for them to be but I took them on a icky, rain threatening, morning. ~excuses, excuses~

Tops: Croswell's, a local shop
Jewelry in top photo: Susan Shaw
Jewelry in bottom photo: Croswell's
Belts: Chicos
White jeans: Chicos 

Sunday, April 19, 2015

HELLO Monday....




It's Monday and you know what that means, time for some HELLO's.  Happy week to each of you!

Hello gorgeous springtime flowers....these are the iris' that Hubby has nurtured and grown over the past several years.  They are in all their glory right now.  He says that they are going to "make the move" with us and I can't say that I blame him for wanting to take them.  Splendid beauty!

Hello fun fishing time....Clancy and his Momma came in this weekend and Poppa took he and Hanna Beth fishing.  This is the pond that is pretty much in the backyard of our new house.  As fast as they dropped the line they caught one and Poppa stayed busy just keeping the show running.  As you can see in the upper right hand picture Hanna Beth has on rubber gloves.  She loves everything about fishing except touching any worms, crickets or fish. ~she's a girly girl~  This will likely end up being one of their favorite past times when we get moved.  


Hello new house progress....and the painting continues.  This week the inside of all the closets were painted and the cabinets (that are to be painted) in the kitchen were primed.  Even though it's just prime, it gives me a good idea of how the kitchen cabinets are going to look and I'm loving the stained and painted mixture. Templets for all the granite were taken and the granite should be ready for installation later this week. ~can't wait~
  It's looking like some fairly dry weather this week so just maybe they will get at least part of the driveway poured. But, my ingenious husband devised a "make shift" drive way this past week to help cut down on all the dirt and mud being brought into the house.  He bought tarps and used tent stakes to anchor them into the ground and workers could walk on it coming and going from the house. Still a ways to go, finishing the painting, installation of plumbing fixtures, installation of lighting, and laying of wood flooring and on and on the list goes.  We've quit even saying an approximate move in date because at this point, we have no idea.  But, I guess we get  closer with each passing week. ~it can't get here quick enough~

Friday, April 17, 2015

Friday's Letters

It's a Friday and it seemed like a good morning for some letter writing.  Nothing like expressing to your heart's desire.  Here goes.........

Dear 2015....please slow down!  We are already 4 1/2 months into you and it seems like it ought to be no later than February 1st.

Dear Cancer....you are just awful, awful!  You have stricken so many precious friends of mine.  Some have beat you and some have not.  I pray daily that very, very soon there will be a cure for any and all types of you.

Dear PBS....I'm not sure how I feel about there being only one more season of Downton Abbey but I'm sure you will come out with another equally as good program in 2016.  I can't help but wonder if the last season will have as much drama as this past season.  It was over the top with drama!

Dear Weight Watchers....your Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae is the BEST night time snack and all for only 140 calories.

Dear New House....you are taking a really l-o-n-g time to finish. But, I know you will be so worth it in the end, but if you could speed up just a tad, we'd be so happy. 

Dear Disney....you outdid yourself on the production of Cinderella.  What a great movie!  It had a great lesson, super special effects, wonderful acting, and beautiful costuming.  Yep! it received 5 stars from me.

Dear Week-end....I'm looking forward to some special time with our family.  Our daughter and grandson are coming in for a quick visit, but any time we can all be together is a special time.  This will be Bridget's first time to meet our precious Andi Kate.  She has a real treat in store!

Dear Dining Chairs....I can hardly wait to see what you look like with your newly covered seats.  I love the fabric and know you will look like brand new chairs. It's just a little facelift for the new house.

Dear ThredUp.com....I will give you a 4 star rating as an online consignment shop.  I sent you 3 bags of clothing and you paid me a very good price for them.  I love that you sent me the bags to put my clothes in and you pay for them to be mailed to you and then you pay me upfront for the items you keep.  And, with my permission, anything you do not keep you donate to charity. I will be using you again in the future.

Dear LikeTwice.com....Unlike ThredUp, I will not be using you again for consigning my clothes.  Your payout for the great clothes I sent you was embarrassingly low.   You did send cute postage paid bags to send the clothes in but I was not happy with your payout.  Sorry!

Dear Daddy....I continue to hope and pray that you are going to get some improvement in your eyesight as a result of your cataract surgery.  I know you had high hopes and as of yet, there has been no improvement and that makes me sad.  In fact, right now, you are probably seeing worse than you ever have.  Hopefully when I take you back in 3 weeks you can be fitted for glasses that will give you some improvement.

Dear Presidential Candidates....I cannot believe that you have already started campaigning for an election not to be held until Nov. 2016.  All I can say is that I pray our country has the sense to elect a person that will get us on the right track or at least put forth an effort to do so.  Meanwhile, we'll endure!

Dear Readers of my Blog....thank you for giving of your time to read my writing.  I do not take that for granted and I appreciate it so.  Your kind comments are what make each entry worth my time and effort.  You are the BEST!!!!

  

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Wednesday's Hodgepodge


 Yes, it's Wednesday again and yes, Joyce has come up with some questions once again. Some require a whole lot of thought and some not so much.  She always does a good time in the line up and we so appreciative of her week in and week out faithfulness.

1. Speaking of April 15th...what's the most 'taxing' thing you've done recently?
Well, in case any of you have forgotten, we are in the midst of building a house..........but I will say that for the most part, it has been a most pleasant experience.  And, a lot of that has to do with the fact that we are not up against a time table. If we were, then I don't think I would be saying that.  In the past 6 weeks we worked with our decorator on the window coverings.  We will have Plantation Shutters all across the front and neutral shades across the back.  There are a total of 27 windows to cover so it was indeed a 'taxing' decision.  We might not would have put any covering over some of the back windows but they get the intense afternoon sun and we just about had to put up something that would prevent the sun  from beating in on the floor and furnishings.  There are so, so many choices today but we are more than pleased with our selection and now if we can just get to a point where they can be hung. That will happen just days before move in day and that's still a ways away.   
 
2. When did you last take a taxi somewhere and where was that somewhere?

My last taxi ride was when we were in Las Vegas last Oct.  We had some really good rides on that trip but I can tell you that I've been on some that scared the daylites out of me.  I had to tell a driver in NYC one time that if he was going to continue driving as he was that he could let me out IMMEDIATELY.  And, I was not joking!  And, while he was obviously not happy with me, he did slow down. ~I was paying him, he wasn't paying me~

3. What's something you can do today that you couldn't do a year ago?

I can easily drink anywhere from 70 - 80 ounces of water a day and not even think about it.  This time last year I likely never drank 4-8 ounces of water a day.  It has just become a part of my day now and I miss it if I don't have it.  And, the bathroom part has gotten a bit better. ~smile~

4. How often is chicken (in some form or fashion) on your menu at home? Which of the following would you most like to see on your table tonight...a chicken salad sandwich, your mom's fried chicken, a Chick-fil-A meal, Cracker Barrel's chicken n' dumplings, a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, or 'hold the chicken, I'm a vegetarian'...?

We are big on chicken at this house.  Hubby can grill some great chicken and I have several good recipes that I do with boneless chicken breasts.  Oh, I do love a chicken salad sandwich as long as you don't put apples or grapes in it.  I've never understood why folks feel the need to put one or both of those ingredients in an, otherwise, perfectly good chicken salad.  ~just my opinion~ It's like those same folks put raisins in broccoli salad. ~I know, I'm weird~

5. What was your favorite television program when you were a kid? What characters do you remember the most?

Oh, I had so many favorites, Lassie, My Three Sons, The Donna Reed Show, Green Acres, Gilligan's Island and on and on the list goes.  But, I think Flipper would be my most favorite.  I loved Flipper, who was a dolphin, and I use to tell my Dad and Mom that one day I was going to have a dolphin in a pool in my backyard.

6. What was the last piece of 'art' you made?

Hum.......art is being creative isn't it? So, my last piece was a gift basket I put together and wrapped last week to be used as a door prize.  I had a gift wrapping business called, "It's A Wrap" a few years ago and I wrapped all types of items and had so much fun being creative and finding new and different ways to do boxes, baskets and you name it.  Now, I just do it for fun.

7. What frustrates you most about the Internet?

It is always, always available and unless you are very disciplined, it can be a major "time sucker."  It has never stood in the way of me doing the tasks at hand, but I am quite sure that I am often on the internet when I could be doing far more worth while things.  
~too much of a good thing can be bad~

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I thought you might enjoy seeing my beautiful African Violets.  I have been growing them for about 17 years and they are my "pets."  My paternal Grandmother would grow them in coffee cans in her kitchen window and when she died I decided to start growing them in  memory of her.  I do quite well with them and am even a member of The African Violet Society. ~aren't you impressed~ I'm hoping to find just the perfect spot for them in our new home.

Monday, April 13, 2015

HELLO Monday........

Another Monday and more HELLO's to greet this new week!  
 HELLO ladies event...we all know that no one knows how to host an affair better than Southern women.  And, that was proven once again at our annual Ladies Spring Event this past Thursday evening.  It is hosted by the Women's Ministry of our church and is always such a fun night of food, fellowship and inspiration.  It represents a whole lot of work on the part of many people but hard work pays big dividends when the event is deemed a success and this certainly was.
~~~~~~
HELLO beautiful farmhouse.....this is the beautiful home of some of our dear friends.  It is without a doubt the most gorgeous setting for a home that I have ever seen.  This land had been in their family for many years and they had always dreamed of one day building on it.  So, when they retired that is exactly what they did.  If you had seen the area before, you would not believe the transformation that took place in less than 2 years.  It was solid woods, no electrical lines and no road.  Now, when you wind down the road you might think you are going to end up at the "dropping off" spot and then you feast your eyes on this gorgeous home with the beautiful lake behind it and  you wonder if they rent out rooms so that you can stay for a while.  
~~~~~~
HELLO house progress.... the big progress this past week was finishing the stucco on the front porch.  They had to wait for the front door replacement and then they got busy and finished it up and it looks so pretty. The crew put up the pegboard in Tommy's shop, lots and lots of pegboard. The painters continue painting and I'm wondering if they will ever finish. ~smile~  They have yet to paint a wall, but are still working on trim and cabinets.  I should have pictures of wall colors in the next couple of weeks as I'm sure you are anxious to see. ~laugh~  The contractor is hopeful that the weather will be such that they can lay the forms for the driveway this week.  But, it looks as though rain is in the forecast for just about everyday.  We shall see.
~~~~~~
HELLO enrichment and renewal......... our church was host to Steve and Debbie Wilson this past weekend.  They are the founders of Marriage Matters Now and they lead Marriage Enrichment Conferences.  I could write an entire post on the richness of this conference and the blessing it was and will be in the days ahead in my life.  And, the conference is centered around married couples but was really aimed more at our individual walk with the Lord.  The one truth that spoke to me more than any other was, our relationships are a direct reflection of our relationship with Jesus Christ, be that our spouse, our family, or our friends. This wasn't a new truth for me, it was just a much needed reminder!  It was such a time of renewal for me and I know it would be for you if you are ever given the opportunity to attend one of their conferences.  You can read about them here.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Lea's Daybook - Friday, April 10th

It's a Daybook sort of Friday and it's always fun to link up with Peggy to share
bits and pieces of my day.
 
Today, Friday, April 10, 2015

Outside my window...the sun has not shown its face just yet and is probably trying to decide if it is or not.  Rain is lingering on the horizon and some of us are hoping and praying that it heads out California way.  We've had our share and more.

I am thinking...of everything I possibly can to make our eventual move as easy as possible.  But, I'm afraid that no matter how hard I try, it is going to be an overwhelming task.  I've decided that if folks moved about every 10 years instead of every 34 years that it would be a far cry easier.~surely it would~  I'm trying very hard to tell myself that it will just take time to get the boxes unpacked and everything into it's proper place.  I am being very deliberate in the way I am marking the boxes so that I will know exactly what is inside of them.


I am thankful...for a husband that is very detail oriented.  He has missed hardly a "trick" in the building of our new house.  As he said not too many weeks ago, he would likely be a whole lot better off if he didn't know so much about construction and the right way to do things.  But, it has paid off in big ways and there's really no way to do things except the RIGHT way.


I am wearing...some jean capris and a grey dolman top and flip flops.  It's so nice to be out of sweaters, cuddle duds, coats and the like.


I am creating...a list of things to be taken care of before we move.  Things like calling the moving company to find out exactly how that is handled, changing addresses on a bazillion things, and the list goes on and on.


I am going...Hubby and I are attending a Marriage Enrichment conference at our church this evening and tomorrow morning.  It has been in the works for months and months but still has a very few couples attending.  A highly regarded couple is leading it and I'm sure it will be a blessing to all those of us that do attend but it's a shame that a whole lot more aren't participating.  They may think it's a sign that their marriage is in trouble if they attend but that is far from the truth.  If one's marriage is in trouble then they likely need counseling, not a conference.  There's not a marriage that I know of that could not use some enriching.


I am hoping...that my Dad is going to gain some bit of vision improvement from his cataract surgery he had 10 days ago.  He hasn't gained any yet, but the Dr. said with his other eye issues and extreme dry eyes, that complete healing will take longer.  I will take him back the first week of May for a vision test and the Dr. is hopeful that there will be some kind of improvement.  Daddy is really taking it in stride and that's a big plus.


I am learning....and relearning that the grapevine is not a reliable source of information, never has been and never will be.  If it doesn't come straight from the "horses mouth" then we probably should be very cautious about how much we believe, even if it's spoken as the truth. 

In my kitchen...I've almost worn out our new George Foreman grill making hot sandwiches.  That's the main reason I got it and we have not been disappointed in the least.  My favorite is cheese, bacon and turkey on wheat bread.
  I could live off of hot sandwiches but Hubby can reach his limit a bit quicker. ~smile~

A favorite quote for today...
I love this quote and try to remember it when the going gets tough or the day just doesn't go the way I intended. Like the song I use to sing when I was a little girl, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, where, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!!!


A peek into one of my days...
My days start between 5:15-5:30 and it's straight to the coffee pot I go.  Then it's off to my blue chair for my quiet time, then a shower and making up this face of mine.  I'm usually on the treadmill around 6:45 and then getting ready for the day ahead.  I generally run errands in the morning and the afternoons are filled with simply being at home, visiting my Dad or whatever my heart desires.

One of my favorite things...is hearing the sweet cooing sounds of our little Andi Kate.  She will be 2 months old on Saturday and is so precious and becoming more and more aware of her surroundings each day.


From the board room...
This is from my Fashion Pinterest board.  I am seeing so much of the soft aqua color right now and I love it. This is by Free People and "only" $220.  And, it's a one size fits all which to me means, "one size fits none."  I cannot stand that and especially for that price.  My goodness, I'll have to keep looking.  But, it's still so, so pretty.

Post Script....
If you are into doing creative labels (of every shape, size and description) , invitations, bulletins, brochures and such, then, if you haven't already, you need to visit Avery.com.  The  sky is the limit and you can create an online account and keep all your projects right there.  AND, it's all FREE!!!
 A picture worth sharing........
 Our little cowboy was at his other Grandparents last weekend.  They have a cattle ranch in Oklahoma and Clancy got his first taste of "working the cows."  It agreed with him perfectly and he is now an official "cowhand."  How and when did he get so big?

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Wednesday Hodgepodge


Joyce is Super Woman for sure!  She's participating in the A-Z Blog Challenge this month and still found time to come up with questions for us today. 

1. Besides left over Easter goodies, what's something currently kept in a basket at your house?
I love baskets, nice tightly woven baskets.  I currently have two with toys for the Grans and one on the kitchen cabinet with our variety of chips. 2. 'The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.' ~Michelangelo Buonarroti )
So which one are you...the one who aims too high, or the one who aims too low? Have you ever seen The Sistine Chapel? Did you know Michelangelo's surname prior to answering this question?

Well, as I look back over my life I think I probably aimed too low and if I had my life to live over, I'd definitely aim higher.  But, I don't sit around in regret but I am going to aim high for the remainder of my life. ~ big smile~

3. April 7th is National Beer Day. Hmmm...wonder how that's celebrated? Do you like beer? Have a favorite? If you're not a beer drinker do you have any recipes you enjoy cooking that call for beer?

I have tasted beer one time and that was many, many years ago and I thought it was the most awful taste I had ever put in my mouth. So, my beer drinking ended with a few sips.  I use wine  in recipes but have never had a recipe that called for beer.

4. When did you last travel somewhere new? Tell us where? How'd it go?
Three years ago right now Hubby and I went to Charleston, S.C. for the first time.  It was a wonderful trip and we enjoyed everything about it.  I would love to go back sometime and take in some of the things we didn't have time to do the first time.

5. The value of  _______is greatly overrated.

There are soooooo many things overrated that it's hard for me to just name one.  But, one thing would be fine jewelry.  Now, I have some fine jewelry and I love it but there is so much gorgeous fashion jewelry today that it can rival the "real stuff."  But, diamonds ~the real ones~ will likely always be a girls best friend. ~smile~

6. What's a pet peeve of yours when it comes to restaurant dining?

Talking on your cell phone.  If you MUST talk on it then do the rest of us a favor by stepping outside.  Sometimes I think we forget that we lived for a very long time without them.  I know that the younger generation never remembers "life before cell phones" and that is sort of sad.

7. It's Poetry Month...share a favorite poem, either the title, a few lines you find meaningful, or the whole kit and caboodle.

I think I was in the 8th grade when I had to memorize The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.  My two favorite lines, perhaps not then, but now, are,
 I took the one less traveled by,
 And that has made all the difference

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

 I had several comments regarding last week's  question of "when was the last time you got up at the crack of dawn?"  I said when we had a very early morning flight but I also said that I am up between 5:00-5:30 everyday.  Some questioned if the sun was already up that early.  So, to clarify that, NO I am up most every day before the sun is up~the crack of dawn~ but I don't even realize it because I've done it for years and years. 

Happy Mid-week!!!

Monday, April 6, 2015

HELLO Monday

The first Monday of April, really, can it be?  A few HELLO's for this morning........

HELLO sweet Easter memories........we celebrated Easter with our son and his family on Saturday afternoon.  Hanna Beth hunted eggs, I gave her and baby sister some Easter "happies" and we had an early dinner.  It was topped off with a slice of Applesauce Pound Cake.  Then we went to church with them yesterday before they headed to their other family's to celebrate with them.  It was a fun time and next year our little Andi Kate will be old enjoy to join in.
 ~~~~~~


HELLO new house progress........they continued on with the tile work this week until they ran out of materials.  More was ordered and they will return next week to completely finish up the inside tile.  This is the tile in our Master Bath laid in a herringbone pattern.  I'm really liking the look and can't wait to see it completed.
The outside shutters (except for under the porch) were installed this week and they made such a difference in the outside look.  We are so pleased and really like the color.
Remember last November when our custom front door arrived and it was the wrong size.  Well, the correct one finally arrived this past Wednesday and thankfully, it arrived in good shape without any problem.  Now the front porch can be finished with stucco and the shutters installed.  It only took 7 months to get the correct front door.  Glad we've not been in any hurry. ~smile~
The ground did get dry enough this past week for the front yard to be graded and leveled.  That means we are one step closer to a driveway.  It looks like rain will be hanging around most of this week but as soon as they can they will build the forms for the driveway and we'll be in business.
It's looking more and more like home everyday.
Meet our Interior Designer, Randi Burchfield.  Can I just tell you that she has been a lifesaver and made this entire process flow together seamlessly.  I could not have hand picked someone that I would have been any more comfortable with.  Local folks, if you need an Interior Designer, I could not give Randi a high enough recommendation.

And, don't forget to...............