Pretty Flutterbies

I have recently discovered and become addicted to IHeart Organizing.  Jen is awesome, and the pictures of her home are... omg.  I love our house and decorating style, and hers is completely different (but stunning!)... but I can still translate lots of her ideas into projects that work for us.  She wrote this post about inspiration, which totally inspired me!!

I love her butterfly artwork in this one, and had a blast adapting it to our bedroom.  It was quick and easy, and looks fantastic over our hampers :-)  Which... you will not see... because they're full... and kinda ugly, haha!  Maybe you can see the wall when we replace the hampers.  

This is hers:  

She's great, really fun and cool... go check her blog out.  You will loooove it!  Also, since I was so excited making these, I whipped 'em out in no time flat and forgot to take pictures... luckily, she has a tutorial if you're so inclined. :-)

Here are mine...

And close-ups...

Hope you like 'em!!  I'm pretty thrilled!!!

Always,

Katie

It's the Little Things

Quick post today! I got a new pair of jammies at Kohl's on clearance (+ an additional 30%, oh yeahh)... the pants were about $4.  THRILLED! Love jammies... the housewife's uniform :-)  They're capri length, my favorite color, and have butterflies.  Doesn't get much better than that.

But wait.  It DOES get better!

The little pocket on my left leg... is perfect for my insulin pump!  I don't have to worry about trying to make it stay put in a waistband or making sure I have it when I stand up, etc. I know some diabetics sew pockets in clothes for their pumps, but, um, I'm lazy. My crazy-cheap pj pants are now one of my awesome-est articles of clothing!!!

What little thing has made your day lately?

Always,

Katie

PS: If you ever want to bemuse your husband, ask him to take a picture of your jammie pants--just the pants, don't get my icky hair in there. :-) Of course, he totally got it when I told him why... must be starting to get used to his eccentric bride ;-)

K

Signs of Spring

The other day, I wrote that I wanted to take my new camera out and put it through its outdoor paces, while searching for signs that spring had indeed sprung in Southwest Ohio.  Today, I had to venture out for an eye doctor appointment anyway, so I toted my camera in my purse.  LOVE big purses!  

Anyway... imagine my surprise when I left the house to discover... a fabulous spring day!  And not one where spring is thiiiiinking about starting, but a warm, sunny, fully spring day!!! I promise that it must have happened overnight, because I was expecting to scour the gloom for little glimmers of hope.

So, without further ado: Spring.

First: bird poo on our driveway.  Yeah... slightly gross, but it means the birds are home, and you can't really photograph chirping and singing.  Or birds, if you kinda stink at sneaking up on birds, like I do.

I drove to the appointment with the windows partly down and the radio way up.  Ahh... love it :-)  My car and I even got to go for a little run.  I rarely speed, but I DO like the roads with higher limits ;-)

An inside-out picture of the flag in front of my eye doctor's office through his window! The wind was just kinda blowing, real gently... very peaceful, and I tend to get all mushy about the American flag <3

And this is our precious little lilac bush.  We live on a gravel pit--like, seriously--so this little fella is a fighter.  When I was growing up, we had several big lilac bushes in our yard, and that smell is the most lovely smell I know... I had to get some for our home right away!  I'd love to have more, too... bunches and bunches, so the beautiful scent hits you as soon as you approach our lot or walk out of the house. I had been watching for blooms for a few days, and it looks like these buds are ready to explode any minute now... can't wait!

So, my search for spring turned out to be easier than expected!  I hope you like these few pictures.  I enjoyed having my camera with me, and felt a little quirky and fun taking random pictures, so I just might do it more often :-)

Always,

Katie

PS: Another sign of spring: pretty sure a skunk just got startled outside our house. Ew.

Minor Delay, but SO WORTH IT!

Oooookay.  So here's the thing.  I didn't go outside and take pictures because:

1. It's stinkin' cold out there.I know I said no matter the weather, but... ugh.
2. I was in a depression funk.  They're rare now, but they're kinda debilitating when they happen.
3. I got a few emails from a friend that a) helped me shake the funk off and b) gave me something to blog. :-)

My friend Brianna is a super-talented amateur photographer, finishing up high school this year.  So I asked her if she would be interested/willing to take some pictures of me for bloggy-type purposes.  She said she would, and then I gave probably the most confusing description of what I needed: pictures of me... but featuring my jewelry... not like, focused on it... but... I dunno, like catalog shots? 

I hope you'll agree, she knocked it out of the park! 

I know--you can't see the jewelry too well in this one, but you CAN see how much fun I was having.  Somehow, I just felt young and pretty.  Granted, I AM technically young, but... y'know. ;-)

Kinda goofy of me, but awesome concept and colors!

This is "the look." I inherited it from my mom... this one say, "you're nutty." Remove the smile, arch the eyebrow a little higher, and it says, "Run." Hahaha!

Aaaand last, but not least, my FAVORITE!  She sent a bunch more pictures than the ones here, so let me tell you--it is hard to pick a fave, but I lovelovelove this one :-)

Thanks, B!!!!

Always,

Katie

Where's Spring?

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
— Robert Frost

I. Need. Spring.

Who's with me?

It is May.  I feel like my area hasn't had any of those glorious spring days that are so good for morale... so I'm gonna go FIND it!  I have decided that tomorrow, I am going outside... no matter the weather... and taking the first natural light photos with my new camera.  I'm excited!  Hopefully, this helps give me "the pleasure in the flowers today" and stay "simply in the springing of the year." And hopefully, when I post those pictures, they will do the same for you, dear friends!

(I have a definite soft spot for Robert Frost's poetry... since he described the campus of Miami University in Oxford, OH (my alma mater) as "the most beautiful college there is.")

Hang in there, and keep sunshine-ing! 

Always,

Katie

PS: My last post was number 50! Yay for milestones... even if it's a pretty little number :-)

Perks of Being a Teacher's Wife (or, PROM 2011!)

First of all--WOOHOO for our troops and intelligence personnel! I meant to write this post last night--I almost always write late at night--to publish today... but was too distracted with the news to focus! 

My husband and I dropped in on prom at the high school where he teaches and I substitute, and of course we dressed to the nines!  I LOVE dressing up (have I mentioned that?) and it is such a treat to see my gorgeous honey in a suit and tie.  Yummm...

Whoops, distracted again.

Here we are... we swung by his parents' house to have them take some pictures of us. It's lucky that we did, because we didn't end up getting professional pictures at the dance like we usually do. 

And, true Katie fashion, I made jewelry to go along with the brand-new dress... that I HAD to get... teehee. 

I don't know why I couldn't get the purple Swarovski to show up correctly, but trust me--they're purple to match the dress ;-)

We loved seeing some of our students in their prom splendor!  They looked fantastic, and so grown-up... there is a ridiculous number of beautiful girls in Springboro!  Then, for an afterprom activity, Ethan and I went out for ice cream.  Perfect ending to a lovely night... with a cherry on top :-)

Did you guys have a good weekend? Anything fun?

Always,

Katie

Quills Fit for a Princess

Have I mentioned my beautiful niece yet?  She just turned 8, and she is a total sweetheart... and I've been busily training her to be a princess for the past 8 years.  I made her a birthday present, and got to give it to her on Easter.  

First, I gathered these supplies: 

• Three big, funky, feathers.  Since she's a pink person like I am, two shades of pink and a white. Got these at Hobby Lobby, 50% off (when floral stems are), so about $1.50 a piece, I think.
• Three non-click pens (laying around)
• White floral tape (About $1)
• Double-Sided tape (laying around)
• Pretty Ribbon (on sale--$1.50ish)
• Wire Cutters
• Scissors

 Then, I used the wire cutters to snip the stems of the feathers so that when the base of the feather was snug to the top of the pen, the stem didn't quite reach the nib.  

Next, I used floral tape to hold the stems to the pens.  I used a lot of floral tape, wrapping from top to bottom and back a few times, and reinforcing with a few extra wraps at the end of the wire stem.  Then, I reeeeally carefully wrapped the pretty ribbon over the floral tape.  (If you're not familiar with it, floral tape has a kind of double-stick-ish-ness to it.)  I picked a ribbon with little rhinestones on it, so I had to be really precise... if you pick something a little less... futzy, you should be able to be a little messier. 

I had to use some double-stick tape on the last inch of ribbon or so, to hold it firm.  They looked like this...

Ta-dum...

I stuck them in a little clear glass vase, to mimic an inkwell...

Emma was pretty excited, which was such a great feeling :-)  I got lots of hugs and giggles and lovin'... and she even used one of her new quills to SIGN her name in CURSIVE!  Ohmygoodness, I was there when she was born, and when spoke her first full phrase ("No, Katie, stop it" when I was singing in the car.  I promise.)

See my angel?

Always,

(Aunt) Katie

Spring Break Bliss!

I just wanted to post a few pictures of our Spring Break trip to West Virginia.  My dad's parents (and lots of his family) live there, and we spent a few days at the beginning of the week just relaxing at their house in the mountains.  We, by no means, live in a bustling metropolis, but I took a bunch of pretty pictures of small town America on the way. My Grandma and Grandpa drove us through the town they live in/near (West Union) and showed us a bunch of history--both town history and personal family history.  I was too busy soaking it all in to take pictures, but trust me: it is beautiful :-)

Toesies!  (Life's so sweet right here in the passenger seat! ~SheDaisy)

Isn't it CUTE?!

This is the bridge that crosses into WV.  Growing up, we called it "Grandma's Bridge," because it meant we were getting close!  Learned this week, Dad and his siblings called it the same thing when his parents took them to see their WV family when they lived in OH.

Woo!  Sign on Grandma's Bridge!

West Union!  Allllllmost therrrrrre... :-)

Charley got Benadryl to knock him out and prevent his usual carsickness before we traveled home.  Here, he's already feeling the effects and letting Grandma get some lovin' in!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures--we sure enjoyed the trip! (And then, hurried home to deal with a doctor, mechanic, and two plumbers!)  Jewelry stuff coming soon; I got a really cool new wire-working tool and have made some nifty little pieces... 

Always,

Katie

Home Improvement: Pay no attention to the mess behind the curtain!

We have a walk-in closet.  Until tonight, walking in was an ordeal, though!  The closet is not a lot deeper than the door, so we had to open the door (which opens inwards, idk WHY...), slide in sideways, and close the door in order to reach 3/4 of the closet space.  Not.  Convenient. 

I saw an idea a few months ago on a blog (I'm so sorry I don't remember where--I was doing a LOT of searching when I was toying with the idea of starting my own.), and it kinda stuck with me.  I talked it over with my loving husband, who was about as annoyed with the closet door as I was, and we decided that it would be quite helpful.  We took the door off its hinges (!!!) and hung a curtain!

It was not easy to find a curtain that we thought was pretty, fit in with our current decor, and didn't cost a bit much.  Then... we decided to walk through this nifty store near the Dayton Mall called "The Christmas Tree Shop"--which has no Christmas trees this time of year.  I've never really seen a store like it, and I'll have to tell you all about it later.  Suffice it to say, I was SHOCKED to find a beautiful red curtain panel for $12.  We bought a cafe rod with hardware for about $3 at Walmart.  

Here is our fantastic, space-saving, sanity-saving $15 home improvement project:

And, I did do some rearranging (especially of my diabetes supplies--those things get out of control so easily!) and cleaning up.  It is so much easier to know where to put things for convenience, since the WHOLE closet is convenient now!  Here's a peek... the color is way more accurate in the above picture than in this one, and I have a lot more clothes than you can see.  Still in winter-to-spring transition!  :-)

Less than 10 hours into spring break, 1 project down!  

Always,

Katie

A bracelet, some disclosure, and a request.

I made this for myself in the waiting room while my sweet husband had his wisdom teeth taken out.  Grey is the awareness ribbon color for diabetes awareness, and I have had Type I diabetes since I was 12 years old.  My choice of grey pearls, however, has another, kind of tongue-in-cheek, meaning.  I also have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and ultrasounds of the ovaries of women with this problem often look like they are bordered by a string of pearls (actually, many small cysts).  So, with this one bracelet, I get the opportunity to bring awareness to two personal medical struggles.

Now for the disclosure and request: I have had a rough week.  Besides some things going on with my husband's job that are disheartening, one of my cysts went crazy.  It evidently grew to more than twice the size of my ovary--not nearly the largest I've heard of, but large enough--and started pressing on some stuff that caused a LOT of pain. I spent Friday in bed, crying, and we spent the evening in the emergency room (at Kettering hospital, and got AMAZING care... that's my plug).  Now, I'm on pretty high-powered pain medicine while I wait to get into a doctor for follow up.  

Please, would you pray for us?  For my pain and cysts and for my husband's job (he's a teacher in Ohio...)?  And... would you please remember this blog even if I don't post much for a while? ;-)  Thanks so much...

Always,

Katie