I think I can I think I can

So less than a month is left of summer break, and I just can't believe it. It has gone by so fast and I'm dreading going back to school and studying until I go crazy. We still have a trip to Chicago so I'm hanging onto that! There are lots of things that I wanted to get done this summer so I have been trying to keep busy in getting them done.

I tried my hand at making an apron. I thought this would be easy and fun to make. Mmmm reading patterns is not my thing, and it was not always fun. I did finally finish though, and I'm pretty happy about it.



It's bigger than I wanted. I even tried making it smaller than it told me.

The sides where the neck/ back ties slide through are pesky lil things!

Believe it or not, I am still working on the trunk. I shamefully took a break from it for a few weeks because it's just so hot outside. The paint and stain stripper are taking a lot longer than I thought. The wheels are horrible and just will not let go of the bright red paint. I will finish this though! It has to get done before school starts. It will! It will!


This is with the paint remover gunk

Yes even the inside of the wheels are this fantastic red......Ugh!

 Kev and I went home a few weeks ago and look at this precious thing my grandmother gave me! This is a quilt that my great grandmother made. I think we said it had to at least be 40 or 50 years old.


My grandmother stitched "Great Grandmother Jewel Bevill Curlin"

Here is a small section of it. So cute!

Oh ya and from two posts ago, I found the perfect spot for my little shadow box!

There are a few more sewing things I want to do but I'm waiting for JoAnn's to open on Friday! I can't wait. You can call me strange...

Little Mommy and Pops

I was debating on whether or not I was going to write about this because I just do not have a way with words. I'm not sure if I could ever get across what I feel, but I thought I would just try :)

As many know, my mom had a right brain stroke in March. It's still strange to even type that. I guess at times there is still some disbelief about the whole situation. My mom has been so strong through this all and has taught me a lot by dealing with the many many changes that have come her way over the past four months. I have learned how much my mom did for all of us and appreciate her even more. I will never ever forget the night Kev and I went to Memphis to see her in the hospital... (I am in Nursing School and I had clinicals every week at the hospital taking care of cardiac patients and meeting their familes, but never really connecting with them on a deep level. After leaving their room, most times I would never think twice about how each person's life in there was being affected and just how surreal health issues can be. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't mean to them nor did I neglect talking to them, getting to know them, or serving them but it was just different...)

In the hospital that night after walking down the longest hallway in the world and while being told what was actually going on, I peeked past the curtain in the ER. I look at my mom, and I was overwhelmed. I remember going into Kevin's arms and then wanting to sit on the floor and cry. I hate crying. I hate crying in public. I hate when I start the ugly cry in public. I hate when I start the ugly cry in public accompanied with sounds. All of which happened. My grandmothers came and hugged me, and my Mimi told me that I had to be strong for her and to go in and see her. So I gathered myself and walked in to talk to her. From then on was a whirl wind. Three or four more trips to the hospital due to another stroke and multiple seizures. Never did I think that I would walk into a hospital and someone in my family be the patient. Our family was just fine. We were healthy, two in school, one married, one engaged, working, and happy. Nothing bad or horrific happens to us. At least not now, not yet... But God had different plans and they certainly weren't what I expected. Every doctor says it is amazing how well she is doing and just how lucky she is to be alive. She always responds with how gracious God is and how much mercy He has. She is still faced with certain things, but she is taking it one day at a time and all I can say is that I'm so proud of my mom! She is truly a God fearing woman who loves the Lord. I love "My Little Mommy" as I always call her.

My dad has been the most gracious and selfless person through this. He has taught us so much even in mine and Kevin's own marriage. He is the hardest worker and the busiest person. If he's not at the church working, then he is fixing someone's air conditioner, taking necessities to families in Galloway, or off on a mission trip. I'm sure there are even more unmentioned things that no one even knows that he does. He has been so strong and keeps us laughing through it all! (Even when the cost is busting on the hardwood floors when he slides all the way across the kitchen).  I love my dad and couldn't be more proud to call him my pops!

I have learned so much through this all and I'm still learning so much. I'm learning to take this into my marriage, my friendships, and my clinicals. I'm thankful for the life I have been given. I'm not promised tomorrow but through God's mercy I am promised an eternity in heaven with my Savior.

These are two verses that I have really come to appreciate these past few weeks for many reasons:

Psalm 90:12 - "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:14 - "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."

Congrats to our friends!

What a great 4th we had! We went to a surprise engagement party. This was our first one since we got engaged last year. It was so exciting...Three cheers for the Kaspars to be. Congrats Kevin and Chloe!



I should have got a pic of the rock on her finger. Spectacular!



The other day I was just pacing the house thinking of what I could do. I found a picture frame/shadow box that we have never used and decided to do something with it. So I got out my trusty burlap and found some flowers that I made on the sewing machine last month. This was the perfect project because I finally got to use my staple gun that I got for my happy day (birthday). This was the final product:



Now I just need to find the perfect place for it....

Tea Party.... Just not the Boston Kind

This weekend Kev and I went to Memphis to see the fams! We had a good time, and it was great to see everyone. While we were there, we went to the mall. We were just walking the mall and this girl roped us in to try some tea at Teavana. My answer was a hardy yes! I will take any free food or drink. So we decided to take a look in the store. After about 45 minutes and 6 taste testings, we left Teavana with a tea steeper, three different teas (strawberry lemonade, blueberry, and a type of chai), and rock sugar!

Kev already drinks tea and I do occasionally, but we decided to make a habit of drinking tea and reading together in the evenings. We could not wait to try our new teas. We got home Sunday night and we have already had two cups! You can drink them hot, cold, and you can even mix them......I'm only 21. Are we weird?

This morning along with our cups of tea we tried a new recipe. It turned out tasting a lot like monkey bread.



Getting it out of the muffin pan didn't help its physical appearance but it was TASTY!

Not sure how appropriate/inappropriate/coincidental it is that my post is about tea as today is July fourth, but anyhow Happy Independence day!

La Cocina!

It's been too long since I have last posted...
For just a second I want to say thanks to the hubs for such a great week and a half! He first surprised me with a City Pass for our trip to Chicago. This means we get to do and see all kinds of fun things when we go. Kev also surprised me with perfume and some brown wedges that I have been wanting! This past Friday, we went on a date and went to the movies for only the second time since we have been together. We're just not the movie theatre type...We were at Kroger a few days before and I saw a bunch of candy for a dollar (the good kind too...in the jumbo boxes!) And I was explaining how my friends and I in high school would get a bunch of candy when the store was having a two for one deal and then we would go see a cheap movie together. We even got chips and dip from El Porton into the theatre one time! (Yes that was probably the extent of our rebellion, but we had great Friday nights!) Anyways, Kev remembered my reminiscing episode and after dinner on Friday, he said we needed to go to Kroger and told me to pick out any candy I wanted. I just knew a trip to the movies was next! We saw Midnight in Paris. It was actually pretty cute and witty... Ok so that was longer than a few seconds, but he is just the bees knees. Love him!

As far as my crafting goes, it has been a bit on the slower side. Our apartment can only take so much. It's a great size for us but my creative noodle cries for more space. So in some of my spare time, I dream and add pictures to my very dear folder called "Our House To Be!"

I'll start with La Cocina!! I love kitchens, and I'm just not sure if everything I want could ever work in one kitchen. I'll start with this magnificent picture (And you have to click on the pics to see just how fabulous they are). Get a good look at that arch. Yes please! I love the ceiling in this one too.

Another thing that I really want is a breakfast nook with built in benches. Just adorable!

Oh and an island with barstool chairs! These are rather fabulous ones at that!

Isn't this so clever, adding in color by painting the back of the cabinets. Whoa! Loving the white subway tile too.

 I'm not sure if I would ever choose robin's egg blue cabinets, but I must say that these colors are fantastic together!

My choice of cabinetry would definitely be white ones. I like the hardwood floors too. Oh and check out that blue subway tile and the ceilings!

I have an obvious obsession with whites, blues, clean, open, and happy kitchens! I also love the modern/vintage/anthropologie look. (I know, I'm all over the place!) I have many more pictures in my folder and I could babble on forever but I'll spare you the pain for now...