Time Passes....

Just realized I haven't blogged in quite a while. Where has the time gone? So much has changed since my last post. I now have a Junior in high school which means prepping for her Senior year. ACT classes, ACT tests, Scholarship applications, college tours, etc.. WHAT???? That is what my heart is saying. I cannot even begin to explain how I wish I could slow time down. Go back to the days of snuggling on the couch and watching Barney...yes, Barney. :) But I do know that I will have a very prepared, mature, independent daughter that will be just fine when she "leaves the nest"....those words hurt by the way. We are in the midst of cheerleading and pageants at the moment. Her last cheer tryouts will be next weekend. I have loved (almost) every minute of  it...minus basketball season!  She will be competing in the Miss Springville pageant and Miss
Alabama's Outstanding Teen Pageant this month which are both scholarship pageants. I am extremely proud of the woman she has become. My heart bursts with love for her. Not sure what I will do without her.

Business for me has been great. Still enjoying sewing and meeting new clients. I am always thankful for my job. Keeps my mind busy and is good for my bank account! LOL!  I love working with returning clients.

It has been a snowy winter. I am beyond ready for Spring/Summer and many beach trips. I need the SUN EVERYDAY! Give me a beach chair, Kenny Chesney on my ipod, cool breeze coming of the ocean and I'm good. First trip in about 40 days. YES!

Happy Valentine's Day friends.

Playing a lot, working a little......

The school year ended and Maggie graduated from 8th Grade top in her class along with some of her very best friends. We were very proud of her. Summer is in full swing and I am loving it! Summer means beach time and that makes me one happy girl. The summer started off with a trip to Disney World for Maggie and Grammie to celebrate her 8th Grade Graduation. Yes, she will be starting high school next month and I cannot believe it!!! I feel like I just gave her a goodbye hug on the first day of kindergarten. While she was gone, I managed to slip away to Gulf Shores for a few days with Vonda, Paula, and Stacey as well as Kelsey and Emily. Talk about fun! Lots of laughter. I love my girlfriends. As soon as she returned home from Disney, we packed up and headed to PCB for UCA Cheer Camp. We had a great time. The moms were able to soak up some sun while the girls learned cheers and dances. Maggie's squad won 1st in Fight Song, 2nd in Home Pom, 2nd in Cheer and 1st in Dance! They were thrilled and exhausted by the end of the week. We were home a week and then made our way back to the beach for the annual Jones Family Vacation. It was fun filled as always. Of course the boys beat the girls in the Wiffle Ball Tourney again but we gave it our all. Double play for me and a mean slide into first base!!! Even George was impressed! The kids are all getting older and do their own thing most of the time. Maggie and Emma had a great time....oh to be a teenager again! I caught up with a long time friend while we were there. It was a joy to see her and good for my soul. Some friendships never change, no matter how long it has been or how far away they are. Love you Amy.

We have been home a few weeks now. I have been able to catch up on a little work and Maggie has been able to sleep in, see friends, hang out with the boyfriend and just relax. This morning she is leaving for Panama City with one of her very best friends, Molly, and her sweet Mom and Dad. They are two peas in a pod and will have a blast! I will miss her like crazy though! Next week, we will be heading to Perdido Key for another week of sun and fun with my family. Another one of my favorite weeks of the year. Star gazing, balcony time, Farkle, beach time, ladder ball, pool time, Domino's, afternoon walks, finding sand dollars......these are a few of my favorite things. Then home for 3 more weeks of Summer!

So as you can see, I have had limited time to actually work! I have squeezed in a few nurseries, a couple of family rooms, a kitchen, a dining room along and a complete Master Bedroom and Bath redo that is almost finished. That has to be one of my favorite projects ever. I cannot wait to share the before and after pictures! I have attached pictures of some of my recent projects! Hope you like them. Enjoy the rest of your Summer!

Hello

Hi blog friends. It has been way too long since I have updated my blog. Life, as you know, can be crazy busy. Here's a brief update on what has been going on since my last entry....Charlie started another new job. He is now at Trussville Mazda and REALLY loves it.  Maggie is wrapping up her 8th grade year. I can't believe she will be a Freshman in the fall. She was crowned the 36th Queen of Hearts at Springville in February! I was so glad that the judges saw the beautiful girl she is, inside and out. She amazes me on a daily basis. She tried out for JV cheerleader last weekend and made it! Woohoo! More bleacher time for me! LOL! Cheer leading brings back fun memories for me and I know she will remember these days for the rest of her life. I am thankful for the friendships I made all those years ago through cheer leading. She has continued to be a great student this year and has managed to stay in the top of her class. That makes me happy and hopeful for scholarship money. :)  She will take the ACT in April.  Maggie and I will be going to New York in May with the school! Oh boy, I just can't wait to ride a bus to New York. Ha ha!  New York will never be the same.  Her sweet Grammy is taking her to Disney World for her 8th Grade Graduation gift. Lucky, lucky girl. I am very jealous and will be very lonely that week.  The summer will start off with cheer leading camp in Panama City.  I just hate that I have to go and sit on the beach, soaking up the sun while she is slaving away at camp. Like I have said before, I am cherishing this time I have with her, every single minute. As for me, work has been a little slower but steady. I am working on a few projects now and getting ready to start more.  I still feel very blessed to have the gift of sewing. I am finishing out my last year as Treasurer on the PTO board at the school. :) :) :) I'm a little excited about that. I have loved every minute of serving on the board. I am thankful for the friendships with the other volunteers, teachers, principals, bank tellers, and parents. I have great memories of my Mom and many of my friend's moms volunteering at my school when I was a student. So I guess I just knew that I would be "one of those moms". All the countless hours of work, meetings, and serving have been wonderful and I know I will miss it. My main reason for "retiring" is so that I can spend more time focusing on the last 4 years I have with Maggie at home. So to all my precious PTO family....I will miss serving with you next school year. Keep up the great work!!! I am looking forward to summer because with summer, comes beach trips!!!! I WILL live there one day, I promise! 

  

Happy New Year

What is it about a new year that motivates us to change?  For me, it is a fresh start or a clean slate. No looking back at the previous year at my mistakes or shortfalls...only looking forward to new possibilities and new goals.  I am not one to make resolutions mainly because most resolutions are broken within the first few weeks. My goals are simple...to grow closer to God, to love more, to serve more, to be more healthy, to enjoy life more and to savor every minute with Maggie that I possibly can.  It is hard to believe that she will most likely move out of our home to go off to college in 4 years. Time flies! 

This new year also brings a baby for my sweet friends, John and Kristin. Their little package is due to arrive any day now. What a blessing after such a sad time of grief since the loss of Chubs, Kristin's Daddy. You hear people say all the time that "God has a plan" but to actually see His plan unfold is indescribable. I know 2011 will bring a lot of laughter and happiness through little Mason. I can't wait to meet him and love on him.

I look forward to meeting new clients in 2011. Not many people can say that they actually love their work, so I feel very blessed. I love meeting with clients and helping them to make their homes beautiful. To some, decorating may seem trivial but to me it is an expression of who we are.

So, Happy New Year friends!

What Every Girl Wants

I saw this on a plaque today at one of my favorite local shops and loved it. Every girl/woman deserves to be loved like this.

"Listen to her secrets. Take her out to dinner. Call her first. Label her as yours. Understand her feelings. Tell her she is gorgeous. Ask her to dance with you. Never imagine life without her. Kiss her in the rain. Hold her hand anytime. Write her love letters. Never forget her birthday. Be her escape. Remember her favorite color. Dream about her. Say she holds the keys to your heart. When she is upset, hold her tight. Play with her hair. Bring her flowers just because. Let her fall asleep in your arms. Give her piggy back rides. Look into her eyes and smile. Kiss her on the forehead and when you fall in love with her tell her."

Green River Ordinance

As most of you know, I got to see Bon Jovi for the second time recently. :) It was by far, the best concert I have ever been to. I became a fan of the band that opened for Bon Jovi...Green River Ordinance. This group won a Bon Jovi band contest and has opened up for them several times. I fell in love with the lyrics and the music quickly. This song is one of my favorites. Simply beautiful.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJZBOPwSI8U&feature=BF&a=GxdCwVVULXfP-1XTOP4owBxHd_lW9hfv&list=ML&index=3

Exhausted!

I just realized I haven't posted anything in quite some time. I (like everyone else out there) have been so busy trying to keep up with this thing we call life. Some days I feel overwhelmed, overworked and just so disorganized. The perfectionist in me is stressed out!  :o)  Work has taken a little bit of a "back seat" to the job of being a mom.  I know the days of taking Maggie here and there are short numbered...seeing that she will be driving in exactly 2 years from Tuesday....ugh!  I am trying to enjoy the chaos of the crazy schedule. Cheer leading, tumbling, praise band practices, football games, social events, and the list goes on!  I really don't know what I would do without her and it makes me extremely sad to think of her moving on to high school and off to college. But, that is part of life...like it or not.


I have a few pics of jobs that I have completed in the recent past for now. More to come later. :)