Today is the big day . . .

Well, my friends, today is the day - we are moving!!! So don't expect me in bloggy world for at least 24 hours!!! I'm sure I'll experience some type of withdrawal - but just know I'll be back {hopefully tomorrow morning!!!} I'm actually very sad about this move. This is a house that I started in!!! I bought it, got married, got 2 dogs, graduated college, had 3 kids, got 4 fish {since - one has died}, my life literally started here - and anyone who knows my past - knows what I'm talking about!!

Well, off to packing - 'cause you know I haven't finished yet!!!! Will post soon!!!!

What I'm going to miss about this old house . . .

As most of you know, I'm moving and there is so much that I love about my old house. I was planning to post about the things in this house that I'm going to miss, and after reading Pear Street Studios blog, I learned of Karla's Cottage. She is having a party where everyone is to post something that they love about their home!!! I thought this would be the perfect time for me to post what I'll miss!!!



So, saying all that, I would like to welcome everyone to my home and show you a few things that I absolutely LOVE and will incredibly miss in this house. We live downtown (a few blocks from the historic district) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. We have spent the last 6 years, completely renovating this 950 square foot home. Mind you, we did add about 400 square feet with the birth of our first child, but the house is now busting at the seems as we expect the birth of baby number 4!!! The absolute best part of renovating is all the special touches you can add. One of my absolute favorites is my view when I wake up in the morning!!! Check out my chandelier over my bed. This is literally what I see as soon as I open my eyes!!! Oh, how I love it. The black iron with all the dangling crystals. It works perfectly with the high ceilings and the large room.

I also love my glass cabinets. Every upper cabinet in my kitchen has a glass front. A little brave, but the house doesn't have a formal dining room and is too small for a china cabinet, hutch or any other piece of furniture that you can display crystal, china or your grandmother's antique pieces!! So, this was the creative way I did just that!! With 4 kids, this will also be the only time in my life I won't mind displaying my everyday dishes . . . I'm sure {soon} most of these will be broken and miss-matched!! HA!!!

I also love the painted pine walls!! AND the wall paper on the ceiling!! {Can you see the paper up there?} I'm not a fan of wall paper -UNLESS - it is on the ceiling!!!

Another something I love is my PINK tile in the main bathroom!! It was actually called pink patina - Ladies, its just a nice shade of pink!! I actually thought it might deter buyers from my home, but the new buyers LOVE it, too!!! Okay - I also love the beadboard - it really shows the age of our house.

To see more of my home, you can visit here and see some pictures of the rooms as a whole!! I hope you enjoyed the tour. Feel free to stop by and visit anytime!!

Finished with lightening speed . . .

I am really surprised, but I had a painting that I FELT like I needed to finish quickly!!! When I say quickly, I mean that I started on it Friday night and finished it this morning!!! This is for a shortly coming - new baby granddaughter. Ireland Crews - what a cute name. The problem is the grandmother wanted to get it before the baby comes and I understand they have been trying to stop the labor for several days!! The hard part of this piece is the color choice. I had a scrap of fabric smaller than the size of a quarter . . . and it was taffeta {meaning it reflects all kinds of lights & colors!!} I wanted to get the color approved before I started the painting, because it is a different type of color that I'm use to using {especially for a baby's room!!} So, that put me behind a little bit with getting started. But the final painting turned out very cute!!

Don't you love the little amber rhinestones in the center of the flowers?!?! I hope the grandmother and the mother love it!! I will let you guys know - hopefully they will send me a picture!!

For Leah {my sweet & sinister swapper} . . .

As promised - I finally took a picture of my something sweet, something sinister, something black & white with a touch of orange. But, I changed up the bats to SPIDERS!!!! As I said before - I love it so much that I made one for me, too!!

Leah, I will be getting this out to you tomorrow!! I hope you like it!!! I now must figure out how to upload this picture into flickr!!?? You guys can check out all the other items people have made for the swap here!!!!

Wow, check out the orders . . .

Have I told you guys THANK YOU for YOUR BUSINESS lately?!? Well, I need to!!! I have 10 PAINTINGS going right now!!! I normally average out about 2 to 3 orders at all times and I paint 2 at one time!! But 10!!! Yes that means I've had to step it up a little and work on a few more than I normally would at once!! All of the paintings are totally different - which makes this so FUN!!



The bad/good news is we are supposedly moving next Thursday!!! Woohoo!! So, for all the orders I'm currently working on, I will finish up as much as I can before I have to start packing. As soon as we get in the new house, I will get back on all of them!! I really don't think it will be a HUGE hold up {I did say "I don't think . . ."}

Figured I could show you guys a picture to prove I'm working on these orders!! The big white one has white paint on it - don't think I just put a blank canvas on the drying rack just to make it look like I was working!! And that one on the top/front/right corner is a sample board - I've got to make it before we can figure out what the final canvas will look like!! Tedious - but it has to be right!!!

So, it might be a few days before you read a new post. Don't worry, I'm just busy with the move!! I promise to blog soon!!!

So, I'm slightly bummed . . .

I'm soooo ready to move!!! And again, something else has come up!! Don't ask - just know we have at least another 2 weeks before closing!!! So, in the spirit of fall, with the rain and slightly cooler weather {hey - I said slightly} I decided to remove the dead flowers out of the urns on the front porch and fix up my stacked pumpkins!! This year, I added a little more "fluff" around them and they turned out way too cute!!! {or so I think!!} What do you guys think?? I got those pumpkins about 4 years ago from Hobby Lobby. They are the carvable pumpkins. Don't they look real??? I cut the bottoms off and gorilla glued them together!! How easy!!

Check out this witch that I got half off at Hobby Lobby the other day!! So what the heck is she looking at?? Who cares - I just know she fits into the wacky & tacky theme that I love sooo much!! This will be the only 2 fall things that you will see at this old home . . . probably because ALL my fall decor is packed up in a storage building on the other side of town {and too, the fact that it would be stupid to pull it out just to pack it up again!!} Sometimes I must use my better judgement!! hehehe . . .

I've been tagged . . .

My friend - Jennifer of Pear Street Studios has tagged me!!! Most of you guys know I usually don’t do this stuff, but I must this time, I don’t want to be rude and never be asked to participate again!!!!

So let the game begin . . .

Here are the rules: You must state the rules before you state the facts. The facts are to name one thing relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you do not have middle name then you choose the middle name that you wish you had. Then you tag one person for each letter of your middle name and let them know they have been tagged.

Okay – my middle name is Tate – thank God it is short, because I’m not good at describing myself!!!

T - Tiny tower of power - At 5 foot tall, I’d say that is tiny and I strive to be a power house!! Hehehe!!

A – Always finding ways to recycle/reinvent any item in my house - Those who know me know that is my SPECIALTY!!

T – Thankful for all that I have - Years ago, this life was nothing but a DREAM!! I never thought I would have all that I have (I do mean “family,” not material things!!)

E – Eternally pregnant (& breast feeding) - When this kid is born, I will have had 4 kidlets in a 35 (consecutive) month period!! Need I say MORE . . . yes, I should – VISECTOMY!!

So now, I must tag 4! I have a feeling I know who is going to play this game and who isn’t – that is okay whichever category you fall into. You are not going to have bad luck, receive hate mail, combust or even get in trouble by the blogging police!!!

Rachel at the Spence House
Jennifer at the Carroll Connection
Natalie at the Brocks Rock
Wendy at Little Fingers Little Toes

Fall - here I come . . .

So, I found out today that September 17th is "tentatively" the big move day!! Once we get in, I honestly don't think I will unpack everything before the fall decor comes out!! I'm soooo ready to get that stuff out that I can't stand it!! Christmas used to be my favorite season, but the older I get - it's fall!! I think it is the anticipation of all the holiday hub-bub that is soon to begin!! I took a picture of my sweet and sinister swap item. I only took one, because after I got the first picture taken, I heard a "CRASH" and a baby started crying (Carson pulled the dog water bowl on himself!!) AND I forgot to come back and take a full picture!! Sorry, but here is a little taste of it!! It really did turn out cute . . .



. . . that would be little glittered bats you see on the wires - love it!!! I still might add a little something more to it - my work is NEVER done!! hehehe

I do need to thank all of you guys for the orders lately - I've been swamped!! But I LOVE that, too!! I promise I'm working as fast & as much as I can. As most of you know, I've even slacked on our family blog - Crazy Wheelers - My computer time is limited!! Now, that, I HATE!!

Fall is drawing near!!!

I've been checking out all these blogs and everybody is getting their fall & Halloween decorations out . . . I'm so jealous!! As most of know, we are in the middle of a move!!! I'm so ready to pull out the fall decor, but instead I'm packing (and trying to help Lonnie complete the last of the final remodel projects on our current house.) We can't leave anything incomplete!! Overall - the house is looking great!!

With fall around the corner, I decided to make some banana bread - at my house, if a banana doesn't have any green on it, it's rotten!! I know, I know - what all you are thinking, but ripe equals rotten. I don't care what any of you think, but I don't want a single brown spot on my banana peel!! YUCK!! Saying all that, we always have at least "a banana" {if not a few} that gets thrown in the freezer!! The babies LOVED it!! Hudson didn't care!! Lonnie hates anything that contains fruit {or veggies} and I thought that loaf of bread had to be the best I've ever to made!! I have many more bananas - I plan to make more tomorrow!!

I also worked on my tiny art project for the sweet and sinister swap . I will post a picture or two when I complete it. It has turned out sooo cute!! I hope my partner likes, no - Loves it!! I love it so much - I'm making one for me at the same time!!

Now, I plan to visit Bay Berry Cove and order some more little Halloween people!! Just don't tell Lonnie . . .