Kim's Treasures

Inspirational Photos

2011-08-29T14:41:00.001-04:00

Hello!

I had a chance to take

a bunch of pictures over

the weekend and it

hit me...

some of these would be

great for inpirational quotes.

Here are the 4 I've done

so far...

One of my most favorite Bible verses.

A friend of mine gave this quote to me

to pray on while we were going through

a job-loss years ago.

I love this quote from Pinnochio.

Same path different quote,

from Pocahontas and

I took most of the color out.

This one is a quote from Mulan.

Later today or tomorrow,

I will be picking up a couple of

prints I made with these.

(Please don't use these prints

without my permission--Thanks!)

Hope you're having a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Wet Nose

2011-08-28T22:36:00.001-04:00

I am back!!!

What a week, last week!

Saturday, bright and early...

we packed the dogs up and

drove to our favorite pet store...

Wet Nose.

We went to the Geneva, IL location.

On Saturday they were having a

birthday party in honor of their dog,

Lily, who was turning 12.

Lily was the inspiration behind

the owners opening Wet Nose.

I'd say they are more of a pet boutique

than a "pet store".

All of my dogs favorite treats come

from here.

They include: Yak's milk, bully sticks and deer antlers.

The displays are to die for!!!

"LOVE"

I picked up a leopard print dog food can with

my 25% off coupon.

Here we are back home,

happy and exhausted!

The line in the store wrapped around the entire store!

See the hot pink tote bag?

That is our swag bag for being the first 50 (I believe)

customers to spend X amount.

(Let's just say, our snacks for 3 months and

Christmas list has been checked off.)

In the swag bag...

3 toys and tons of treats!

The bag was worth $75!!

Now my dogs have a new favorite snack:

DRIED DUCK FEET

thanks to the swag bag!

EWWW!

Hope you had a great weekend!!!

Hugs!

Kim

InstaFriday!

2011-08-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I'm linking up with Jeannett,

again, this week.

I really love this Iphone App!

Here we go!!

We are on a eat healthier get healthier plan.

I decided we need more vegetables and less

of everything else.

I cut up some sweet potatoes and

tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper.

Baked them at 375 for 20 minutes and then

turned the heat up to 400 for 10 minutes

to make them crispier.

They turned out soooo good!!!

YUM!!!

So I lied a little!

We decided to try the Italian Beef place

on the corner. (Not exactly healthy)

They were recommended by the Hungry Hound

on our local ABC station but...

I would not recommend them.

The peppers were way too hot,

even for my hubs liking.

He loves hot food.

The restaurant was a little stinky

when we walked in...ick.

I will stick with Buona Beef or Portillos.

I sent in for a free sample offer of Duck Tape.

I received this large sample yesterday.

Hot pink and black zebra stripes!

This is perfect!

Starting next week I am sending my sister in law

a small package a week, counting down

our last 10 weeks until our Disney vacation.

We are going on the Wild Africa Trek at

Animal Kingdom and she is thrilled!

So zebra stripes will make these

packages all prettied up in

anticipation of seeing zebras!

I know I said I'd post again yesterday...

well as the rest of the week went...

things did not go as planned!

I will try to get back on track!

Have a great weekend!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Unplanned

2011-08-25T12:42:00.000-04:00

Hello all!

I will be posting later today.

This week has not gone at all

as planned.

We've already been to

one funeral and have

one to go.

A co-worker of my hubs

passed away...so sad...

such a great guy.

Cancer stinks!

Tomorrow's funeral is

for another of his

co-workers mom.

Cancer stinks!

Yesterday I went to WI,

unexpectedly.

A co-worker,

of my hubs, wife

asked me to go with

her to one of the plants

employee appreciation luncheon.

Her hubs is General Manager there.

So we packed up her 3 month old

grandson and headed north.

7 hours of driving for me...

wore me out!

We met our hubs there and

enjoyed some good food

and nice employees of

our hubs.

So...2 days out of the state

and one day (tomorrow)

headed on an Illinois road trip

for the funeral equals a busy,

worn out me!

Once again, no crafting has been done.

Sigh!

No What I Wore Wednesday.

However, I do have a post for

today and possibly tomorrow or

Saturday. Yay!

Hope you're all having a great week!

Hugs!

Kim

Date Night~The Help

2011-08-19T23:34:00.000-04:00

Hello!

August 18th was our 27th anniversary!

We celebrated that night at a

restaurant called Wildfire,

in Schaumburg, IL.

Tonight we continued the celebration.

There wasn't enough time last night

to go out to a nice dinner and a

7 pm show.

We went to see The Help!!!

I am only about 50 pages

away from finishing the book.

I give the book 5 stars!

Inside the lobby of the theater,

waiting to get our popcorn and cola.

Pretty ceiling border.

A shot of our tickets while

we wait to enter the theatre.

The Help was great!

I loved it!

I laughed, I cried and was

sorry to see it end.

I love Skeeter's hair!

It's the same as mine when I

let it go natural!

I think I will tomorrow,

in honor of Skeeter!

If you haven't seen it yet...

head on over to the theatre

this weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hugs!

Kim

InstaFriday!

2011-08-19T12:38:00.001-04:00

Hi there!

I'm linking up with Jeannet over at

Life Rearranged.

Steely Dan concert at Ravinia.

I decided to invest in some quality

nail polish and try to do my own manicure.

Left: OPI Bubblegum

Right: Louvre Me Louvre Me Not

I did my own fingernails,

(I used the Bubblegum)

saving me $50.

They look just as nice

as the last time I went

to the Aveda Salon.

I still need to attempt my toes.

I need hubs to be home for that

so he can entertain the puppy!

There you have it!

Hope you have a great weekend,

not much on our agenda.

Hugs!

Kim

Ravinia-Steely Dan

2011-08-18T12:43:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Saturday we had the chance to

go to the Ravinia Festival.

Steely Dan was the band there.

All day it had been raining and

storming on and off.

I was very hesitant about going

with iffy weather.

The reason...

lawn seats!

I took one for the team,

8 of us packed our coolers,

chairs, blankets, umbrellas

and candles.

Waiting to enter the gates.

Rain clouds all around but we're pushing on.

Those are all strangers to me in the above pic.

Making the best of it and

praying for no rain...

I took a picture of the pretty

architecture.

We all ran in when the gates opened to

claim our prime spots.

We sent up our temporary camp.

Looking at the sky,

I know we are in trouble!

It rained some during our picnic.

Just an annoying rain.

I sucked it up,

even though I am not a get wet

kind of girl!

Here's a pic of the pretty and delicious fruit plate.

Wine to ease the nerves of

possible rain/storms.

As the sun went down,

candles were lit.

The rain was holding off!

Some more wine was drunk/drank.

Me...

just before...

the

RAIN

came

POURING DOWN

US!!!

UGH!!!!!!!!!!

Then I felt rain going down the

back of my pants!

EWWWW!!!!

Not a camper, not a sit in the rain girl!

Steely Dan didn't even play anything popular until

we packed everything up when the rain

died down to a drizzle and

started walking to our car.

I sat on a towel on the way home.

Drenched like a rat!

Did I already say...

I'm not a sit in the rain kind of girl???

So yeah...

Today is hubs and my

27th anniversary.

He's the kind of man who remembers to

make the reservations!

(LOL, have you seen that commercial?)

Going for a nice dinner in a pretty

dress on a pretty and DRY day.

Tomorrow the celebration continues

as we go to see The Help.

Hope you all have a great day!!

Hugs!

Kim

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-08-17T15:11:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Running a little late today!

Here are a couple of pics

from the past week...

Errand Day

Shorts: Nordstroms JAG brand

Cami: Old Navy

Flower Top: Old Navy

Bangles: Nordstroms

Outdoor concert with friends.

Tank: Rhinestone bulldog from the Chicago English Bulldog Rescue

Sweater Vest: JJill

Shorts: Nordstroms JAG brand

Shoes: Privo (last year) from DSW

Watch: Skagen (gift)

Thanks for stopping by...

I love comments and feedback!

Linking up with:

Hugs!

Kim

What I Am Reading

2011-08-15T13:32:00.003-04:00

Hello!

As I am resting I decided it was the

perfect time to read the

books I've picked up for the summer.

I got the idea to post about it from

Amanda over at Serenity Now.

Go check her reading list out!

All photos are from Amazon.

The Help, I think everyone is reading

this one. I love it! It's so hard to put down!

We're going to see the movie this

Friday night.

Mini Shopaholic, I started reading

this one at the beginning of summer.

I've read all the books in this series.

It's an easy one to pick up and set back down.

I think it's a fun read.

I picked this one up in hopes

of understanding my dogs more.

I haven't started reading this one but

I will take it to Memphis over Labor Day.

What are you reading in your free time?

I will get to that pillow!

I'm excited to start it!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

No Pillow...Yet

2011-08-12T14:42:00.000-04:00

Source

Sorry, no pillow yet guys!

I am having a real bad flare up of my

fibromyalgia. Hate when it happens

but it's time to rest a bit.

I hope to be back to that pillow,

early next week!

I am so anxious to get started!

Thank you for all your encouragement

on making the pillow!

Be back soon!

Hugs!

Kim

What I Wore Wednesday (WIWW)...the Over 40 Set!

2011-08-10T12:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome to WIWW...The Over 40 Set!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

This is my first ever WIWW!

I am excited and a little nervous.

I am not the skinny thing I use to be!

I am determined to not wear things

that remind me of what my grandma wore

as I approach the age of grandma-hood.

I have no grandchildren yet but

I am of the age that I could.

No offense to the older set that reads

my blog.

Ok here we go...

Saturday morning headed to yoga with a stop at the

vegetable stand.

Sweatshirt-The Hancock Building gift shop.

Yoga Top-Target

Yoga Pants-Target

Headband-H&M

Saturday afternoon errands.

Note: I am a die hard Detroit Tiger fan (Love Magglio Ordonez)

I am wearing this Cubs shirt in support of my girlfriend's team.

Necklace: Lady Fanatics I Love Detroit Tigers

Cubs Shirt: Cannot remember

Shorts: Old Navy

Doing laundry at the community laundry room (ICK!).

Readers: (The over 40's may want to know) 3 pair for $9.99 Marshall's

Shirt: Liz Claiborne from JC Penney, years ago

Shorts: JAG from Nordstroms

Keeping it real on Monday.

I have fibromyalgia and Monday's are

rough as I recover from the weekend.

Sweater: Target

Shirt: Target

Capris: Old Navy

So that's how this over 40 dresses.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Hatha Yoga

2011-08-09T11:02:00.001-04:00

Doing the Pigeon!

(I can!)

Morning!

I recently started exercising again.

A friend of mine asked if I would like to

try yoga (Hatha Yoga).

The instructor is so patient and

helps you through it.

I started with light and easy.

The first few times I would

just drip sweat.

It was a challenge.

I convinced my hubs that this

would be a great addition to his

exercise routine to make him

more flexible.

We did a couple more light and easy classes.

Saturday, I decided it was time for me

to go twice a week.

I chose Saturday mornings and

Monday evenings.

We show up Saturday morning and

get all set, not knowing we entered

the advanced class!

The instructor laughed at me half

way through as I'm really sweating

my way through! She said:

You said you wanted to get stronger!

I do and I am!

Well, it turns out that Monday's

are actually advanced classes too!

She had just been modifying them to easy

because there were a lot of new people.

So, Saturday and last night I did

advanced yoga.

Oh do my abs hurt!!!

Who knew yoga was such a core

building thing!

I was completely ignorant about yoga,

until now!

I am enjoying it very much though!

I would suggest others with fibromyalgia try

the light and easy yoga.

It is really helping the pain level in my trigger areas.

When I get use to the advanced class,

I will increase to 3 days a week.

Have you tried anything new lately??

I will try making that pillow,

I think I need to move it to next week.

I didn't realize all I needed to do this week.

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

The Pillow That I Shall Attempt

2011-08-08T11:28:00.000-04:00

Morning!!

Here is the pillow that I will

attempt to make.

I have never made a pillow.

My sewing skills are minimal!

After reading some tutorials,

I think I should be able to handle it.

Arhaus

I saw this pillow at Arhaus and they want about $50

for it. I bought some linen on sale and a pillow

form on sale. I already have buttons.

This pillow should cost me about $10 to make.

I think it's worth the attempt.

It's going to sit on my master bedroom bed.

(Some day! Patience is a virtue, right?)

Toll Brothers are you reading this!?!

We've already waited 7 1/2 months for you

to sell one more unit. I know the economy

is bad but we will soon be losing money

waiting on you!

Ok, sorry for the venting.

I feel better, sort of.

Wish me luck on the pillow!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

My Week in Instagram

2011-08-05T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hello again!

I know, 2 post in 1 day!?!

I wanted to do a link up party with

Little Miss Mama

I only managed to get 2 pics taken.

I'm not so good at taking my own pics yet.

Here they are...

Wearing a pearl braided headband from Anthropologie.

Most of my headbands are low key,

I leave the more elaborate ones for the younger girls.

I don't remember where this headband is from.

Not many photos of headbands, sorry ladies!

Saturday we went in search of fresh veg.

The corn was really good from here but the tomatoes

tasted like hot house tomatoes...ick!

They had great cukes too. Yesterday, I found a new

place to try, we shall do that tomorrow.

I miss my garden : /

A couple of pics of the girls.

They are best of friends now.

Fannie is 6 mos old, she appears to not be

a black lab/yellow lab mix, like they told us.

She is most likely a black lab/border collie mix

due to her size and coloring. She is only 28 pounds.

Emma sends some bully love!

Have a great weekend!

Kim

I Won A Giveaway!

2011-08-05T13:43:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Look at what I won!!!

Deb of Garage Sale Gal

had a giveaway and I won!

I just realized I forgot to put 2 little treasures

in the shot. They are already residing in

their new homes, sorry!

Deb was one of my very first blogland

friend! We have swapped cards and

things before. Check out her blog...

she is always finding the cutest things

at estate sales and she has a cute little

shop at an antique store.

Thanks Deb for the cute things!!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

I hope to have some craft things to

share with you next week!

I plan to get a few things at Joann's

this weekend!

Hugs!

Kim

The Kitchen Dining Set

2011-08-04T11:13:00.000-04:00

Morning!

Ok, today we have the kitchen

dining set.

The table is made of mango wood.

The company harvests old non-producing

trees and plant a new tree in it's place,

to get the wood for these tables.

These aren't the chairs we bought.

These are the chairs and everything is

from Arhaus. We chose leather

for the seats, in brown. We

chose these chairs for their size

and the fact that we could get 2

arm chairs. Hubs prefers an arm chair

to a regular chair.

These pillows are from the same store.

I couldn't resist picking them up at 50% off.

I'm sure I can make knock-offs of them but

they were priced right. There are a couple

of pillows there that I am going to knock-off.

I will pick up the supplies at Joann's this weekend.

Not much happening this week.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Hugs!

Kim

100 Days!!!!

2011-08-02T14:04:00.001-04:00

Until...

DISNEY!!!

We are so excited to go!

We have beyond stressed this year

and this trip is a much needed de-stresser!!!

Today, I am really excited to say

that I booked the Wild Africa Trek

at Disney's Animal Kingdom!!!

It is a 3 hour tour, have a look at the link above.

The highlight of this trek for my husband is

going to be walking on the bridge above these guys!

He cannot wait!

Photo taken at the Animal Kingdom.

This year we are taking the hubs sister along,

she is beyond excited too and she and I

have purchased our safari hats! :-)

Another highlight will be

Cirque du Soleil-LaNouba

at Downtown Disney.

Oh the excitement is building!!!

Now when we are 100 days

from moving...

the excitement of another kind

will be building!!!

Disney will take away those thoughts

for 6 whole days!!!

Hope you have something fun to

think about!!!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Windows on the First Floor

2011-08-01T13:59:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I have started to take some photos of the townhouse model.

They help me when I'm out looking for things

to get for ours and they will help when we add

some of our own finishing touches like the trim

above the fireplace.

The builder doesn't include the trim above

the mantle as a part of the fireplace package.

This photo will remind us how we can

finish it off ourselves.

This is the window along the side of the fireplace,

there is one on the other side too.

I wanted to remember how the designer

dressed the windows.

I have no clue what I will actually do.

These are the windows in the eating area.

I love how bright it is.

There is even a glimpse of the skylight.

Looking into the living room.

The dining room.

We didn't get the tray ceiling but we will get the can lights.

I still need to show you the kitchen furniture.

I will work on that post tonight.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Hugs!

Kim

InstaFriday

2011-07-29T12:30:00.001-04:00

I am linking up today with

Life Rearranged

for my very first InstaFriday:

I'll call this first one of mine:

Summer via Instagram

Our son came in June and we hit golf balls.

Fannie and Emma with Daddy.

Me at the Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, IL.

When our son was home, we stopped at

one of Chicagoland's top donut shoppes...

Spunky Dunkers, Palatine, IL.

Yummm!

Sunset on the Fourth of July in Port Austin, MI.

What a fun linky party!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

I'll have the kitchen furniture pics, next time!

Hugs!

Kim

For The Family Room

2011-07-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

Morning!

Pretty quickly I will run out of things to show you,

for the townhouse.

Today, I can show you 2 pieces that I ordered

for the family room...

Arhaus is the name of a great furniture store

in Barrington, IL. They use a lot of recycled

wood to make their furniture.

This cart table is made from old carts

used in a textile factory to take

textile to the trains. The wheels are

from the carts, the wood is from

the floor of the warehouse.

Each one is unique, I love it!

To see a better pic, click on Arhaus above.

Arhaus

This 3 tiered basket will be going in a little nook between

the family room and kitchen.

It is another favorite of mine!

I ordered kitchen furniture too,

I will show you that tomorrow.

Nothing else happening around here.

It's just plain hot but not as hot as the

middle of the country where our son is.

Emma, our bulldog, is anxious for

cooler weather so she can play outside!

Which reminds me,

I need to take new photos of the dogs to show you!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Rugs

2011-07-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Like I said, yesterday,

I've been doing things

for the townhouse to

make it seem like this

is really happening!

We signed the paperwork

back in December and we

expected to be in the midst of

construction by now.

That is not the case, unfortunately.

So...I look for new furnishings for

our new place.

I really wanted to have the rugs

in hand so that when we do

move we can lay them right away.

Here are 2 of the 3.

I couldn't find a good pic

of the third one.

I found this rug at Home Depot.

This one will go in the dining room.

I like the light background because our

wood floors are dark.

The third rug came from the Depot too.

It will go in the living room.

This rug is from Pottery Barn

I love the soft feel of this rug under foot!

This rug will see the most activity

since it will be in the family room.

Now we can build up from here with furniture

and such. I have already bought a few

pieces and the furniture store is being very

gracious and holding everything in their

warehouse until we move in.

I will post those next time!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Townhouse Fixture Choices

2011-07-26T12:23:00.000-04:00

Morning!

It is taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R

for Toll Brothers to sell

the third needed townhouse in our building

so they can start digging and construction.

I keep telling myself it will happen in

God's time not mine but

I struggle with that...sadly!

The apartment is just soooo small!

I miss my own laundry room...

I get the heebee jeebies sharing with

the whole apartment complex!

I have to keep myself from thinking about

bedbugs and other creepy crawly things.

Thank goodness there are some things that

I can do to keep my dream alive...

last week I got to pick lighting,

faucets and knobs.

We decide on oiled rubbed bronze.

I love the Tuscan/Vintage feel.

Here is what I chose...

This faucet goes in the guest bath and half bath.

This shower head will be in both the

master bath and half bath.

I chose this faucet for the master bath because

my hubs likes the one handle for controlling water temp

better than the 2 handle. The bottom plate

will not be on the faucet to help this faucet

blend with shower head. They are 2 different brands.

I think it will work.

These are the drawer pulls for all the entire house.

They are faced in the wrong direction on the sample,

they actually face down so your fingers go in the open space.

These are the cabinet knobs for the entire house.

In the kitchen, I hope to find some vintage glass ones.

I love the ones at Anthropology but the screws on those are

WAY too long!

This is the kitchen faucet.

This is the lighting for the guest bath.

There will be one over each sink.

This is the light fixture for the master,

one over each sink.

Everything will be in oil rubbed bronze,

these are just the sample styles.

I am beyond excited to finally get going!

I did buy the rugs for the first floor.

I wanted to be sure to have them for

when we do move in.

I found what I knew I love and

got them, in fear that style will

change before Toll Brothers gets going!

(Yes, I know, we are blessed and I need to learn patience!)

Hope you are all having a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Birthday and Anniversary Weekend

2011-07-25T13:16:00.000-04:00

Hello!

We headed home to Michigan this past weekend.

Hubs mom turns 80 today!

We all took her to her favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden.

I asked my girlfriend to bake her famous chocolate cake,

which happens to be a favorite of mom's.

My girlfriend does make the best cakes!

She is the one who made my daughter's wedding cake

and all the cake centerpieces for the wedding.

Last week, I saw this sewing machine at Costco

for only $129.99!!!

So, being that I am feeling very craft deprived

with all my things stored away...

I had to have it!!!

It works great!

I love it!

I've been seeing tablecloths

made of bandannas all

over blog world.

I thought it would be a great anniversary gift

for our daughter and son-in-laws,

1st anniversary!

I used the colors from their wedding.

This is not the best pic of it!

It's really big for their outdoor table.

I couldn't get a good shot and

it's really wrinkled from all

the handling over the weekend.

We had a great time in Michigan.

I saw 2 of my good friends.

I miss my friends so much!!!

Now we don't head back for

6 weeks! The longest stretch

in a year!

But, I will see a lot of friends then,

my girlfriend's daughter is getting married!

Hope you all had a great weekend!!!

Enjoy your Monday!

Hugs!

Kim

A Little Chicago

2011-07-22T11:13:00.001-04:00

Hello!

Long time no blog!

I'm back, I hope for a good while this time.

This was going to be a crafty post but a big black

storm rolled in with lightening super close and

thunder super loud!

So...not a good day for taking pictures : (

Here's a little bit of Chicago for you...

Our son came in for a visit in June.

He and I had one day to fill on our own.

We decided to take the train downtown

and hop on a double decker bus tour.

Sooo much fun!!!

Here we are on top of the bus!

The tour guides are always funny

and you always learn some new

Chicago fact every tour.

I've taken it twice and highly recommend it!

This is heading into the financial district.

Did you know that more money is

traded here than in New York!?!

This is the Bean in Millennium Park.

It really is impressive and so shiny!

Sorry for the unedited photos.

Gotta get back into the swing of things.

Not a whole lot else happening.

Still waiting and waiting for

Toll Brother's to start building

our townhouse, ugh!

I will be back, Monday,

with another post!

Go me!

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Have a great weekend!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Hello

2011-05-20T19:20:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around.

So much going on.

Apartment building being worked on,

no water during the day.

Our daughter is sick.

We get test results back on Monday.

We know for sure her bloodwork

came back with issues.

She has had a really bad year.

Hopefully, things will get better for our

family soon. It's all in God's hands!

Thank goodness we can give it all to Him!

Hugs!!!

Kim

(Have a great weekend!)

Townhome Interior Design Choices

2011-05-10T11:22:00.003-04:00

Yep, it has been a while again!

Our life is still topsy turvy at the moment.

Did I tell you that

the apartment complex has decided to

replace all the water lines in

the building?

Umm...yeah...

Had to pack up over half the apartment.

The worst part is that it's a

hazmat type situation since there

is asbestos in the drywall compound.

So yeah, I have to take the dogs out

for 8 hours next week.

Where will we go???

Good question!

Anyway...

the happy stuff...

Here are our selections that we made

at the Toll Brothers Design Studio...

The carpet on the left is the runner carpet for our stairway.

The one on the right is what the upstairs will be carpeted in.

: )

The tile on the right, granite on the left and the wood

is the color we used in the cabinetry for

our guest bath.

This is the hardwood we chose for our first floor.

This is cabinetry we chose for the whole house.

It's chestnut colored. Also shown, is the granite

we chose for our kitchen counters.

Here is the slate, tile and tumbled rock that we chose

for our master bath. This tumble rock (the 1x1 inch tiles)

will be around our fireplace, on the first floor, too.

So pretty!!!

And finally, this is the linoleum

we chose for our laundry area.

It was a lot of fun and little stressful

choosing these permanent parts of our home.

I am very happy with the choices we made

and cannot wait to move!

They still haven't broke ground : (

We are waiting for one more family

to purchase a townhome in our building.

Hopefully, soon!!!

Another bit of good news....
we have a renter for our home in MI
and they move in on June 1.
YAY!!!

Edited: So the realtor just called and
our renters backed out. UGH!!!
Praying for new renters!!!

Hope you're all having a good day!

I will try to be better about this blog.

It's hard with everything crafty packed up!

Hugs!

Kim

The Baby Shower I Photographed

2011-04-21T10:22:00.000-04:00

Morning!!!

It's sunny today!!!

That does excite me!

This has been one gloomy spring!

I promised I'd show you some photos

from my friend's daughter's

baby shower...

here are some fun ones...

My girlfriend made this diaper trike for the,

gift table, center piece.

The theme was jungle animals.

I took some tummy photos for the

mommy-to-be.

I had fun with these and made them

pencil sketches.

Mommy and Daddy-to-be

One more of Mommy's belly.

Chocolate lollies from Anna Shea Chocolates!

They have amazing chocolate artists!

(Located in Barrington, IL)

One more shot of the jungle theme decor.

Aren't the Barrel of Monkeys cute!?!

It was a lot of fun taking these photos!

Hope the guest of honor loves them!

Have a wonderful Easter everyone!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Inside Photos of Townhouse

2011-04-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

Today, I have photos to share

of the inside of our townhouse.

These are from the Toll Brothers site.

You will have to use your imagination some

as I explain the photos.

This is the dining room.

We opted for all hardwood floors on the first floor.

I have been looking all over at different floor rugs.

We have a table and chairs picked out for this room and

my sister-in-law gave me her old chandelier that

needs a paint treatment.

The kitchen, our kitchen will have more room in it.

The contractor's offered a free upgrade called a

greenhouse which extends the eating area and includes

a sky light plus a door to the deck.

The living room. The door by the fireplace will

actually be a window due to the greenhouse

having a door.

The living room.

View from the front door.

Master bedroom.

The master bedroom has a really large sitting room!

We are excited about this!

The master bath. The wall with the robes will

be a glass wall for the shower and our tub will

not be jetted. I don't like the jetted tubs,

too noisy.

In addition, there are 2 more bedrooms and a guest bath

and a second floor laundry that is only a closet but

it's just the 2 of us, so I really don't need more.

Thanks for letting me share!

We are beyond excited after 4 long years

of officially moving to Chicagoland!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

The Future

2011-04-18T13:39:00.000-04:00

I know it has been a while AGAIN!

Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks,

everything in MI will be taken care of.

Unfortunately, it's taking longer than planned.

Of course!

BUT...

Here's the exciting news!

I can finally share...

we are building a town home in Elgin, IL.

We aren't quite sure when next year it will be completed,

it all depends on when they begin.

Anyway...

here is the model...

We have an end unit with 3 bedrooms and lots of windows!

My husband's favorite part is...

We have a perfect view of the golf course!

Across the street the street from us are single family homes.

Between 2 of the homes is a large open area that they call a park.

It has a bench for people to sit and watch the golfers.

Our townhouse sits between these 2 homes across the street.

Every window and our deck overlooks the beautiful course.

As you can imagine, we cannot wait!

So much to plan, so many blog posts to come!

So many projects to come!

Thanks for being patient with me as we

finish up our MI home.

We are praying for renters starting in June.

I hope the majority of you are enjoying spring!

We woke up to snow!!!!

It has since melted and will be 60 degrees on Easter.

Have a blessed Holy Week!!!

Hugs!

Kim

The Happenings

2011-04-03T08:33:00.000-04:00

Sorry for being gone so long!

Just want to fill you in on the happenings...

We've been traveling back and forth to MI

on the weekends.

We're packing up the house here in MI.

We have a POD in our driveway which is now half full.

We bought a Bagster for all of our junk.

I hope the POD will be full next Saturday,

I hope the house will be EMPTY next Saturday.

Then...

I can call the rug and hardwood floor cleaners

and our realtor to put the place up for lease.

We hear they lease fast,

will that be our luck?

One could hope!

Our daughter is almost totally moved out.

They are slow moving on the process.

We will probably end up having to help them

get the stuff out, so we can proceed.

I know they're busy too,

but I'm on a tight schedule!

We have had many people over for quotes for...

painting the exterior and taking care of the yard and gardens.

We found some amazing deals!

If you live in the metro-Detroit area,

DTE gives you $40 for every working fridge

that you have them haul away.

We will be getting a check for $80.

That's all the house news.

In other news...

Spring is taking it's sweet old time

making a real appearance in MI and Chicago.

I hope to take a Ballet Barre class this week.

We have a new puppy (yes we are crazy right now).

The puppy's name is Fannie Mae.

Here she is...

She is a very good puppy.

Black lab/Yellow Lab mix.

The vet said she is the Einstein of puppies.

She is 9 weeks old and can

sit, lay down, come and walk on a leash perfectly.

Emma is starting to love her.

Here she is...

Love that face!!!

We are taking a weekend off from our house to

go visit the hubs sister in Memphis, TN.

We leave in 10 days!!!

I cannot wait to feel warm sunshine!

Hubs sister just adopted a Golden Retriever,

2 years old named Gypsy.

She was in a rescue and so was Fannie Mae.

They can swap Foster Care stories.

That's all the news! Hope you're all doing well!

Hugs!

Kim

Lack of Posts

2011-03-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

Hi all!

So sorry for the lack of posts!

It started out as having absolutely

no creative crafty ideas or

motivation, whatsoever!!!

I don't like when that happens : (

We've been traveling back and forth

to MI quite a bit too.

It looks like my daughter and son-in-law

will be closing on their house on Friday.

What a mess that has been, they ended up

having to switch mortgage companies

and ask for 2 extensions!!!

None of this was their fault at all,

it has been the mortgage companies!

So, we will be going back and forth

a whole lot more to get our home

ready to be leased.

I have very mixed feeling about that.

Then, to add to the mix,

I hurt my shoulder and back really bad.

It's been hard to do anything.

Pain meds only help for a short while.

Such a mess right now!

I know things can be worse!

I'm praying for Japan.

How scary!

I am photographing a baby shower on Sunday!

Hope my back feels better.

I'm excited and will share some photos!

I have a few cute ideas for photos.

Sorry, no pics in this post.

I'm going to lay low for a bit longer and

let things heal.

Hope you're all doing well!!!

Hugs, miss you all!!!

Kim

Time For a Spring Bag!

2011-02-22T12:26:00.001-05:00

Hello!

Well, it's official...

it has been the 2nd snowiest February

in Chicago history.

Of course it is...

because I moved here!

Sooo tired of the snow!

Now we are keeping our fingers crossed

that the snowstorm forming, for Thursday,

heads SOUTH of us!!!

Playing with Polyvore though,

has helped me think about

what to do with my wardrobe this spring.

Here is a clutch bag that I thought

would go well with some of the things I

currently own...

It's very light weight.

Made out of linen and lined with a satin material.

It's large enough to tuck in a cell phone,

a small wallet and lipstick.

I dressed it up a bit with some vintage buttons.

Very much me!

It took a little bit to do because I hid the stitches

between the layers of linen and satin.

So the inside is still pretty! : )

Here is Emma...

she's looking at me with the face that says...

"Are you done yet Mom? I wanna cuddle on the couch now, pwease."

Who can resist this face and a gloomy day?

Not me!

Have a wonderful day!!!
I'll be cuddling on the couch with ha very content bully!

Hugs!

Kim

My Spring Vision on Polyvore

2011-02-18T15:24:00.006-05:00

Oh how fun
Polyvore.com is!!!!

Thank you, Denise from
Look Beyond the Picket Fence
for introdcuing me to this site!

Here's my vision of spring!

Give it a try!

Hugs!

Kim

Waiting For Spring Posie Bag

2011-02-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Today is a warm day in Chicagoland,

just wish it wasn't a gloomy one, too!

It really has me thinking Spring though!

I'm really hooked on making these posies!

Pretty floral with a vintage button.

I thought it would look great on a bag I found

online while looking for wedding things

last year.

I just attached it through a loop on the handle between 2 fasteners.

I think it looks very springy!

I think, I'll take it to Memphis

this April!

Just a closeup view.

I'm still contemplating

opening an Etsy shop.

I think I'll look into it more.

What do you think?

Hope you're all having a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Happy Valentine's Day With Coke and Posies!

2011-02-14T12:51:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Last night, hubs and I

went to a French restaurant,

in Barrington, IL, called

L'Eiffel Bistrot.

We ordered our ususal,

Coke for me, Diet Coke for him

Lookie how they brought them....

These are the cutest little bottles made out of metal.

They really say Valentine's Day to me!

I asked if I could take them home,

our waitress said that she is asked

this all the time!

*Swoon*

I wanted to make a friend of mine here

a little something for showing me around

our new area.

She made me a list of places

she knew we would need,

like the vet with phone number

and address.

THEN she drove me around to show me

where everything on the list is located!

How sweet is that!?!

She even showed me where

the Bald Eagles fly and fish!

Cannot wait to go back!

This is what I made for her...

A Lavendar heart sachet made from

wool felt and vintage buttons.

I saved this cute envelope from

Anthropologie. (They put my receipt in here

when I ordered online).

Love it!

It's even lined in the prettiest blue!

To dress it up,

I made a cute little posie pin

with vintage button.

This was the first posie

I ever made!

I'm hooked!

So cute, so easy!

*LOVE*

Tonight we are just staying in and relaxing.

I'll watch The Bachelor and hubs

will read his new book.

Emma will cuddle in between us.

We'll eat a chocolate covered

graham cracker from the cutest

little chocolate shop in Barrington.

I will take pics there soon and share!
What a cute store!

I'm linking up...

Enjoy your Valentine's Day with the ones you love!!!

Love to you all my bloggy friends!!!

HUGS!

Kim

Chicago Blizzard 2011

2011-02-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

Well, we survived the Blizzard of 2011.

This was the 3rd largest snowfall in Chicago history.

Here in Arlington Heights we got 22 inches.

It was pretty scary at times,

the wind gust of 60 mph made the windows bow in and out.

The howling of the wind scared Emma big time.

The thunder snow was incredible!

The lightening lit the sky up in blue and greens.

I don't think I need to experience this again.

The roads yesterday were still only one lane in each direction.

It usually takes my husband 15 minutes to get home from work

but yesterday it took an hour and a half!

The day before the storm,

back in MI,

my daughter was driving to work...

This is what happens when a contracted snow plower

drives after being up all night.

He turned left in front of my daughter

and with all the traffic she could go no where

but into him.

He got 3 tickets!

She got a very stiff neck, body aches everywhere

and a sprained wrist.

Fortunately, her back is ok.

She has been recovering from a broken back.

Today is her first day back to work and she's scared to drive.

Can't blame her!

This is what happens in Chicagoland when you get a blizzard...

My husband was fortunate to get home before traffic got too bad.

Some were not so lucky,

thousands were stranded overnight on Lake Shore Drive in

downtown Chicago.

This is the apartment across from us.

This is outside the back door of our building.

We were fortunate that our complex did snowblow our walk

and made a one car wide path for emergencies.

So much snow to eat!

Right in front of our apartment.

I was watching that tree blowing all night,

hoping it would stay standing!

Yes, please stop!

We don't need any more snow!

We need spring and warm weather!

Headed to Michigan to pack up part of the house

and to help my daughter and son in law clean.

He's busy working and going to school full time.

The doctor has her resting.

She's not suppose to work but

this is her first year

and wants her job next year!

Hope you all are surviving these cold winter days!

Hugs!

Kim

Hang In There With Me

2011-01-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

source

Hello!

Please hang in there with me guys!

My daughter and her husband bought a house.

As long as it appraises it's theirs!

This means we will be very busy.

They have been taking care of our home in MI.

So, I will be doing lots of going back and forth

with no internet back in MI.

We need to get the house ready to go up for lease.

A couple of repairs and some paint touch ups

and a uber good cleaning.

Not to mention,

purging some more things and packing up the rest.

We got a storage room yesterday here in Chicagoland.

The process begins!

Of course now this means it's time to decide on a

home here in Chicagoland.

It's looking like Elgin, Illinois.

We shall see what God has planned!

I will be posting here and there

and visiting too!

I just don't think I'll have much time to think

about crafting much.

Hang in there, please!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Romantic Valentine Candle

2011-01-20T13:04:00.003-05:00

So sorry it has taken me sooo long to post!

Fibromyalgia tends to kick my butt after vacationing.

What I plan in my head doesn't always happen...

so I adjust...

A few days of couch time and Emma cuddle time

seems to have helped a lot!

I started feeling better yesterday so

I pulled out a project.

I bought an emergency candle one day while grocery shopping,

knowing I could pretty it up one day.

I saw these pretty doilies on Michelle of Mish Mash's etsy,

and she mailed them out real quick! Thanks Michelle!

This is what I came up with...

I took some Modge Podge and adhered the doily to the candle.

Then I took some vellum and stamped the heart on, cut it out and

used Modge Podge to adhere it to the doily.

I had some sparkly silver hearts so I added that.

It looked like it still needed a little something.

So I added the pink ribbon.

Lookin' good!

Here it is on the shelf.

Pretty and romantic.

Not to mention inexpensive!

Today, I'm feeling way better and have been cleaning.

I have some more things up my sleeve,

hopefully, I can get to them soon!

Linking to:

Hope you have a great day!

It's gloomy and freezing in Chicago!

How many days till Spring???

Hugs!

Kim

Bay Lake Tower at Disney

2011-01-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Time to get back to normal

but before that happens...

Here are a few pics of where we stayed at Disney.

This is Bay Lake Tower at Disney's

Contemporary Resort.

This is our home with the Disney Vacation Club.

It's beautiful and oh so roomy!

We had a 2 bedroom that had 3 full baths and a full kitchen!

Our son came down from Oklahoma for the stay.

My parents came for an overnight stay.

We had sooo much room! : )

This is a chandelier in the lobby.

Very pretty!

Here is Mickey.

He's outside of the Contemporary

near the boat ramps.

It was a great stay!

The food is at the Contemporary,

some of the best food we've had at Disney!

They have 2 wonderful gift shops too!

We can, also, grab the monorail for Magic Kingdom

and Epcot from here.

It was a lovely time,

even though the weather could have been better.

At least it was warmer than Chicago!

Now it's time to get back to normal.

Tomorrow I will start crafting again!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Back in Chicago, Heading to MI

2011-01-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

Source

We are back from Disney!

We had a great time with our son

and my parents joined us for an overnight visit.

It was pretty darn cold in Florida!

I'm so glad I packed a wool sweater, gloves and a scarf!

People were buying lots of warm Mickey Gear including

winter jackets!

We did end up with 2 warm-ish days : )

We returned to no television or internet service.

I spent the day yesterday waiting for repairmen.

The first set couldn't fix it because they

determined the problem was in the line.

So, the linemen came out and took care of things.

So glad to be reconnected to the world!

Tonight we are headed to MI.

I have a baby shower to attend.

So, when we get back after the weekend,

I plan to get back to normal.

I still have craft ideas spinning in

my head.

They want OUT!

Looking forward to being creative next week!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and keep warm.

As you may be able to tell by the teacup...

I'm enjoying lots of hot tea to stay warm!

Be back soon!

Hugs!

Kim

Busy, Busy!

2011-01-05T14:06:00.000-05:00

Soon I'll be posting Valentine's Day cards,

which are still in my head.

I've been fighting a tummy bug

and trying to get back to post holiday "normal".

Hubby brought in the boxes from storage

so that I can finally put everything away!

I'm ready to get this place back to some sort of normal.

I hope to be making some cards tomorrow if

I can get the packing done for our vacation.

We leave on Friday for Disney again.

Hubby planned to run the Disney Marathon with our son.

However, hubby has been diagnosed with asthma and it kicked his butt.

He came down with bronchitis soon after so there went training.

Our son had a serious stress fracture in his leg

and it has been causing him issues so there went his training.

We plan to relax instead now.

Looking forward to the warm weather and sunshine!

So, if I don't get to those cards...

I will be back late next week with a card or two!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

I'm Back with an Overstock.com Discount! : )

2011-01-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

I'm really hoping for a great 2011!

It would be great if things started

getting back to our normal...

or at least show a progression toward that!

That's where Overstock.com comes in!

They contacted me over the holidays

and I am more than happy to do a

post about them.

I have used Overstock.com in the past.

That was when we still lived in MI.

I bought a great copper bird feeder from their site.

Now, we are hoping

to buy a new home soon!

Fingers and toesies crossed

and oodles of prayers!

If our prayers are answered

with a yes, buy a home...

we will be needing a few things

like this...

source

and these...

source

and of course on of these...

Area Rugs

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Area-Rugs/244/cat.html

Can't decide which!

Overstock.com has generously offered my readers a 10% off discount...

The discount code is...121745, good for 10% off Overstock products

(excluding movies, books, and electronics)

. This discount code never expires, however, it can only be used once per email address.

202234 - free shipping promo code for electronics.

Note:

All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own.

No monetary compensation was received for doing this post,

however, I was provided with a discount code.

Hope you all will check out Overstock.com!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Gift Scarf for My Besties

2010-12-17T14:57:00.002-05:00

Hello!

Hope all your holiday prep and planning is going well!

This may be my last post until after the holidays.

I need to get things baked, wrapped and packed

to head back to MI for Christmas.

I, also, need to finish up these...

While I'm home,

I get to see most of my besties!

We are getting together on the 27th! : )

I'm making them all these scarves.

They will have different fabrics on each of them.

I found these Columbia fleece scarves on clearance

at Sierra Trading Post.

I then went to CouponCabin.com

to get a coupon code for 25% off any size order.

The cost per scarf $4.80 plus shipping.

Not bad!

I wore my scarf to lunch today.

Sorry about the yellow-ish picture.

This apartment bathroom has horrible lighting!

Ok, I'm off to make some scarves and to clean.

Have a joyous and blessed holiday season!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Linking up to:

Dishing It

2010-12-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

~Do you have any specific traditions that your family looks forward to each Christmas?

Yep, for us it's stockings on Christmas Eve
followed by the kids giving mom and dad
their gifts to them.
One more big one...
cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning!

~Is your tree real or fake?

We have 2 fake trees.

Back in MI,

one would go in the living room,

the other in the dining room.

Here in IL,

we put the dining room tree in our living room.

~Do you have any favorite ornaments?

I love the ones with the kids pictures.

I love nature ornaments.

I think I love all ornaments!

~What's your favorite Christmas treat?

I have 2...

homemade caramel corn and

homemade cinnamon rolls.

Mmmmm.

~Best Christmas gift you ever received?

I don't think I have a favorite.

I try to enjoy them all every year.

~Coolest crafty thing you made or home decor thing you tried this Christmas season?

I really love my button tree!

~Your favorite Christmas movie?

Hmmm...

I like to watch a bunch of them.

I don't have a fave.

I watch them on ABC FAMILY and Lifetime.

~Most difficult person you have to buy for?

That would be my mother-in-law.

~What's the number one thing on your kids'/husband's/wife's/significant other's list this year?

On hubby's list is a new home.

He's very ready to move on to non-apartment living again.

~If Santa could bring you one big surprise this year, what would you want it to be?

An AccuQuilt fabric cutter.

There you have it!
Join in the fun!

Have a blessed holiday season!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Creative Packaging

2010-12-14T13:36:00.000-05:00

While wrapping my son's gifts,

I needed a roundish box.

I saved a cornmeal box,

cleaned it out,

added some paper with Mod Podge

and then added some pretty ribbon.

Easy peasy.

My daughter asked me to mail her brother's gift card for her.

She gave me an Altoid's tin and said do something with it.

With not having a lot of time on my hands,

I used the same paper as the last,

traced the tin onto it

and cut it out.

I used Mod Podge again to adhere the paper to the tin.

Added the same kind of ribbon

and Ta-Da!

Now to get to the UPS Store to mail all his things.

Slowly making progress on my

Christmas to-do list!

Have a great day! Keep warm if you're any place cold like me!

Hugs!

Kim

Post Office Day

2010-12-13T11:12:00.000-05:00

Source

Morning!

On today's agenda...

mailing Christmas packages

and wrapping some more to take to UPS.

I'm not sure the post office will be happy to see me or not.

I know they are in need of funds but

I have 7 packages to send out.

Well, at least the recipients will be happy to see their boxes!

Hope you're staying warm and enjoying the season!

I'm enjoying the season but it's hard to keep warm!

It's soooo cold!

Hugs!

Kim

My Hair Secret

2010-12-10T14:37:00.000-05:00

Sorry no pics today.

I have been keeping a secret about my hair.

After moving here my doctor said my thyroid

was running high.

He and I have been having a decade debate as

to what level my thyroid should be.

He wants to keep it at laboratory levels.

I personally feel my best when it is at the high

side of normal and one tick above normal.

So, as per usual...

we debated my thyroid levels in August.

I reluctantly agreed to a tiny drop in my

dosage of thyroid medication,

even though in my heart and soul,

I knew I felt great despite the numbers.

With the drop of medication,

my hair started falling out in hand fulls!

I, literally, clogged the tub when I took a shower.

(Much to hubby's frustration!)

After a month and a half of this,

hubby convinced me to increase my dose

(against medical advice)

to see what would happen.

At this point I had lost an

inch to inch and a half of hair just around my face.

The rest of my head is considerably thinner too.

My hair did stop falling out : )

I went to see the doctor who was not pleased with me.

He said many things can cause hair loss.

I told him that I knew how my body reacted.

I am very sensitive to changes in my body

and very sensitive to medication.

I have been dealing with this for over 20 years!

For some reason since my thyroid was destroyed,

my levels just won't level off.

He sent me for labs...again...

guess what they came back normal for a change!

That doesn't happen very often.

Long story short,

I know my body.

I was right.

This week...

my hair started growing back around my face.

Many, many tiny little grey hairs.

So what if they're grey...

IT'S HAIR!!!

I will probably be sporting bangs

when these hairs get unruly.

It will grow out!

At least it is hair!

It's really hard to hide

hair loss sometimes.

Mine could be worse

but I'm a girl.

I want my hair!

Now back to the holiday season!

I got my gift of hair!

Hugs!

Kim

Christmas in a Tiny Apartment

2010-12-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

This is my first Christmas in the apartment.

It's not so bad.

I brought just enough with me from Michigan to

make it all pretty.

Here ya go...

Clarice and Mickey ornaments.

This tree use to sit in my dining room back home.

I put our favorite nostalgic Christmas cartoon

ornaments on this tree.

Along with the cartoon characters,

you'll find bits of nature,

tiny balls,

tiny candy canes

and many other tiny ornaments.

This is Emma's stocking.

Sometimes she sits near it and stares up at the reindeer.

My pretty nativity.

The turquoise tree is from my son,

the picture doesn't show it's true color.

Turquoise is my new color for Christmas,

this year.

The picture shelf.

I finally got pictures developed for it.

Just need to add them.

The snow people pair,

I bought for hubby 2 years ago for the apartment.

My parents brought me tons of pine cones

from Florida last year.

These are hanging on the inside of our door.

I want to spray paint the frame a lime green in the spring.

I used more of the many pinecones on our buffet.

My attempt at a yarn ball wreath.

I need to run to Target to get more glitter balls

to add around the yarn balls.

I just need to find the time!

There you have it!

Christmas in a tiny apartment.

It feels great to me!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Gingerbread House Disney Style

2010-12-08T11:59:00.000-05:00

It's true!

Disney does everything BIG!!!

At the Grand Floridian Resort,

there is a life size gingerbread house.

They even sell gingerbread cookies from inside.

I didn't buy any, they have a big price!

Here are some photos

of the most beautiful

gingerbread house ever!

The detailing is amazing!

On the window to the left

you can see Tinkerbell!

It smells as awesome as it looks!

Gorgeous!

Some of the cookies dangling in the window.

I'd love a real house and porch like this!

Hope you're all having a great day!

I'll be back tomorrow with some Christmas decor.

I'm finally done decorating the apartment.

It looks great!

Hugs!

Kim

Cuteness Break!

2010-12-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

Today, Emma met Santa for the first time!

The Illinois English Bulldog Rescue sponsored photos with Santa

at Zoey's Eatz and Treatz in Willowbrook.

She had so much fun getting lots of bully love and scratches!

We have decided to apply to become foster parents to bullies starting next month.

I'm very excited to possibly be helping out bullies in need!

Have a great day!

I'm off to Target, we forgot our tree stand and tree skirt back in MI.

Hugs!

Kim

Gift Swap Received

2010-12-03T13:35:00.002-05:00

Hello!!!

I have some bloggy business to share.

I participated in a gift swap.

I had a really sweet partner : )

Her name is Christina and she mostly reads blogs.

Here is what she sent to me...

A cute shadow box about cupcakes.

I love cupcakes!

I, actually, really, really need one NOW!

She, also, made me this cute little trinket box.

The box contained these super cute earrings!

I LOVE THEM!

Super cute earrings : )

I made a few gifts for Christina and her daughters.

Here they are...

A yo-yo bag in her favorite color of blue.

I really fell in love with this one!

The blue bag needed a close up!

Cute little girlie socks for her her littles.

This was a fun swap!

I'll be back in a day or so with vacation pictures!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

P.S. I'm linking up here...

Home!

2010-12-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

We are home from Disney World!!!

It was sunny and 84 when we left.

We came home to snow flurries.

Drove back to Chicago on very slippery roads from Michigan.

We avoided being one of the unlucky many in the ditch or crashed into guardrails.

I will be back to regular blogging soon!

First I need to unpack and decorate the apartment.

Hope you're all enjoying getting ready for the Reason of the Season!

Be back soon...gotta edit some pictures too!

Hugs!

Kim

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

source

Happiest of Thanksgiving to all of you!!!

I'm sorry for lack of posts!

I'm working on my gift for the gift exchange (see side bar).

That will be in the mail tomorrow!

I received my gift from my partner. : )

Love my gift!

When I return, I will have pictures of everything for you!

We just got home from MI last night and return on Wednesday.

Friday we leave for Disney : )

Boy oh boy do we need a break from real life!

What a year...what a 3 years!

So, as you can see, I'm busy, busy!

I will be back sometime next week!

I will have pictures and pretties to see.

Have a great Thanksgiving with your families!

Hugs!

Kim

Please Hold

2010-11-18T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry but the blog you have reached

is currently overloaded with birdseed wreathes,

yo-yo's and other projects with a

weekend deadline.

Kim and Emma will return as soon as possible.

Kim is behind on emailing back too,

but she will be getting back to you

ASAP!

So, while Emma snores away like all bullies do...

Kim will be sewing and stirring birdseed.

Kim and Emma hope you have a great end of your week!

Be back soon!

Hugs!

Thrifty Find and More Yo-Yo Hats

2010-11-17T11:31:00.002-05:00

Hello!

Back in MI, over the weekend, I went to the Salvation Army.

I found this really neat hanging picture frame duo.

I plan to spray paint it turquoise when the weather warms up again.

I love the details.

I, also, found these brand new hats at the Salvation Army.

(I prewashed them)

I decided to add yo-yos to these for Lifebuilders.

I love the color combos!

This is my favorite!

I have one more and I'm going to make it for me,

like this one.

Well, I am off to Michael's.

I need to pick up some supplies for my Gift Exchange (see side bar) partner's gift.

I'm linking up today...

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

I Won!!!

2010-11-16T11:17:00.000-05:00

Morning!!!

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Chicago Pet Show.

I wanted to meet the folks at the Illinois English Bulldog Rescue.

We had fun meeting Louis, a rescue waiting for his furever home

and chatting with his foster mom.

Before we left the booth,

I bought some raffle tickets.

I thought I was just supporting the organization

but I actually won one of the prizes...

A Skagen watch, valued at $95!!!

I was so surprised!

Thank you IEBR!!!

Emma sends bully kisses!

We cannot wait to move permanently to Illinois.

When we finally get a house,

we want to be foster bully parents!

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Yo-yos For Charity

2010-11-12T11:56:00.001-05:00

Morning!

I've been busy getting some things ready for charity.

I have been making hats for a great organization called

Lifebuilders.

LifeBuilders is a faith based organization...

This is taken from their website:

LifeBUILDERS began in 2005 as a place where people in transition could get all-encompassing help reaching their goals. LifeBUILDERS focus was to provide encouragement, instruction, healthy relationships, transportation, employment and guidance to people in a Christian community.

I have been blessed by hearing the testimony of women who have been helped.

I know Marilyn and Larry Johnson who run this organization...wonderful people!

Many of my friends help every week with LifeBuilders.

If I was still living in Michigan, I would do more but

from Chicago I can do something!

Last year I started making hats with yo-yo embellishments for their Christmas Store.

I, also, give plain hats for those who are not into embellishments.

Here are some of this years...

Headband hats for little girls.

Another headband hat.

A woman's hat with a little sparkle!

A little girl's hat.

A few of them all together.

Another way I am helping...

Heritage Church in Sterling Heights, MI

are big supporters of LifeBuilders.

Each year Heritage has an auction

and this year all the proceeds from

the tickets and the auction

go directly to LifeBuilders.

We will be there!

Saturday, November 20th!

I will be making one of these for the auction...

It will be all wrapped up pretty in a Christmas hat box.

Pictures to come.

Sooo...that's one way I'm giving back this holiday season.

Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Hugs!

Kim

I've Been Featured!!!

2010-11-11T14:58:00.002-05:00

I am so very thankful today!
I just received an email from Jenny at Embellishing Life
to tell me that she has featured me today on her blog!
I am beyond excited!
This is my first ever feature!
Go visit Jenny and leave her some bloggy love!

Hugs!
Kim

Deal of the Week!

2010-11-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

Morning!!!

Today's deal comes from Carson's again!

I needed a necklace to go with an outfit

that I'm wearing to a charity auction.

I wanted something neutral that could go

with many other outfits too.

Here's what I found...

A chunky clear acrylic necklace with a price of $44

then take 30% off

then take an additional 25% off,

if I used my Carson's card.

Ok, not too bad.

Get to the register and it comes up $6.99

then take the 25% off for using my card.

This necklace was not on the clearance rack,

so shocker to me it WAS on clearance!!!

What a deal!!!

(I, also, found a pair of earrings to match ON the clearance rack)

Here's how it looks on.

I LOVE IT!

I can wear it with so many things!

Perfection!

Find any great deals???

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Chicagoland is enjoying the bestest Indian Summer!

Loving it!

Soon it will be over but until then...AHHH! : )

Hugs!

Kim

Note on Birdseed Wreath

2010-11-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

If you make a birdseed wreath...store in the fridge until gifting or outside (if it's cold enough) wrapped in plastic. My first attempt at the wreath is moldy (I just checked it). ICK! That wasn't in the instructions in the magazine!!!

Remember:

KEEP YOUR BIRDSEED WREATHES COLD!!!

Hugs!
Kim

Be Careful What You Click On In Your Stats!!!

2010-11-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

I was going through my stats on Blogger and I went to see what my Traffic Sources were. Periodically, I'll click on a site to see who is checking out my blog and where the source was from. WELL...I clicked on one that started with http://bit/ and it went to a very nasty site. NEVER again will I click on a link starting like that! I wish Blogger could leave those off our stats! GROSS and INAPPROPRIATE!!!

Just an FYI!

Kim

Birdseed Wreath

2010-11-09T16:41:00.005-05:00

I have a super easy and

inexpensive gift to show you today.
The above birseed wreath!

I found it in this magazine, Sandra Lee Christmas, from last year.

A really great gift for your

bird loving friends!

Materials:

3 envelopes (1/4-ounce) envelopes of Knox gelatin.

Water

At least 6 cups of birdseed of your choice.

Standard Bundt baking pan (or several mini Bundt pans)

Nonstick Cooking Spray

Twine or raffia for hanging.

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine 3 envelope of gelatin with 6 tablespoons of cold water.

Let stand for one minute.

Add 1 cup of boiling water, and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Gradually add 6 cups of birdseed to the mixture, stirring to combine.

Spray the inside of the Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour the birdseed mixture into the Bundt pan, and press it down firmly.

Place it in the refrigerator for several hours, or until it is completely firm.

Remove the wreath from the Bundt pan.

(I had to put a warm towel on the outside of the pan to get it loosen up enough to come out)

Tie several lengths of twine or raffia around it, and suspend it from a tree branch

that you can see from inside your home.

This is how it looks in the pan.

I released it from the pan onto paper towel.

I found these cute cake tins at Hobby Lobby for 50% off last week.

They aren't on sale this week, so print a coupon!

I made a little gift tag to add to the tin.

Total cost about $8.50.

I found the a big 20 lb. bag of birdseed at Tractor Supply for $4.99.

There's enough left to make about 3 more.

NOTE: KEEP BIRDSEED WREATH COLD! STORE IN FRIDGE OR WRAPPED
IN PLASTIC OUTSIDE, IF IT'S COLD ENOUGH...MY FIRST ONE MOLDED!

Hope you like it!

What are you making for Christmas gifts?

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Linking up today!

Quilting, Learning Curve, Mug Rug

2010-11-08T12:16:00.001-05:00

Here it is, the good the bad and the ugly!

My first attempt at making a really quilted anything...

it turned out wonky...

I learned along the way...

there are errors...

there are small victories...

have a looksie...

please don't laugh!

This is the back.

It looks better than the front.

By the time I got to the back...

I figured out how to attach the binding with

a pretty well hidden stitch.

I still need to work on ending the binding.

This is the front.

I like the tree...

that's about it.

The front was where there are

the most trial and errors.

Ick!

The next one should be mucho better!

Learning to sew is hard.

I used a lot of tutorials out on the web

to learn from.

I hope to be as talented as some of you great quilters...

some day.

Practice, practice, practice...

That's the goal!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

I Need This Bike!

2010-11-04T12:25:00.000-04:00

I hope I win!

You can have a chance to win too!

Click here for a chance to win!

Emma and I would love the blue bike!

We'd be so cool going down the street!

Kim

Thankful Post

2010-11-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

Source

With Thanksgiving drawing closer, I thought it fitting to do a thankful post.

Here goes...

~ I am thankful for my Lord and Savior!

~ I am thankful for my hubby, we have been through a lot the past 3 years!

~ I am thankful for 2 great kids and a great SIL!

~ I am thankful that the Lord has seen to it that we are able

to make our mortgage in MI and our rent in IL.

~ I am thankful to my friends who haven't forgotten

me since moving. That we keep in touch regularly and

they already came to see me!

~ I am thankful to all my blogging friends who support me.

Who teach me new techniques, crafts and inspire me to

decorate even my 635 sq. ft.!

~ I am thankful for my Emma the Bulldog who makes me laugh

and go for walks!

There is so much to be thankful for and it keeps me going!

What are you thankful for?

Have a great day friends!

Hugs!

Kim

Hubs Lap Quilt/Blanket

2010-11-02T11:17:00.001-04:00

Morning!

I finally finshed this lap quilt/blanket.

I'm not sure what to call it, exactly,

I didn't officially quilt it.

I used old/vintage buttons in between the blocks.

Excuse the Emma hairs.

It has been very chilly here and we had to use it to stay warm!

I used a variety of brown and gray buttons from my stash.

I forgot to bring the quilt batting from Michigan.

It is still very warm with the backing of fleece.

I didn't bind it either.

I still need to practice this skill.

Know of any good tutorials???

Or, do you have any helpful suggestions???

I am linking up at Embellishing Life today.

Please pay her a visit and visit all the others linking up.

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

Wishing On A Star!

2010-11-01T18:39:00.001-04:00

When I wish upon a star tonight...

I may be wishing for anyone or

all of these...

Source

An AccuQuilt Cutter...

This would be so awesome to help me cut quilt pieces.

I am a lousy cutter!

Source

A Sihlouette...

to make die cuts and words on vinyl!

I could be ultra crafty with one of these!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jo-Totes/126020524104203?v=photos

A Jo Tote...

I don't have a picture of one of these.

But I would love

to have a stylish bag that I can use as a combo purse/camera bag!

How cute would one of these be?

There you have my wish list.

I would ask Santa...

but I hear Santa is on an ultra strict budget

this holiday season.

Bummer!

Have a great night!

Hugs!

Kim

Business

2010-11-01T11:58:00.002-04:00

Morning! Happy November!

Today, I woke up feeling a throat illness coming on...ick!

I hope it doesn't get too much worse.

We didn't have any trick or treaters in our apartment complex...weird.

Back home in Michigan, my daughter had to close up an hour early (at our house).

Seems we have more little ones this year.

On to some business...

I've been asked to post how to add the link for the blog button.

Here is the tutorial I used for making my blog button...tutorial.

I tried several tutorials out there and this one was the easiest for me...

I'm awful with technology!

Here's my button. You can grab it off my right sidebar.

I've, also, been asked to show my twisted flower headband on me.

I am terrible at taking my own picture.

Here it is...

I took it off the black headband and put it on a brown one.

Easy peasy...I sewed a tiny hair rubber band to the back of the flower.

Now it can go on any of my headbands.

I need to take photos of what I've been working on.
A project that I set aside for a long time

is finally finished!
I will post it tomorrow.
My battery died in my camera. :(

Ok, I'm off to rest and help this sickness go away quickly!

Have a great day!

Hugs!

Kim

One More Link Up

2010-10-29T12:50:00.000-04:00

Hope you visit 30 Hand Made Days!

Hugs!
Kim

Linking Up!

2010-10-29T12:03:00.003-04:00

Morning!!! Today, I am going in search of my creativity...I don't know where it went...while I'm looking for it...I have linked up my button tree to these two wonderful blogs. : )

Have a wonderful Friday!!! Go show these ladies some love and visit a bunch of talented other blogs too!

Hugs!

Kim

Deal of the Week

2010-10-27T10:31:00.001-04:00

Morning! I don't know about you but I had a terrible year with sunglasses! I have to wear them almost all the time, during daylight hours, outside or I tend to get a migraine. I am very photosensitive, probably because my eyes are blue. Anyway, I broke 2 pairs and lost a pair in the last 2 months! Well, Thursday, my last pair broke in the IKEA parking lot. So...off to Carson Piere Scott or better known as Parisian in Michigan.

I found these cute Fossil glasses. They were priced $35.99 and then they were on sale 30% off. Ok, not bad, better than migraines, right? I get to the register and these CUTE sunglasses ring up for $1.99...YES $1.99!!!! If I had had more time, I would've ran back and scooped up a few more pairs! What a deal!

See how cute they are on the side??? I love them!

Find any good deals lately???

Hope you're having a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Adding Turquoise To Our Christmas

2010-10-26T11:26:00.002-04:00

Hello! With turquoise being the accent color for our apartment, I thought I really should add turquoise to our Christmas decor. I am bringing a slim tree, from home, that I use in our dining room. It will fit perfectly between the television and the computer armoire. I bought some tiny turquoise balls for it and some other small ornaments with turquoise. Now the rest of the apartment needs some turquoise Christmas, I found this magazine at Joann's...

There are some really great ideas in this magazine!

I fell in love with this turquoise button tree. So, I bought some wool felt from their resource , I ordered buttons from Etsy (I wish I could remember which Etsy store, sorry!) and I wanted an inexpensive oval frame. I found this at Michael's...

I, obviously, took it all apart and I spray painted the frame ivory. This frame only cost me about $4.

Here is my tree in progress, it's actually getting close to being done. I love how the buttons shine!

All set in it's frame. I decided to leave the tree completely ivory and white and didn't add the colored ornament buttons.

I found a shimmery organza turquoise ribbon to use for the hanger.

What do you think? What are you working on?

Have a great day!!!

Hugs!

Kim

Today, I'm linking up with Embellishing Life's Craft Catwalk!

Linking up to:

There's No Place Like Home

2010-10-25T12:31:00.000-04:00

We went back to Michigan to finish some end of the season yard work. We sure miss being home and really miss living in our house. We know it's time to get it ready to go back on the market and to think about buying a home in Illinois. Please pray for the housing market to continue to improve in Michigan so we can put it back up as soon as possible. Right now we're looking at putting it up in a year. It sounds like a long time but it will go pretty quick while we do a couple things to make the house attractive to buyers. We will paint the outside, touch up the inside, change a couple of light fixtures and clean up the back landscaping. Quite a bit to do to pass the time. Here are some photos from the weekend...

Our daughter put our pumpkins out and added my fall wreath.

One of my most favorite landscape ornaments.

This is the first year that our Fire Bushes got berries. Very cute!

Little Miss Emma loves coming home so she can run without a leash, sniff around and explore. Here she is laying on her favorite hill in the yard. This is a family favorite hill. She's so happy at home. She has no freedom in our apartment. She can't run free or do much in our tiny place. At the house she can run up and down the stairs and down the long hallway. We cannot wait to get a new home so we all feel less squished. We know things could be worse but it has been 3 and half years now. Wow, that's hard to believe!

Hope you're enjoying your Monday!

Hugs!

Kim

We Have Matching Flowers

2010-10-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

Morning!!! THANK YOU for hanging in there while I fried my brain cells, lol! I decided to challenge myself and prove to myself that I could learn how to work on my blog...ALL.BY.MYSELF! Although, not completely professional looking like a lot the great blogs out there...I am pretty proud of myself, if I do say so myself. So...over on the right, you will see my new blog button, Facebook page (Won't you LIKE me today?) and a Twitter Feed. Now the next challenge is to learn to link up to some of the fun parties around blogland.

When I took breaks, to let my brain cells cool off, I did have some fun. Yesterday, I spent the whole morning and most of the afternoon at IKEA! I met a friend there, yep, I have a new Illinois friend. She use to be my SIL's neighbor in Collierville, TN. We had a great time! I came home with lots of ideas for the apartment and for my future new home...just how far in the future is all dependent of MI's housing market...SIGH! But it could be worse.

I, also, made Emma and I matching twisted flowers. When I bought some dishtowels, they came wrapped in a long piece of white twill tape. There was enough there to make a flower for Emma's collar and for my headband. These were the first flowers that I've made. I think they turned out really nice...

Emma modeling hers.

I was having a bad hair day so mine is hanging out in this little pitcher.

Hope you're all having a wonderful day...I am off to mail Michelle's giveaway win (sorry Michelle, I kept forgetting to bring it with me) and back to IKEA for some more magazine holders. I bought 4 yesterday but I needed 6 for my shelf.

Hugs!!

Kim

More Blog Updates!

2010-10-21T16:42:00.000-04:00

Hello!

It took me FOREVER but I finally found a tutorial that I could actually understand and I made my own blog button! I haven't picked up many from you all in blog world, I sometimes don't notice them on the side but I will take the time to check and pick them up. So...in case you're like me and don't notice them either...I am pointing mine out----> over there on the right! ; )

I, also, started a Facebook page for my blog. So, if you like me go back over there to the right---> and click LIKE!

I think I fried my brain with all this technology! Next up Twitter as soon as my brain cools off! I just technology challenged, what can I say!?!

Hope you're having a great day!!!
Hugs!
Kim

2010-10-20T15:00:00.001-04:00

Hello! Here's an awesome deal that I'm taking advantage of...

Julie at Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss is offering but only until midnight Oct. 21, 2010...

For a limited time, Julie is giving away a FREE 11x14 thin profile canvas to anyone and everyone in the continental U.S. All you have to pay is shipping. (And her shipping cost is always only $9.95, compared to their price of $14.95!).

Get in on the deal while it lasts!

Hugs!
Kim