Scarlet Threads

Honey, check me out! Ha! I got my new apron from Scarlet Threads and LOVE IT!!


I don't usually cook in a dress and all fixed up but we had just gotten home from church and I was making lunch! Trust me, usually I'm in sweat pants! Ha!

I love this company. They sell products made by women overseas under strict fair trading guidelines. This helps the women maintain a safe and reliable place to work.

Plus, their stuff is darn cute.

Last night Joe and I discovered our entire basement was flooded. We had a water evacuation team come out (they didn't leave until 3:30 this morning) and we've got ripped up carpet and walls at this point. It's been a rough day already. I'm hoping for the strength to laugh (because that's better than crying!) through all this. Hope your Monday is better than mine!!

Step Three

Today Joe is taking his LAST general medical Boards - Step III. It's actually a two day test and it's on the computer. We have been busy this week preparing.

Yes we.

He studies on the bed.

I have to be the one to go in periodically and wake him up! Ha!

I'm going to Kansas City this weekend for a fun girls weekend. What are your plans for this weekend?? Happy Friday!

Youth Job

Today I'm joining Kelsey at The Seattle Smiths to participate in Wishful Wednesday!

I wish... I could go back and spend one day working at a job from my youth, and it would be....

(Isn't that a great theme??)

WORKING AT THE GAP

I worked at Gap as a teenager in high school and I loved it!! I never made any money because while I was working I would be shopping in my head! Ha! We had to wear a white shirt and khakis on Sundays and a blue shirt and khakis on Wednesdays so I HAD to get new clothes all the time. At least that's what I told my mom when I didn't have any gas money!

One thing I didn't like about the job was the "sales" aspect. We had to offer people credit cards at the register and I hated that. I didn't even have a credit card myself because I was 17 years old and I remember a customer asked me once what the interest rate was. I said "twenty-two percent" and he freaked out and I was thinking what's the big deal?? Oh, innocence.

Hope you have a fantastic Wednesday!

Where was YOUR youth job??

Driftwood Mirror FOR LESS

The other day I got this delightful catalog in the mail:

When I was flipping through I found THE CUTEST mirror I've ever seen.

But then I saw the price. Ouch!!!

But then I got to thinking... why couldn't I just make that myself?

I found a rectangular mirror at Walmart for $9.99. Then I found some willow branches at Michael's for $5.99.


That's less than twenty dollars (incase you're keeping track! Ha!). I broke all the branches up into pieces. I tried to vary the sizes and I sorted them into piles by thickness.

Then I started hot gluing the branches on, starting with the thick ones to cover the frame and adding the smaller ones at the top to add texture. It took me less than an hour to do the entire frame!

Then I was ready to hang!

I love it - maybe even more than the catalog one, plus I didn't have to wait for it to be shipped to me! Plus it was cheap - sixteen dollars!

So what do you think??

By the way, Pottery Barn has a driftwood mirror too. It's $199.99 and I still like ours better! Ha!

And here's a round one from West Elm for $129. Cute but still pricey.

I hope you feel inspired to make your own driftwood mirror. Please let me know if you do - I'd love to see pictures of how yours turns out!

Congrats Lori - you're the winner from yesterday's I've Got Questions. Please click Contact Me and send me your address so I can mail you your prize :)

Important Questions

I thought I would start something new on Mondays! I want your answers to some burning questions I have. Ha! Post your answers in the comments below. I'm going to pick one random person from the comments to win a prize :)


1. Is Kate Hudson really pregnant?

2. Do we like Benjamin's makeover?


3. What happened to Kim Kardashian's face?

4. "Digital Clutch" = computer crossed with a purse (will be featured on the new Sex and the City movie) - would you buy one?

5. Dying doggie hair: yay or nay?


6. What is the best mall food/drink spot?

I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I did for two reasons. First - Joe and I spent the entire weekend re-doing our Master Bedroom (I felt like I was on Trading Spaces because we decided to do the entire thing in one weekend! Ha!). Second - I won the cutest apron from this cute blog Green Onions (thanks Karen!). I never win anything! Don't forget to leave your comments below and you'll win something too :)

The Story of How We Met

Show Us Your Life is back and I'm participating this week to share the story of how Joe and I met.

We met the very first week of college at the University of Oklahoma.

We were both from Missouri and six hours away from our family and didn't know a soul!

I met his roommate first at a lunch "mixer" during move-in week to the dorms. I remember there were signs on all the door room doors with everyone's name and saying to myself "I wonder who this Joe guy is" when we were at his dorm room. He moved in that night. Our new group of friends, including Joe's roommate, decided to hang out later that evening and he invited Joe along.

The rest is history! We had so much in common because we actually grew up 45 minutes away from each other.

This is the earliest pictures we have of each other. I remember my roommate took it with a disposable camera. Isn't that so early-2000s?!? Ha!

Without Joe I don't think I would have made it through college. I'm not saying that to be sappy, I literally couldn't remember how to get to the cafeteria or to the Union. I had to practice walking to my classes before the first day of school. Bless my heart, I grew up in a town of 250 people and I was LOST. Ha! And poor Joe, he probably didn't know how to let me down gently so he just kept helping me through.

Joe and I would meet every single day for lunch for three years. I would walk all the way across campus to meet him. I think I walked on clouds :) We drove home together for all the weekend trips and holidays.

Joe graduated with his undergraduate degree in three years and I was crushed at the thought that he might find a medical school somewhere far away. But he decided to stay in Oklahoma and go to medical school.

We got engaged exactly three years to the date of our first date, September 19, 2005.

We got married on July 3, 2006. It was the best day of my life!


Happy Friday! I can't wait to hear your stories. Don't you love hearing how people met?? My grandparents met at a Halloween party. My parents met at a line dancing lesson. Love it.

Favorite iPhone Apps

Last week I finally got upgraded to the new iPhone (not the new, new one that was "leaked" earlier this week, but the other "new" one. And while we are on the subject, there is a Marketing Mastermind at Apple who knew the frenzy that would be created if you just release a new phone with new features every 6 months. You slay me, sir. Like we don't know the original could have totally had video camera capabilities.)

My old iPhone was black, so I picked out the white one because I figured it would be easier to find at the bottom of my purse.

I have been having so much fun loading new Apps onto it so I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you.

1. Ransom Letters. It takes any message you create and turns it into a ransom note. I sent this one to Joe a couple nights ago:
2. Vintage Maker: takes any video you've shot on the iPhone and creates a "vintage" movie with it. I shot this one of my BFF's little girl last weekend:



3. Words With Friends: it's like cyber Scrabble you play with other iPhone users you know. Joe and I play with his brother all the time.

4. Photo Effect: takes the pictures you've taken on your phone and changes coloring and effects. Like this of me and Boomer, our dog:


5. Shazam: I think this was on an iPhone commercial. You open this App while there is a song on the radio you want to identify and it tells you the artist and the name of the song. Don't ask me how it works but it does! Ha!

Those are my top five favorites!

What are your favorite phone apps??