Lessons in a Paint Can

This weekend was the kick-off to our home makeover! Like I said before, our house just wasn't feeling 'homey' enough for me. My trips to Home Depot began last week, and I came home with paint swatches and samples for several rooms in the house. I talked to my dad several times throughout the week about my painting ideas. We talked about color options, materials needed, painting techniques, how long it would take, and after asking him enough questions he decided to come help. And I'm SO glad he did!

Dad got here on Saturday morning, and let me tell you he came prepared! We unloaded a large toolbox, paint rollers, roller pans, a roller extention handle, old towels, paint brushes, a step ladder, electric drill, a saw (I'm still not sure why he brought a saw), and four Dr. Peppers. Yes, four Dr. Peppers. Dad--I could have at least provided the Dr. Pepper! Judging by everything he brought, I think he may have been more excited than me.

We got started right away. After laying down the drop cloths and opening the paint cans, I was ready to dive right in. But dad took my paint brush and said, "Here, let me get you started." I anxiously tried to take the brush back and said, "I can do it, Dad." But he insisted on showing me what to do. I pretended to listen, but in my head I was thinking, "Seriously, Dad! I'm about to turn 24. I'm not a 7 year-old kid painting a piece of scrap wood in your shop anymore!" When he handed the brush back to me, I was finally able to start painting. I started in a corner, like dad suggested, and did a few strokes in the middle of the wall. Then I went right to the trim around the baseboard. It couldn't be that hard to paint in a straight line, right??

Wrong. After about fifteen minutes I was frustrated and already regretting the idea of this project. The clean, white baseboard had a swervy red line on top. I guess Dad could sense my frustration, and at just the right moment he said, "Let me see how you're doing." I showed him the soon-to-be mess I was creating, and he helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. In no time, I was painting like a pro!

Lesson 1: You are never too old to learn from your parents.

New wall color in the guest bedroom
(AKA: Michelle's Room)

Dad and I continued painting, and we both got so involved in what we were doing that we forgot Princess was even there. After a few hours of painting I realized that I hadn't taken her out since early that morning. I called her name, and as she started coming towards me I noticed she had several red spots on her that matched the new wall color. I guess she decided she wanted to help! After taking a few pictures and laughing at her new look, we had to put her outside to let the paint dry. We didn't want to take a chance of her rolling on the beige carpet!

Lesson 2: Dogs like to paint, too.

A few of Princess's new spots

Because Dad and I were working together, we were able to finish the first bedroom in no time. There was still lots of time left in the day, so we decided to start another room, the only problem was I didn't know what color. I had painted four different sample colors onto the wall in our master bedroom. Brandon was at work, so I text him a picture and asked him to help me choose. He told me his favorite (which was not my favorite) and also mentioned that he really liked the color it was. Dad and I were sitting in the bedroom trying to decide what to do. I told Dad that I felt bad, but I really didn't want to use the color that Brandon liked. And I definitely wasn't going to leave the room the way it was. I ended up using my favorite color, and it turned out great. When it was finished Brandon said, "It looks really good. I'll admit that I was skeptical, but I guess you are the decorator." I loved hearing that :)

Lesson 3: Marriage is a partnership, but there are some decisions that a wife has to make on her own ;)

New wall color in our bedroom

Somewhere between choosing the master bedroom color and finishing the room, we had about a 30 minute set-back. I was painting around the baseboard with the perfect grey/blue color I had chosen, and I had the can of paint sitting on the drop cloth. I had finished the section I was working on, and started sliding the drop cloth across the carpet. Before I knew what happened our brand new beige carpet had a big blob of grey/blue paint on it. The can had turned over! I quickly got Dad's attention and pointed to the spill. He jumped off the step ladder and began wiping up as much paint as he could. I called the paint department at Home Depot and asked for their suggestion on getting a large amount of paint out of carpet. They suggested soap and hot water. Dad and I worked frantically for at least 30 minutes to clean up the mess. He alternated scrubbing with his fingertips and wiping the bubbles with a towel, and I poured several rounds of Dawn dishwashing soap and carried cups of hot water from the sink. Sometime during the chaos I started giggling to myself. Dad said, "What??" "I just can't believe I did that," I said. Once we had scrubbed until we could scrub no more, Dad said that he was surprised I wasn't more upset. This got me thinking. Why wasn't I upset? We got most of the paint out, but the carpet still had a greyish tint. I even told Dad that if this had happened a few years ago I probably would have cried. But why didn't I cry now? What was the difference? I still can't say. But somehow, I've learned that spilling a can of paint is such a small thing. I have an amazing husband, the best family in the world, a home of my own, and I'm surely not going to let a small(ish) stain on the carpet upset me. I'll just let it be a memory :)

Lesson 4: Don't sweat the small stuff. (Cliche, I know)

Guest room with bedding
(Paint was still wet, so wall decor will be added soon.)

Both rooms turned out great, and I can't wait to tackle the next project! I have to mention that Brandon has been working extremely hard at work, and I love how he has supported my ideas and creativity. Mom and Michelle also helped a ton. Since they were in Yoakum, they took part in the decision making via picture texts and phone calls. Oh, and I'm hoping that on one of my trips to Home Depot I'll run into the crew from House Crashers and they'll come help out!

Our new bedroom
I love the soft, relaxing feel of this wall color!

I hope you have a great week!!!



Home Depot, Here I come!

We've been in our house for about 3 months now, and I'm ready to make changes. When we moved everything happened very quickly, and there wasn't anything that HAD to be done to the house. So we just moved our things from the UHAUL to the appropriate rooms, and we were done.  Our house was only a few years old, and had brand new carpet and fresh paint (tan walls throughout). When we moved in, everyone told me not to change anything. I remember hearing "One day it will need it, but right now you should leave it the way it is."

Well I listened and left the house exactly as it was. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with it. It just doesn't feel like it's OUR house. It feels like a house with our stuff in it. And if you know me, you know that that just isn't good enough. I've always loved interior decorating. Even when I was little I would spend hours rearranging the stuffed animals in my room until they looked just right, and each room that I lived in during college was completely decorated before I went to bed on move-in night. That's just how I am. I need my environment to feel warm, cozy, and inviting. And I just haven't mastered that in this house.

Don't misunderstand me. I love our house! And I'm so thankful we were able to buy it. I just want to personalize it a little. My ideas include new paint colors and a few DIY projects. Check back for updates and before/after pics!

Our First Home

'Words to Live by' via Pinterest

I finally started using Pinterest today, and I'm already addicted. Here's one of my new favorite quotes:

Thanks Nicole Schwab for sharing :)

What a week!

Last week was eventful, to say the least. Highlights included a puppy, several birthdays, a wedding, a baby, and an award. I'll start with the puppy..

Michelle and I decided last Saturday to surprise our dad with a new basset hound puppy (basset hounds are his favorite dog). Many of you remember Flash, our family's first basset, who died about a year ago. He was the perfect family dog. Playful, protective, and very smart (not to mention he was Princess's best friend). Our backyard just hadn't been the same without him. So Shell and I started looking for this puppy (both of us looking on-line) last Saturday. By Monday evening I had gone to San Antonio and brought this cute little one back to Corpus:

Meet Darla! She is such a sweetie! Her hobbies include chewing on everything, chasing her tail, running in the grass, and snuggling. She stayed with Brandon, Princess, and I in Corpus last week, and we took her home to Dad on Friday. He was SO surprised!! And he already loves her so much! Mission Accomplished :)

On to the birthdays...

Last week was Michelle's 20th birthday (see previous post), which was very exciting. But Princess also had a birthday. She turned 9 last Wednesday! To celebrate I went and bought Darla a toy, which may sound silly, but this kept Darla from annoying Princess, which made Princess very happy!

We found Princess sitting on the bar
when we got home from church on Sunday.
She definitely runs this house!

The wedding...

Our friend Logan, who graduated from high school with Brandon, got married on Saturday. Logan and Brittany came to our wedding, and I was so glad we were able to attend theirs. Weddings remind me of the amazing, undescribable feeling I had on our wedding day. They also remind me how happy we were on that day, and of all the love and support we felt from our family and friends. I'm smiling just thinking about it :) Going to Logan's wedding also gave us the chance to see several of our close friends. It was fun to catch up, laugh, and think about our futures.

Kayla, Whitney, Kristi, Me
Future residents of Boerne, TX (Ha)

Now the baby...

Michelle's friend, Alayna, had a precious baby boy on Monday, October 10th. Over the past several years, Alayna has become part of our family. She and Michelle were close friends in high school, and they have stayed close through their first years of college. Alayna-- It has been amazing to watch you over the past 9 months. You are such a strong, sweet girl, and I know you're going to be a great mom! You better bring Noah to Corpus for lots of visits!

Noah Michael
9 lbs. 3oz., 21in. long



Last, but definitely not least, the award...

My mom got a call last week from my dad's boss, and our family friend, who said my dad won the Gibb Gilchrist Award. The award is granted once a year to an engineer who shows "outstanding service to the State of Texas in the Texas Department of Transportation." Mr. Lonnie said that Dad would receive the award at the annual Transportation Short Course in College Station. He also said that my dad did not know about the award, and that our family should be there to see him receive it. So Mom and I went to College Station yesterday morning and watched my dad get his award in front of all the conference attendees (there were lots of people there!). Once again, my dad was surprised! It was so exciting to see my dad get recognized for all his hard work. We are all proud of you, Dad!!

Dad giving his speech after winning.
It was a great speech, and he even mentioned us :)
(This was taken on my phone, but better quality pics will come soon!)

 I'm glad I got to experience so many blessings, and even a tiny miracle  :)

20 Things

Today is my little sister Michelle's 20th birthday!!! Happy Birthday, Shell!! Here are 20 things I've learned about her since she was born...

1. Michelle is a very hard worker.

2. She LOVES cotton candy.

3. She loves her friends more than anything, and would do anything for them.

Even if that means putting herself at risk.

4. Michelle loves being spontaneous.

5. She loses everything.

6. She is a proud Texas Longhorn, and has been since about age 4.

7. She is a trend-setter, not a trend-follower.

8. She's a leader.

9. Shell has a very strong faith, and always has.

10. She is independent.

11. She is NOT a morning person.

12. Michelle loves to have fun, and is always ready to try something new.

13. Her favorite food is Mexican food.

When she was little it was Casa Ole's enchiladas, and now it's Maudie's.

14. She's not afraid to stand up to anyone.

15. She gets 'throat freezes', instead of 'brain freezes'.

16. She likes to eat ice, so #15 happens frequently.

17. She is very determined.

If her mind is made up, don't even think about trying to stop her.

18. Michelle likes being on her own, but also loves the comfort of home.

19. She loves naps.

20. She loves with her whole heart.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know my Shell-Shell! Those of you who know her love her, and those of you  don't know her are missing out! :) Love you, Shell!



Moving Forward

My last post left me feeling a little down. But I was reminded this week that no matter what, life does go on. And here in Corpus, we are moving forward.

This week I FINALLY had the chance to substitute. I went to the Tuloso Midway substitute orientation a few weeks ago, but there hadn't been any openings until this week. Wednesday I taught a second grade class, which was interesting. It was my first day in a classroom, and I was a little nervous. I had gotten so used to having one-on-one interactions with kids in the hospital, and I hadn't worked with a group of kids in years. I was quickly reminded what it's like to have 20 or so youngsters demanding my attention. My favorite was a boy who came up to me during the noisiest time of the day and said "I can sing a song about the seven continents of the world! Want to hear it??!" I was thinking to myself, "Do you really think this is the best time for me to sit and listen to your song??" But, I smiled and said "Yes, let me hear it!" He started singing, and I continued to walk around the room monitoring the chaotic situation at hand (with the continent-singing boy following me). Every few seconds I'd turn around and aknowledge his song, and each time I turned around he stood a little taller and sang a little louder. When I noticed he wasn't singing anymore I said "Wow, you sang the whole song! You should feel proud of yourself!" Instead of smiling and running off to his seat, he said sadly "But you didn't see the dance I did at the end." Just when I thought I had figured out the balancing act of the classroom, I missed the continent-singing boy's dance. Great. He had worked so hard on this song, and I missed the best part. I paused for a second, and asked him to show me the dance. He gladly did, and after I smiled and aknowledged his dancing abilities he smiled and ran off to his seat. Thank goodness!

Thursday I subbed for a third grade class, and it was a much quieter day. There weren't as many look-at-me's or watch-what-I-can-do's, which meant more time for teaching. I really enjoyed being in front of the classroom and the actual teaching part. It made me really start to think about getting my teaching certification. My degree was in human development, and I chose classes that focused in child development, so I feel like I have a strong knowledge base. And teaching for a few years would put me closer to becoming a Play Therapist, which I would absolutely LOVE.

So we will see. I'll continue to sub and see how it goes. And I'll keep you updated on the certification part. And for anyone who's wondering, Princess is doing great! She's sitting on my lap as I type :)