chicago.

i want to go on a vaca....

i'd love to go to chicago.  i'd order room service with sparkling water, stay at the allerton, see the pretty skylines from a dinner cruise, take the water taxi to the navy pier, eat lots of pizza, go to the hershey's chocolate store, enjoy views from the john hancock building, and watch the dolphins at the shedd aquarium.

that sounds a whole lot like our honeymoon.... ;)

rose & lazy.

we have a couple rose "bushes" in our backyard and side garden.

i happen to like them a lot.

i've had a pretty laaaazy day...sometimes those are needed.  right?  i better start power cleaning so it looks like i've done a lot today before michael gets home. i did clean out the refrigerator and realized we let tooo much food go bad... no more of that!  and, i gave millie a bath.  maybe i haven't been THAT lazy after-all. ;)  i  have tomorrow off too.  i loooooove days off. 

i spy.....

can you spy a BAD dog?

she likes to go back there.  she's smashed my flowers.

they used to be big & full like in this picture.

now, there sits a cute little bench (that michael won. he was like 10)

and SMASHED flowers.

(on a side note.. it won't stop raining so michael hasn't been able to mow.)

but, really.... who could stay mad at a cute little pup full of slobbery kisses?

our millie girl is usually hyper, likes to chew on things & is so playful.

(we've been responsible thus far and haven't lost any shoes)

but, we love her.

we love taking walks with her and 

getting off our bums to play with her instead of just watching tv.

we interact so much more.... i'm thinking we'll keep her. ;)

i really like our big backyard.

have i mentioned that before?

weekend project.

we had a wonderful weekend.  it included TWO naps in one day.  glorious. 

my husband worked on a little project while i tackled the office & spare room closets.

can you believe we've been here close to 2 months and i'm still unpacking?

anyways,  these doors used to be wood 

(well, they still are, they are just painted wood now.) 

we're getting good at painting EVERYTHING white 

(i'm going to leave the staircase as is)

& changing everything that is brass/gold

(ie door knobs, hinges).

next, i need to get to painting our tall walls up the stairs and in the hallway upstairs.

i'm almost ready to hire a professional or take any volunteers that love to paint. ;)

and i think i changed my mind on what color to paint it... imagine that.

my mom.

i didn't get to see my mom yesterday, but i talked to her multiple times on the phone (like i usually do).  she is such a wonderful, loving, generous lady.  she has so much energy and is always thinking of others.  she never worked while we were growing up and i love that..  i would gladly stay home with our children someday.

mom & dad  :)

it poured at the 4th of July parade

(ps the picket fence in the background is my hometown's little flea market.)

I love you, Mom!!

&  a happy mother's day to my grandma as well.

she makes the BEST homemade hot rolls.  ever.

a pretty start to monday.

 

i know, i know....everyone knows what's on design*sponge.  but, i happen to love these photos by kari herer and would gladly display them in my home.

loving the weather....

and all the beauty spring/summer brings.

this house.

there are so many things i love about our home.

i love that it's on a corner lot with lots of yard.

i love the windows.  every room has a window except the closets.

i love the HUGE closets.

i love the window above the kitchen sink looking out to the backyard.

i love thinking about raising our future kids in this home.

i love the back deck and sitting watching our puppy play.

i love my life, in this house with my husband and puppy.

*pictures from our closing day (march 23).  things have really bloomed since!

a little before & after.

before:

after:

i wish i had a better camera, or was just plain better at taking pictures.  but, this will do. :)

it's so bright and airy in our living room now and i loooooove it.

millie loves her little bed (we are crate training so this is not where she sleeps.)

oh, and isn't michael's surround sound speaker just precious?

i'm going out to enjoy some sunshine and plant some more flowers!

miss skyler watson

today i'm going to hang out with skyler for a while.  we used to live right above her and chad (her photographer husband)  michael and chad used to be in a band together and toured a lot.  skyler and i became the "merch girls" at times.  she's a hoot and is so cute.  (i did not mean to rhyme.)

check out her blog and see how to make your own laundry detergent.

mom & millie.

millie loves her mama and when she stays with us.

(i love it as well.)

little bird's nest. part two.

i found an egg in the birds nest in our front yard.

and there are two eggs just laying on the fence line in the back.

i'm not touching them and every time millie heads over that way i distract her.

oh, and dear finals:

i can't wait until you are over so i have my husband back.

my millie girl:

i have to take lots of pictures now, because i know she won't stay this little for long.

i also feel the need to pick her up a lot, because pretty soon she'll weigh more than 50 pounds.

she's such a good puppy.  she's smart and already knows some tricks.  michael and i have taught her to sit and shake our hands and she's doing great at the whole potty training thing.  the only thing is that she LOVES to chew on most everything.  yes, we knew before getting her that labs love to chew things up.  but, who could resist such a cute little face and puppy eyes?  not me.

my weekend.

it's been a lovely weekend.  i like weekends that don't involve work.  i've been working every other weekend, so i really feel the need to make the most of the ones i have.  don't get me wrong, i love having random days off during the week.  but, weekends are when michael is home and when i see family.

we went to artsfest on saturday to watch my friends dance (they are in a ballet company)... there were SO many dogs and i wish that i would have taken millie.  some of my favorite people drove up to spend the day with me.  (my sister and her two kids, my mom and my aunt)

they loved millie.

mya and millie became BFF's.

michael grilled steaks on our "big green egg"  (which in all reality is TINY)

michael's grandpa collyar is a pretty serious garage sales kinda guy and he finds stuff for us all the time.  

he filled our storage shed with goodies and bought us the egg.but,  eventually we'll have to get a bigger grill.

church was wonderful today.  i love my church family. 

and i went to a baby shower for my friend, Bethany, and her little girl, Storri (due this summer).

it made me get kind of excited for when God shows us it's the time to have a little one.

now, i'm just enjoying sitting on our back porch and watching my puppy play.

thankful we aren't underwater and praying for those in Nashville who are.

how was your weekend?