Things Filling My Days

Oh, how I have missed blogging these past 10 days! So many things have been filling my days that I need to seriously get organized and get my schedule going. I recently bought the new Cleaning Kit from Clean Mama. I can't wait to use them along with the shopping list and home improvement list too! So, in no important order, here is the list of things filling my thoughts and days:

• Decorating the guest bedroom before my MIL comes.
• Gym every day.
• Church activities.
• Work.
• Cleaning.
• Spending time with my hubby.
• Making/Wrapping birthday presents for Sunday's birthday party.
• Dreaming.
• Thinking of going back to finish my IDT degree.
• Thinking of all the things I would like to reorganize in the house already.
• What I want to do with my hair?? Going to see the stylist tonight. :)
• Planning our November cabin getaway (post soon)
• Focusing on eating right and exercising.
• Reading Francine River's "A Voice in the Wind" - Amazing!
• Scour through Craigslist like a fiend for different finds.
• Deciding whether we should buy the paint for the living room/dining/kitchen this weekend since it's 40% off.
• Trying to fit sleep in there!
• Cleaning/Re-organizing the garage!
• Grass needs to be mowed again.
• Going to hopefully get new glasses this weekend (I have a habit of losing mine)
• Scheduling doctor's appts.

Haha, even while I write this, I think this is mysteriously turning into a to-do list! Either way, I look forward to writing again soon. I have a few posts that I have been working on for a while that I haven't had time to really sit down and write. And I want them to be "perfect."

On another note, I had a really nice time eating lunch with my dad at Subway this week. Have you tried their salads? They are amazing! And their italian dressing is really good  too. In my family, it usually happens that my parents pay for lunch/dinner, but I fought tooth and nail to pay for lunch and guess who won? ME! My dad and I are going out again tomorrow, so I will let him pay for then. :)

Well, I hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Start Something That Matters

While I was checking my e-mail the earlier this week, I discovered that Black MyCoskie, Chief Shoe Giver at Toms Shoes, has written a book and is to release in September! The name of it is "Start Something That Matters."

Here is the product description from Amazon:

Love your work, work for what you love, and change the world—all at the same time.

What most matters to you? Should you focus on earning a living, pursuing your passions, or devoting yourself to the causes that inspire you? The surprising truth is that you don’t have to choose—and that you’ll find more success if you don’t. That’s the breakthrough message of TOMS’ One for One movement. You don’t have to be rich to give back. You don’t have to retire to spend every day doing what you love. You can find profit, passion, and meaning all at once—right now.

In Start Something That Matters, Blake Mycoskie tells the story of founding TOMS, one of the fastest-growing young companies in the world, and combines it with lessons learned from such innovative organizations as Zappos, charity: water, FEED Projects, method, and TerraCycle, among others. Blake presents the six simple keys for creating or transforming your own life and business, from discovering your core story to being resourceful without resources; from overcoming fear and doubt to incorporating giving into every aspect of your life. And in the spirit of One for One, with every book you purchase, a new book will be provided to a child in need.

Start Something That Matters is the inspiring story of a movement, a manifesto for the next stage of American business, and a blueprint for the new generation of entrepreneurs who want to live a meaningful and successful life.

Why this book is for you:

• You’re ready to make a difference in the world—through your own start-up business, a not-for-profit organization, or a new project you create within your current job.

• You want to do the things you love, serve people in need, and create a meaningful career—all at the same time.

• You’re inspired by organizations like charity: water, FEED Projects, and Zappos and want to know how you too can give back in extraordinary ways.

• You’re curious how someone who never made a pair of shoes, attended fashion school, or worked in retail created one of the fasting growing footwear companies in the world by giving away shoes.

• You’re looking for a new model of success to share with your children, students, co-workers, and members of your faith-based community.
You’re ready to start something that matters.

You can pre-order the book here.

PB Woodland

I am truly excited! My duvet for the guest bedroom has arrived! I love Pottery Barn, but have only used it has inspiration. I finally purchased my first PB item: PB Woodland Duvet. I just love all the bright colors in it. And not to mention it's organic. I can't wait to redo the guest bedroom. This is probably the most expensive piece of bedding I have ever bought.....but its the focal point/inspiration of the room and I couldn't find anything like it. Plus, it was free shipping - which is pretty good if you have ever bought anything from PB. The shipping on this duvet was going to be like $14....Geez!

TGIF!!

Shadow Puppets

When Stephen and I were watching TV last night, we look outside the window because all of a sudden the trees when from being normal to been sideways due to high winds (at least 60 mph). It was crazy! And quite scary. Within minutes, our power went out. It was raining, VERY windy, and loud. We went and got candles and such.
But what was so funny about this whole thing is Stephen really wanted to see his favorite show "Memphis Beat" at 9:00PM. We ended up doing shadow finger puppets on the wall with my cell phone flash light for entertainment. How said and. Major Nerd alert!!
When Steve left for work, we still didn't have power. Hopefully it will be on when I get home. But, I hear that the storms are coming back at 4:00-4:30. AWESOME.

Tribute: My Dad

Dear Dad,

On Father's Day, I want to say that I love you. You have been a major support system in my life. And I don't mean just financially! You have always been a great encourager, protector, comedian, friend, and tender-hearted. You always knew what to say at the right time - especially during the really hard conversations! (Gotta love the serious/silliness techniques). I know I haven't always been the easiest child to parent, but I sure appreciate every single thing you did to make my life easier. Thank you for working so hard and sacrificing things for Joel and I. I know he sure appreciates everything you and mom have done for him over the years as well!

One of my fondest memories of us is when we lived in Colorado Springs. Sometimes when mom and I would wait for you to get out of work, you would let me sit in the semi truck with you and let me "steer" the wheel. I will never forget that! I thought I was so cool. Another one of my fondest memories was when we drove all the way through Illinois to the southern tip of Wisconsin to drop of a mold for Uncle Steve. When we were in Illinois, we stopped in and saw your family. I will never forget Grandpa K telling me, "Boy your a big girl!" and how he said it made it sound like I was 500lbs! Haha. I loved being able to spend that much Daddy/Daughter time. I also remember the time when I wrecked my car and you spent the whole morning taking it apart and fixing the radiator. That really meant alot to me.

But one of my favorite memories was when Stephen asked you if he could marry me. I wasn't there, but I heard you said with a straight face, "If you hurt my daughter, I'll kill ya." And you couldn't hold in the laughter but 10 seconds. And then we come to my wedding. How handsome you looked in the suit. I know it was stressful with your fittings and even just the wedding planning period. But thank you for giving me the privilege of walking down the aisle with me.

If there was only one think that I could thank you for it would be for what an example you have been and are to Stephen. Thank you for showing him what a true, godly man looks like. Ironically, I married someone with your sense of humor as well! It's just been such a blessing to have you in my and our life. Thank you so very much!!

Dad, I will always be your little girl and I want you to know that I love you very much.

Happy Father's Day!!

PS....I wish I had a photo of us when I was younger with me to post. :) 

Your Daughter,

The Office: Art / Fabric

As I have said in my previous post about the office, I am painting the office Sherwin Williams "Swanky Gray." *Love* But, I also wanted to show you the different fabrics and artwork I plan to put in the office:

Ashley Silvernell on etsy.com

"To Those About to Rock" print by PJRodio on etsy.com

Grace Kelly Picture on ebay.com

"Black and White Photograph of Wicklow Mountains in Ireland"
by RealImages on etsy.com

Custom Wedding Date Print
by AppleBlossomPrint on etsy.com

KeepCalm Shop on etsy.com



tonicliving.com

tonicliving.com

tonicliving.com

tonicliving.com



tonicliving.com



Thrifty Never Felt So Good

Yesterday while I was doing my 100th scroll through Craigslist, something set caught my eye. Someone was selling their dining set consisting of a solid wood rectangle table with leaf and 4 chairs. The asking price was $200. Looking at the pictures, it looked like a really nice dining set! The seller said they had originally bought it at Haverty's for $800.

I started communicating with Keri, the seller, and come to find out that they never used the set until a few months ago!! It's virtually brand new. Suppressing my excitement, I kindly and gently asked if the price was negotiable or firm. She said she would take it for $175!! I was so excited!! I went right after work yesterday to her [really nice] neighborhood and talked with her for a while. Her family was getting ready to expect their 3 child and needed to make room. What an incredibly nice woman!

With that said, we are picking up our new dining set tomorrow morning! I would post pictures of it, but the CL ad was already taken off. But, I will make sure I take pictures and post soon! I have plans for this table eventually. But it is nice the way it is for now. :-)

Also! The other day I also bought a nice wooden drafting table on CL for $25! You can't beat that price! Since I have been seriously considering going back and getting my Interior Design degree, I think it would be a perfect addition to my office. :)

Have a Happy Friday, Ya'll!!

Carpe Diem,

Why Not Stick to Shoes?

In Spring Break '09, my best friend and I ventured out on the open road to Southeastern University (my college) for their 3rd Annual National Leadership Forum. It was one of the most life-impacting thing that I have ever experienced. We got to see some of the most well-known mentors and leaders of today. To give you an example, some of the people that spoke were Ken Blanchard, Megyn Kelly from Fox News, Matthew Barnett of the Dream Center, and my most favorite, Erwin McManus. If you have ever heard Erwin speak, I think you know what I am talking about! I didn't and couldn't take any notes because I was afraid I was going to miss something he said. He was INCREDIBLE! I love his books as well.

Anywho, every year SEU gives a discipleship/leadership type of award to one person. That year we went, Blake McCoskie of TOMS was the one receivig the award. At the time, I didn't know who the heck Blake was or even what TOMS was. When Blake received his award, I was blown away at what all he has accomplished, especially at a young age. I was truly touched and inspired. After the ceremony, SEU actually had set up their gym as a place for people to go learn more about TOMS and even purchase some. The first pair I ever bought were these green tye-dye TOMS. I cherish them still even though they probably should be tossed out from so much use. Since then, TOMS has grown tremendously by offering different shoe styles, colors, and even limited edition designer TOMS. Not to mention child/youth sizes.

Over the past few months, Blake announced that they will no longer be a shoe company, but a One for One Company. They held us all in suspense for at least a 1-2 months waiting to see what the new TOMS product will be. But, since I am nice, I will tell you right now. It's Eyewear! TOMS is now taking on a new set of needs: sight. I am truly excited about this and hope to get a pair in the new future ($135-$145 a pair). I don't really look at what it costs me, but how much it would/could cost someone else who doesn't receive the eyecare they need.

With all this being said, I really do have a purpose for prefacing what I want to say. I received an e-mail this morning from Blake McCoskie, Founder of TOMS. Normally I don't take the time to read these type of emails, but today I decided to. I am so glad I did.

One of the things that he said really touched me. I have been feeling for quite some time the Lord putting a desire in my heart to create, develop, and help people in their time of need - whatever that may be. He said, "I would argue that whatever chance we might be taking in a business sense, it is a small one compared to dealing with my conscious in the quiet morning hours knowing that we could have helped so many more people in many more ways with our model and movement, but instead played it safe." Blake goes on to say that they had to get to a certain place in the company and in the community for the One for One concept to become a One for One Company. This took four years in the making and it was well worth the time, patience, and responsibility.

Carpe Diem,

First Project: The Office

I am SUPER excited about my first ever project in the house: The Office. I was lucky enough to receive 2 FREE metal desks that someone needed to get rid of. Obviously I jumped on that! Over the past several weeks when I have had time, I worked on the desk. That's right, just one of them. Since this is my first project, I wasn't sure of what direction I wanted to go with it. I had a general idea. With several hours of taping, painting, taping, and some more painting, here is the desk [almost] finished:

Before:

 After:

I still need to retouch the granite gray color and put the handles back on. I am still deciding whether or not I want to paint the handles the gray or leave the shiny silver. Any thoughts?

Also, something I am really excited about is the paint color I picked for the room. It took me forever to pick something out that I liked. With the help of Sherwin Williams online painting tool, I got to see what it will look like with the paint color I picked out! It's called "Swanky Gray." It is a purple-ish gray. LOVE IT!

Sherwin Williams "Swanky Gray"

I plan to paint the room tomorrow/Saturday, so hopefully I can finish the desk and have it in there with it painted! I will post pics of this final step. :)

Thanks,

Catching Up

Sometimes I feel like I am always catching up on the things I love to do. Like writing on in this blog! I always have well-meaning intentions of doing so, but somehow it doesn't seem to get done. It amazes me how much has happened in a month. Stephen and I went to visit his family in Kentucky/Indiana for Memorial Day weekend. That went really well and it was nice to relax this trip. I will hopefully start to post pictures soon! My stupid laptop has gotten another virus and all the pictures I have downloaded are one there. I don't plan to touch it until I can download the pictures back onto a thumb drive.

Toodles!

Repost: Mysterious Ways

One of my fave blogs is Team Fuest. What a wonderful couple! They are currently in the process of getting all the paperwork finished, so that they can adopt a child in Ethiopia. Kristen posted this story that a friend shared with her. When I read it, I teared up! It amazes me how God works.

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

My husband and I sat at our dining-room table filling out the forms that would decide the future of our family.

For two years, we’d tried to have a child. But infertility forced us to rethink our plans. We’d prayed and prayed about what to do and every sign had led us here, to this form that would officially start the process of adopting a child from Russia. Now I felt an incredible, powerful surge of confidence that we were doing the right thing. I signed the bottom and wrote the date, March 17, 2004.

That confidence carried me through the grueling months ahead. Costs for background checks, processing fees and other requirements were high. Putting together the documents that described us, our home, our health and our finances took months of paper-chasing, visits from a social worker and repeated trips to government offices. Finally we completed everything and waited to hear from the adoption agency.

Then the Russian government changed its international adoption laws. What should have been a few months of waiting lasted more than a year. Had we really followed God’s will? I started to wonder about the sense of confidence I’d felt the day we signed the forms.

In the spring of 2006, we got a call from the adoption agency. “There’s a boy in one of our orphanages in southern Russia,” the person said. “We’re e-mailing you the pictures.”

He was a sweet little redhead, two years old. It was love at first sight. We made our travel plans. Halfway across the world, in Volgograd, Russia, my husband and I found what we’d been praying for. The boy was shy at first, but soon he was playing and cuddling with us. I held him and didn’t want to let him go.

“He has some minor medical problems,” the orphanage director warned, reading through the boy’s file. “We don’t know who his parents were. He was abandoned when he was just a few weeks old.”

I looked at my husband. Did any of that matter? He was meant for us, wasn’t he? The director peered down at the boy’s file again.

“He was found by a police officer,” she said, “on March 17, 2004.”

- Pamela Freeman, Tucson Arizona

365 Days Ago

On May 8th of last year, I married my best friend, my one true love, and my knight-in-shining-armour. These past 365 days have been the most amazing, challenging, fun, exciting, and rewarding time of my life. I have heard it said that usually the first year of marriage is the hardest. At times it has been challenging, but you always have to fight for what you truly want. I joked with Stephen and said now that we have made it the first year, it should be smooth sailing from here! He laughed. :)

Looking back, it amazes me how much God has blessed us. We have a beautiful home, new car, great jobs, and quickly paying off our debt! Who could ask for anything more? We are enjoying this journey that the Lord is leading us on and are looking forward to what He wants us to do in the future. We are also truly blessed for the incredible people we have around us who are helping guide, mentor, and direct us in the adventure called marriage. We couldn't have done it withou them!

So with that being said, Stephen Thomas Richardson, I love you with all my heart and only you can make my heart smile. Since the first time we kissed to the day we said I do a year ago Sunday, I have never looked back. You are truly my soulmate and I look forward to what the future holds for us. I pray the Lord will continue to guide us on His path. You are more than I could ever have prayed for or asked for. I love you more.

God gave me you. :)

Oh Hail No!

How time flies when you are....trying to catch up with life!! I have been wanting to write for sooo long it's not even funny. Last week was definitely interesting with all the tornados, hail, rain, wind, etc. Thankfully, our house or cars didn't sustain any damage.

However, we did have a guy cut down our tree last Tuesday night. It is one of those situations where a guy is looking for work, tells you his sob story, and then says he will cut down your tree for $125. Surprisingly, Stephen said yes to the guy. I was pretty sick all last week with a sinus/head cold thing, so I wasn't sound to make any true decisions. The guy cut down our tree, but before he could get any more work done, it started to rain really bad. He said he would come the next day and finish the work. He even left his chain saw. So, Stephen [unfortunately] paid him, and he came the next day....and got his saw.

He came back the following night to say he was sorry he couldn't get the work finish since his chainsaw blew up and it was currently being repaired. He had the audacity to ask if he could borrow a $100 to pay for the repairs! Then asked for a ride home since he walked all the way to our house. Needless to say, we haven't seen him since.

Come Friday, Stephen went home during lunch to check to see if the tree had been done. Someone with the city was parked in our driveway. Someone in our neighborhood called the city and complained about our tree. Really?? It had been there less than a week! Not to mention all the hail and storms we had. I would of at least expected them to at least come to us first and talk about it. Oh well. The guy with the city actually was quite surprised as to why they were called. The tree still looked fresh (duh!). He told us that we could put the brush at the side of the curb and the city will come pick it up.

Well the tree is done now. We worked on it Saturday for a couple of hours. The stump is still there and I need to move the logs to the backyard for firewood. The lawn needs to be mowed really badly.

I am thankful that none of our stuff or house were damaged in the storm. I pray for the families that did!

Living Eternally - Francis Chan

This video is very true. I love Francis Chan. Enjoy.

Etsy Love

My name is Abby and I am addicted to Etsy.

I simply LOVE going through etsy to get my creative juices flowing. Maybe one day I will sell my own stuff on there! There is just so much creativity out their yet to be discovered. And it's wonderful. I have only ever received 1 item from etsy. Hopefully there will be more in the future!

Future [First] Project

Last week, I received two FREE metal desks that look very similer to this: To be honest, this wasn't in the plan of how I was going to design my office!! But, since it was free, my mind has gone absolutely wild with crazy awesome ideas in how to incorporate these into a design that I like. I was originally thinking "retro architect studio" type, but after seeing this picture, I think I found my true inspiration for the office using these metal desks! :

For some reason this picture opened up a PLETHORA of ideas and inspirations. I will hopefully be able to start the office makover when my hubby gets his bonus for passing his insurance licensure. :)

Blessings,

Petting?

Stephen and I have been thinking for the past while of the "D" word: Dog. Should we take on the responsbility of becoming a dog owner? Or should we just not even go there? I am not sure when/if we will get one, but a major part of me wants it to be soon! Being a woman, I have an insatiable urge for nurturing. It's in my genes! That is the way God designed me. :) And since we aren't quite ready for the big "B" word (aka Baby!), getting a dog would be a great way for me (and us) to share our love and home.

We have been looking at local shelters, craigs lists, etc at what type of breed we like. I want a shedless dog. He loves corgies. I love yorkies. We'll just have to see what will happen! Besides, almost all of our neighbors have dogs and it is a great environment to have one.

If it's meant to be, it will be. :)

Easter Egg Wreath

Good evening, ya'll!

As I was going through my routine of checking out my fave DIY/Craft blogs, I came across a really cute and easy easter decoration.

I thought I might share. :)

A Review: Francine Rivers

One of my favorite authors of all time is Francine Rivers. Have you ever read anything by her? If you haven't, you need to! Here are the ones I have read so far:

I love the style of how Francine Rivers writes. She gets you completely sucked into the characters. It almost feels like you are actually there with the character experiencing everything they felt. I can't say that I love one more than the other. They all are so completely different from themselves that they simply cannot be compared. The first book I read, Redeeming Love, I didn't think she could outdo herself in anything else. Boy, was I wrong! I always say this after each book I read by Francine.

As stated above, I am currently reading Leota's Garden. It's a story about an older women whose family isn't apart of her life until recently when her granddaughter seeks out a relationship with her (despite her mothers disapproval). To be honest, this is my second attempt with reading this book. For some odd reason, I couldn't get into reading it! I am thankful that I decided to pick it pack up. I am enjoying it immensely.

If you want to find out more about Francine Rivers, click here.