For your weekend enjoyment...

While I am packing, unpacking, and trying to figure out why I need this many shoes..... 

You can spend your day watching me try to stump my nephew on his animal knowledge

I love Liam! .

AK

When you miss your niece and nephews....

Buy furniture.

This is from Junk Yard Painting

She is out of McCloud and has some great pieces.

Enjoy.

AK

I thought I would blog.

But I am just really busy!

Aunt Mimi

List of Dreams.

Oh the dreams have started. For the longest time I wouldn't let myself think about what I wanted to do with my house but that has now changed my friends. I have searched every blog that has the word "cottage" or "shabby chic" in its title.

Here is my current list of dreams. 

 I have always loved chalkboards..... But that gold frame around it! Be still my heart. 

 Love the gathered skirt.

 There is not a place I could put this door but I still want it. And it yellow.

 If anyone finds this table, can make this table, knows a friend of your aunt's cousin that can make it, let me know. I will sell my shoes for this table. 

 The lights over the kitchen bar...... Yes, I will take two. 

This room is everything. Everything I want my house to be. 

Happy. Warm. Friendly. Inviting. Colorful. Peaceful.

As you read this I am currently either in the air or landing in Wilmington, NC. 

Yes, the home of Dawson's Creek. 

As I land I will be singing the theme song.... in my head and dreaming of Pacey. sigh. 

AK 

The day the bushes came down.

These are ugly. These block the view to my red door and future very cute porch. 

This was no job for just any man. There is my sweet Dad as he started to hack at these things.

 Just a little closer look

 My mom left the bushes to my dad and started on the back yard.

How cute does she look pruning that tree? 

 There is where the big dogs were called in.... Neil Arter. The bushes didn't know what happened! 

 Here is Paige. Who makes me feel really cool because she is in 8th grade and likes to hang out with me.

 This is the amazing Arter family who brought over an entire Rover full of neat gadgets that made sprucing up my yard super easy..... And has supplied me with endless ideas for my Dad for Fathers Day.

Gina we missed you in the picture but I knew my house was cool when you said

 "I love your house. I cannot wait to hang out here with you!" 

Look at us standing on red dirt where those bushes stood. I discovered my Dad is very good with an axe. Its always a good thing to know.

I just realized I don't have an after shot of the house. Oops! 

 But this is better than a picture of a bush-less house..... Here is Leyton who I get to meet tomorrow! 

AK 

It was a red nail polish day.

It was also a 4'' heel day. I really wanted new shoes that I would call my "New House" shoes....

Do you name your shoes after the occasions that you bought them for? I do. I thought this was normal...... its not. Its also not normal to be rambling on about shoes, when I could be rambling about buying a house. Which some feel is bigger than buying shoes. I haven't decided yet, both are pretty big occasions.

But yes I bought a house....... And the whole time I was signing the papers, I just kept thinking gosh I hate my signature. ADVICE: If you are a person who loves details, who is all about the details, who's favorite things in life are details....... Practice your signature before going to a house closing. It will just make you feel better.

Here is my house.......

Oh, wait no its not. LJP went to NYC and sent me this picture of  Carrie Bradshaw's front steps. 

Think of the fashion these steps have seen??

Ok here is my real house... With really ugly bushes!

 This picture probably would have been better if my house was in the background.......

But man look how great that street looks. 

Look forward to many updates on my little house. 

AK

Five

Doesn't having a total of 5 nieces and nephews sound perfect?

Let me tell you a story....
Today around 8:45, I logged onto facebook...... Yes, it is one of the first things I do every morning. Its right up there with checking the stock markets...... Oh wait, I don't care about the stock markets. What I meant to say was, right up there with checking Etsy.
As I log on, the first status update I see is from my sister. Now I know that when I went to bed last night she was having contractions and that she wasn't far enough along to be committed....... I mean admitted. :) I also woke up to text that said they were moving her to a private room. I thought ok, some time today I will have my #5. So you can imagine how very very shocked I was when my sister's status read

"We added sweet Leyton Thomas to our family this morning" 

What???? And yes, I did find out through facebook that my nephew had been born. I was the 14th person to comment and I was about 4 hours past his delivery time.

Now this is 100% nobody's fault! My sister did text but for some reason it didn't go through. My mom and other sister thought I knew, so they didn't call. Now was I upset.... Yes! Did I think they purposefully left me out...... for a few seconds, till I realized they would never do that.
Then I started feeling guilty for being mad, for not knowing my nephew existed for 4 hours, and for my sister thinking I didn't care about her having a baby (which you know she thought because I didn't text her back).

But all was forgotten when I saw this...

When I saw this, I just felt blessed.

Leyton Thomas, I may not have known about you for your first 4 hours in this world but I promise, you will be on my heart for as long as the good Lord gives me life.

Aunt Mimi

"Smile! It increases your face value"

 I can't really think of a better way to  honor you, my mother, than to give you this quote from our favorite movie, Steel Magnolias.

  

I might not look like her but my actions, my thoughts, & my mannerisms are all hers. 

Including how we both close our eyes when we laugh.....

AK 

My dream house.

Its a barn and a house in one. What more could a girl ask for?

Go HERE for more pictures... and be prepared to covet this house.

AK

Pancakes

Every Saturday morning my mother would make pancakes for the family. If we got up late, which we usually did, she would just leave the batter out, waiting for us. She knew there was something special about warm butter and sugary syrup.

I have taken my mother's lead, added a few chocolate chips, and found that her little recipe has been the foundation for some life long friendships.

Like with these ladies....

(Sorry your eyes look like satan and sorry that there is a handful of girls missing)

Over pancakes we have discussed/debated

boys,

breakups,

engagements,

diets,

peanut butter on pancakes,

mission trips,

summer plans,

growing up,

single ladies & cats,

and much more.

The topics are endless and laughter contagious. 

I have watched these girls grow as they drink orange juice and pour syrup on their chocolate chip pancakes,  around my cramped little kitchen island, listening to each others hilarious stories. The group has changed, some girls have moved back home, some have gotten married, and I am blessed to have some still here. I have one more year till this group graduates. I am already dreading it.

I raise my orange juice glass and give a toast to one more year of calorie intake while discussing all that is important in our little world.

AK

The impact of the Royal Wedding.

1. It helped me rediscover my dislike of Barbara Walters. She says some of the most ridiculous things.... I finally couldn't handle Barabara talking about suicide repeated times during the wedding. I went to Katie on CBS, which wasn't much better considering what her hair looked like.
2. I set up straighter all day. Royals have the best posture
3. I stopped eating for 5 minutes to be as skinny as Kate.... Then I remembered I wont be in the tabloids any time soon, so I have time before I need to become the size of my thigh.
4. I am looking for reasons to wear a hat. A big hat.... with feathers.

Here is a picture of me in front of Westminster, well the side of Wesminster.

I know its amazing the resemblance between Kate and I.... It could of been me getting married there.... hahhahahhahahhahahahhahahah.

AK