PotteryBarn

I love PotteryBarn. I think anyone who knows me very well at all, knows I am obsessed with PotteryBarn. I love the colors they use, the simple way they display things. The way they organize the belongings we all have in our homes.

So today a girlfriend and I went to our first PotteryBarn design class. We went with little, but high standards. We weren't sure what to expect, but we expected it to be good. We were a little disappointed, but I will say it was fun to get out of the house and into a place filled with visual inspiration. After the class was finished (did I mention we were a bit disappointed?) we walked around the store pointing out things we liked, what we were thinking would be our next big purchase (or our first big purchase), what inspired us and why. It was fun to bounce ideas off each other, and to see what we were drawn to. When i returned I thought it would be fun to spend 10 minutes or so on the PotteryBarn website and pick out what I would want for my living room to achieve the look I am going for. As if somebody were to say, "Guess what! you have 10 minutes to pick out a free prize from PB!" So here goes:




these end tables, but probably in white.

this lamp doesn't look like much in the picture, but in real life, it is very cool- looks like an old antique.

white or offwhite slipcovers for my couches.

a rug for warmth... although I really want a hair-on hide rug.

and I like these curtain rods... but I like lots of curtain rods. they don't have to be these rods.

Is that

Santa Claus??

Right before Christmas I walked out of my craft room to find this....

Somebody handsome inside of my chimney.

Who could that be? Santa, is that you?

Oh it's Brandon!! My handsome husband!

Hi Honey! Yep, this is bloggable. =)

Let your God

be great everyday in 2008.
I drive by this reader board each day on my way home from work. It just strikes me for some reason. Let MY God... be great EVERYDAY. Wow, I can do that. It's up to me. I need help, I need to remember that, I need to pray for that, but I can do it.
These past few weeks I have been tired, disconnected, and unfocused.
I haven't done anything inspiring or crafty in my craft room.
I haven't felt connected to my husband.
I am tired.
I am feeling like there is so much to do in my classroom.
I barely get the house vacuumed on the weekends before I need to drive back up the river. However, the sun came out yesterday for a few hours. It was so nice.
I opened up our windows, I stood outside and looked at my yard.
I got a few things done in the craft room and around our house.
I napped.
I am hoping that if I can keep my Lord great each and everyday, thing will start to look up. I know the days will begin to get sunnier, both literally and figuratively. I know this cold will go away. My mood will lift. Life is good, and life will be good.

25 Things I will never get tired of...

1. the smell of freshly cut grass
2. snow
3. the smell of fresh rain when it hasn't rained in a long time
4. watching thunder/lightening storms
5. my husband
6. watching kids laugh
7. my c.c. cookies
8. a clean house
9. an organized house
10. family
11. decorating
12. photography
13. journals
14. rodeos
15. my wedding ring
16. being artistic
17. being a teacher
18. potterybarn
19. target
20. jeans
21. my friends
22. having my hair done
23. oregon
24. my church
25. my own classroom

Simplify

My new word for the year 2008 is simplify.
In Merriam Webster's Dictionary,
simplify is defined as: to make simple or simpler: as a: to reduce to basic essentials b: to diminish in scope or complexity

I have decided that I want my life to be simple. This decision came years ago, and now is the time to get serious about it. I want my actions to be simple, I want my life to be simple. I want to simplify the belongings in my possession, and to focus on the important things in life.
I had a few other words floating around in my mind... last year my word was accomplish. I had lots of things to accomplish with a short time line, and it all worked. I was also thinking about celebrate (celebrate the first year of my marriage, a new home with my new husband, a new job at a new grade level), attitude, give, organize, adventure, and appreciate. Hoping to incorporate these words into my daily life also, but will focus mostly on simplifying my life. Wish me luck.

Tubing at the Autobahn

Yesterday Brandon and I went up to Hoodoo Ski Resort with a group of friends to go tubing at the Autobahn. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was so much fun!!!
We bought the all day pass, and grabbed a tube after putting all of our cold weather gear on. There is a tow rope to pull you to the top and then the hardest part of your day is deciding which run you want to go down. Brandon and I chose runs right next to each other the first time, and I remember thinking as I was speeding down the hill... "holy crap, this is so fast!". And Brandon was thinking... "What is so safe about this?" But it was a blast and so we got in line to do it again. In all there were five couples and also 6 small kiddos. We all went over and over and over. Even the kids who are as young as 3 were going by themselves in tubes, and not one adult sat out for more than 5 min. It was great and it snowed so hard the whole day. I did take some pictures, but they are mostly of other people's kids (so I wouldn't post them) and the rest that I COULD post are on a camera that I don't have a way of uploading them to my computer. So those will come later.
When it was time to leave we all hugged and headed out. However, there was a car accident right below the ski resort, so we sat on the highway NOT moving for 10 min. or so. So... we turned that into an adventure, we turned around and headed to Sisters for Pizza. We ended up getting a hold of 3 other couples and we had a great time visiting one more time. By the time we finally got back over the mountain it had snowed so hard and so much.. so the roads were quite an adventure, and then there was even snow in town. =) So that was fun.
To see the hill at Hoodoo click here: www.hoodoo.com/autobah.htm

Nothing to say

no, I haven't forgotten about the blog world. I just haven't felt like I really have anything great to post about. I do though.
I also feel like I don't have great pictures to share. I do though.
Maybe it's that I don't have any energy. I don't. I really don't. I'm getting better, my funk is starting to lift, so maybe I will post sometime soon about something interesting with some great pictures. Until then, here is our update...
We were in Eastern Oregon for a week exactly.
We celebrated Christmas three times.
We went sledding and built a huge bon fire out of a slash pile.
I saw a couple good friends in Hermiston.
I tried to watch my cousin play basketball in PR, the game was cancelled as I was driving there.
I visited with my whole entire family on my dad's side, plus my grandma on my mom's side.
I worked on a project for my mother in law.
I watched the snow fall.
I went back to work again on Wednesday.
I lost my cell phone, and found it again in the middle of our street.
My husband nearly broke his finger.
We are going sledding again this weekend with our Hamilton friends.
and hopefully we are going to get back into the swing of things and get our energy back!