a country fair vs. a redneck affair

at almost a week late....here are a few of my pics from the country living fair. i met up with my mother-in-law who was in town with a few friends of hers. every booth was loaded with treasures and stunning...so stunning in fact, that after the first 5 booths, i got overwhelmed and forgot i had my camera with me! ha!

except when i saw cari from "cash & cari" on hgtv...so after i stared at her for a while, walked by three times, and took some secret pictures, glenda's friends convinced me to ask her if i could have a pic with her! ha! so i did...and then lainey was jealous..because she LOVES that show! AND i even had my new boots on, but they didn't make it into the picture.

that night....brian and i went to a halloween party..where the theme was...well..."welcome to redneck riviera"... ha! and i DO NOT remember the last time i laughed so much and so hard. but only a few of those pics will EVER grace this blogs presence...because what happens at a redneck party...stays at a redneck party.

here's to a good laugh....

the end.

Happy Saturday!

look where i am headed today! whoot!

i can't WAIT...and hopefully i will come back with some goodies! 

hope everyone has a wonderful weekend....

My 35 before 35

today is my 34th birthday...and i am making a list of 35 things i want to do before i turn 35. next year. so that gives me a full 365 days to see how many i can actually check off.  and since i'm keeping in real...i AM going to put a few on the list that are more obtainable than others...because let's be honest here. who doesn't love to see an item crossed off their list???? i first saw this idea here...http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2009/10/my-list.html ...and have been thinking about it ever since.

here is MY list...

35 before 35

1. take a sewing class

2. transfer almost THREE years of pictures off of my computer and onto cds

3. order a canvas of each of the kids 11/13/11

4. finish reading at least two of the books i have started about raising kids

5. get a massage

6. get a professional manicure. my last one was on my wedding day 

7. RUN A HALF MARATHON signed up 11/13/11

8. hem the curtains in our family room

9. hem the curtains in our bedroom

10. volunteer at a soup kitchen

11. give a few homemade gifts this christmas

12. help brian make us a farmhouse table

13. learn how to use the electric drill

14. eat off of our good china at least once a month

15. finish my chicken crate coffee table

16. loose 5-10 lbs. (i'll take 5...would love 10!)

17. have a quiet time at least 3 times a week(even if it's just for 5 min.)

18.  blog more

19. start playing the guitar again

20. learn how to tune my guitar

21. have a girls night out and go sing karaoke

22. have coffee in bed(i NEVER do this!)

23. learn how to make homemade dressing(i'm almost there!)

24. make a quilt

25. make my own chalk paint and try it out on a piece of furniture

26. take more everyday pics of my kids

27. drive to the fox theater and back without getting lost

28. take a girls only trip

29. learn how to do a sock bun

30. have a small garden in the spring

31. take a historic tour of savannah

32. start blog with victoria

33. go see cirque du soleil

34. watch a sunrise at the beach

35. sew pillows for my family room and bedroom 

happy thursday everyone!

Chattanooga

***warning...lots of pictures ahead!

brian and i decided we needed a little "adults only" getaway...and after trying to figure out schedules and baby-sitters and school and dog...we opted to just take the kids with us and have my parents come get them from chattanooga...which was great because we got to be tourists for the weekend! it actually worked out perfectly...and we had a super relaxing weekend....topping it all off with the most AWESOME weather you could ask for! 

we started off at the chattanooga aquarium...

who doesn't love a display you can climb on?

YIKES!

biggest turtle shell

i call this the "bump it" fish

date night for the "bump it" fish...

ok. kids are gone....

beer + view of the river = awesome

rock city...

perfect fall day

dream home!!

ok. hilarious! can you say dumb and dumber???

birthday boots!

and then brian had to sneak in a little history by taking me to a battlefield....

but that's ok...he went with me to my favorite antique store later! 

the patina on this cannon was sooooo pretty! i wanted to bring one home!

133 steps to the top...where is smelled like pee and was swarming with bees!

and here is brian laughing at me...because i was pouting

we met back up with my parents and the kids...and headed home sunday afternoon. it was fun to get away, but i realized this....i can't imagine my life without my kids. the joy they bring us...you just can't imagine. when i was little...all i ever wanted to do was get married and have kids. that's it. even in high school, i never even thought about a career. i know i have my days when i want to "do something" other than be a mommy...but actually i am right where i always wanted to be. what a blessing from god!

ps. my husband is pretty awesome too! ;)

pps. here are a few of us together...taken with my phone!

and last but not least...if you need a good laugh

i was trying to take a pic of us in the funny car while we were at a red light. well...we posed and sat...and it was on video, not picture.

i proceeded to die laughing(please please excuse the horse teeth) while brian sits calmly next to me and calls me a "technological genius"...and that i should run google! 

then he speeds off!

HAHAHAHAHA

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!