Why gum and four year olds shouldn't mix...

At least it wasn't the carpet this time...

My DIY Kick...

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you've probably gathered that I'm completely obsessive compulsive. Yeah, trying to work on that. The main thing I'm OCD about is my house. I'm a clean freak and my blood pressure rises when my house is out of order (not that that keeps it from getting out of order - it's more of a let it go until I freak out type thing).

Anyway, I also am OCD about decorating my house. I know in my head exactly what I want things to look like and therefore my rooms stay sort of bare because I have a hard time finding exactly what I want. Also, I have a hard time spending gobs of money on my house. (Ok, well, my husband has a hard time being ok with me spending gobs of money on the house.)

March marked a year that we've been in our house and it's still pretty bare. My latest project has been our bedroom. Previous posts on the headboard and built in entertainment center. The one thing that's been driving me crazy are the cheap looking lamps that have graced our nightstands. So, for quite some time I've been on the lookout for lamps to no avail. Everything is so expensive!

My friend Mandy recently sent me a link to this blog. I love it. This chick is super woman for sure. She does the neatest stuff in her house. Check it out.

So this got me on one of my "do it yourself" kicks. I'll go at it and then poop out, so I should enjoy it while it's here. For my birthday, I found some $30 lamps at TJ Maxx that were adorable wood painted white. The shades were not so great. They had this horrible navy blue tropical/nautical/gross pattern on them. I figured I could always buy new shades, but the shape of these are exactly what I was looking for. So I painted them. The paint job is messy (I'm not too great with painter's tape on a slightly sloping surface), but will do for now. All in all, I'm pleased!

Also, this is my great grandmother's chifferobe that has been in my bedroom since I was a baby in a crib, so when I got married, it moved in with us. The only thing is, we've never had tall ceilings until now, so I got a bunch of junk from Hobby Lobby (love it!) to go on top. It's amazing what some dried sticks can do.

I'm looking for a good seamstress in Jackson to make some pillows and curtains. If you know of anyone, please let me know!

Nashville

I mentioned before that we were leaving for Nashville on my birthday. For the past few months we have been helping out with the college ministry at our church and we went for a collegiate ministry conference with our friends the Braddys. We both felt led to work with college students. I know for me, it was because if ever there were a time where I needed that support system, it was in college. The opportunity kind of fell in our laps and it has been such a blessing in our lives and our marriage.

So on my birthday God decided to slap me around a little bit. You know when someone's sleeping and you slap them in the face and yell, "WAKE UP!" ? Yeah, it was just like that - a divine rude awakening.

David Platt brought the message Thursday night and he didn't hold back a bit. He "brought" it in every sense of the word. He began by talking about how ministry is often sugarcoated. In one part he said we often talk about how God loves the sinner, but hates the sin. That's simply not the case. He mentioned Psalm 5:5: "The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You HATE all who do wrong." So my bubble was burst. We often underestimate God. We view him as a loving teddy bear that is there when we need Him when in fact, although he is loving and gracious, He is also a powerful, angry God with an enormous wrath. He is angry and our sinful nature needed someone to come and make us right with God. And He did.

Throughout the Bible, God's wrath is often referred to as in a "cup." The very cup Jesus prayed would be taken from him the night he was crucified. I guess my feeble mind always assumed that Jesus sweat blood because he was scared of dying and the torture that it would entail. But Platt talked about the cup and it became clear. God's wrath, his anger towards all of us sinful people, was poured out like a torrent on Jesus. Platt said, "He turned the cup of God's wrath up, swallowed every last drop, and threw it down and cried out, 'It is finished.'" That blew me away. I needed to be reminded about the gift that Jesus gave. He made us right with God by taking on our sins, our wrongdoings and I owe Him every aspect of my life and nothing less.

Pumped!

So today I opened my mailbox and was so happy to find the current issue of Mississippi Magazine, along with the annual Home & Gardens supplement. On the cover of the supplement was a picture of the home of Emily & John Decker. I wrote the story on the Deckers' home and the total renovation that made it as gorgeous as it is today. Goal: Get a story in Mississippi Magazine, check!

Pick up a copy!

Creeping out of my twenties... slowly but surely.

Well, tomorrow is my big day. Another year older. We'll be headed to Nashville tomorrow for a conference and will be back on Saturday (I'm sure I'll post about it when I get back). I've convinced my husband to take me to lunch today though, since he wouldn't have thought of doing it himself. :)

I won't be out of my 20s, but I'm getting closer to staring 30 in the face (ok, I'm probably being a little overdramatic). Someone asked me the other day if I dreaded 30, if it was an age that scared me and I have to say, it really doesn't. I think 30 will be great. I think the problem with your 20s is the fact that many people don't take you seriously. They still consider you a kid (and I kind of like it!). So maybe when I'm 30, people will acknowledge the fact that I'm an adult. I'll have a nine year old at that point too, so surely that should help.

Plus, basically every one of my friends is older than me, so they'll all be well into their thirties, or maybe even their forties, so I'll still be a spring chicken!

What's going on?

So clearly spring has sprung, because the last place I want to be is in front of my computer...

Here's what we've been up to:

My wonderful handyman of a husband made this for our bedroom. Pardon the teeny television, cords hanging everywhere, and really scarce looking shelves. We have to buy a new TV and it will hang on the wall in the blank space you see. Then he'll drill holes all over the place to hide the cords, at least that's my understanding. It's my job to make the shelves look good, and so far I haven't touched them except for moving books out of boxes and onto the shelves. A work in progress, but I'm so lucky to have a handy husband.

We also have been dogsitting my in-laws' goldendoodle Moses. Let me tell you, he is such a sweet dog, but it was like having a third baby. I'm going to have to hold off on getting a puppy. My kids love him though!

Also, again thanks to my super handy husband, we now have a patio herb garden. He built the big red box, mounted it to our deck and we planted basil, rosemary, mint, sage, tomatoes, banana peppers, and bell peppers. Can't wait to cook with them soon!

I promise I'll do better about posting... stay tuned.

Easter!

So it's been a while, I know. It's been a busy few weeks, although I'm not exactly sure why. Here are my sweet girls on Easter -

Look...

what I just found in the legustrum outside our front door. Yay for Spring!

So this is becoming a problem...

Until recently, I've never purchased anything on Ebay. By nature, I'm a bargain shopper, so I knew that a site that offers nothing but good deals was something that I should probably stay away from. I don't like paying full price for anything, so if I don't find a good deal, I don't spend the money. But Ebay is trouble. Good deal after good deal eventually equals money I shouldn't be spending. Starving writers should keep away from this site, although I've convinced myself I'm lucky that my husband didn't set out to be a starving writer, so it's all good.

Thanks to my friend Andi's tutorial on Ebay, I'm addicted. And I thought facebook was habit forming. I've spent the last hour and a half scouring Ebay, but I'm proud to say I didn't end up buying anything, just simply wasted time. Hmm...I guess I shouldn't be proud of that either.

But - also thanks to Andi, I've been roaming around my house looking for things that might sell on Ebay. So far I've made around $150 on Ebay, so husband isn't complaining too much.

Thank you (I think!), sweet Andi for rubbing off on me. Hopefully as a result, my kids will be dressed as cute as yours!

It's a miracle!

In previous posts, I've expressed my frustration with my four-year-old's consistent thumb sucking. Well, at long last, it has stopped, thanks in no part to her willpower or determination. Our pediatric dentist, Dr. Josh Wren, suggested I order some Mavala Stop online and I'm telling you, it has worked like a charm. At first, it was rough, because she would get tired and not know how to soothe herself, but now, she's not a thumbsucker!

Madison County Magazine

Since its first issue in December I've been writing for Madison County Magazine and it really has been a lot of fun. I have met so many interesting people from around the Jackson area. This month, I wrote a story on the Martinson family. Billy Martinson started Green Oak Nursery in Jackson and Garden Works in Ridgeland. He was so much fun to interview and their family is so interesting. The cover shot is of Billy's son Allen and his wife Mimi, who now own Garden Works.

I love having been able to see this magazine improve with each issue and am having so much fun with this group of people. So if you see a copy, pick it up! You can read this issue online here.

Wingard Home need

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know how special the Wingard Home is to my heart. I received this email from Charlotte this morning:

Crack House next door for sale!
This is a grand opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a MIRACLE! The big old two-story house next door to us on West Street has been a boarding house with a bad reputation for as long as we have been on the block (13 years in May). The first of February, the owner, Mark Samsel, told us that he would sell to our ministry for $39,000; then he said he would give us about a month to raise the money to purchase. We have asked God to give us direction, tools, volunteers who are willing to clean-up and fix-up the house, and the money to purchase it. God has given us a vision for the house and it's purpose in the ministry here on West Street. It will be a welcome addition to the ministry campus in that we are needing space desperately.

The thing I am most passionate about is the purchasing of that house, anointing it for God’s work, and being able to use it in this neighborhood for accomplishing good things in people‘s lives; instead of allowing it to continue housing crack dealers, prostitutes, thieves, killers, drunks, and addicts.

The reason I am bringing it before you today is to give you the opportunity to be a part of this purchase. We are gathering quickly to take advantage of the owner’s offer to sell. So many times, people have said to me that they could have helped with a need if I had made them aware of the needs. I am doing just that….making you aware. FACTS:house is a two story on a regular size lotit is connected to our Chapel lot (the old laundry building)the address is 1265 N. West Street, Jackson, MSMark & Mary Samsel are the ownersThere was a fire in the second story north side room A contractor has looked at the damage & fix up is possible....it is able to be restored!Purchase price is $ 39,000. for the ministry We claim this property for the Kingdom of GOD! * If we can just find 100 people to contribute $390., then we will be able to purchase and secure this house for the ministry.

If you can't help, PRAY! and forward this to your e-mail list. All God needs is a willing vessel.

Seizing every opportunity for ministry,
Charlotte Wingard


The Wingard Home, obviously, is in a rough neighborhood right behind Baptist Hospital, which quite frankly, is exactly where they need to be. This would be an incredible opportunity to first of all, expand their ministry, and second of all, make Jackson a better place bit by bit.

Join me in praying for the Wingard Home and if at all possible, consider donating. You can visit www.wingardhome.org to find out more about this special ministry.

Alone time...well worth the trip!

We had a great time at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear this weekend. Nathan's been stressing out more than usual lately, and well, I just like to take trips, so this weekend was exactly what we needed. It was so nice to just hang out together with no interruptions. We went to the Wash House restaurant for dinner, which was delicious and then on Saturday we walked around the hotel grounds and Fairhope.

You all know how much I love Mississippi, but I would move to Fairhope in a heartbeat. It was such a neat place.

The Grand was incredible - much better than I thought it would be, actually. I'm already making plans to come back in May with the kids. It was the epitome of an old Southern hotel complete with the most beautiful landscaping and gigantic oak trees. Also, if you know much about me, you know I love cemeteries. Saturday was such a pretty day and we walked around the Confederate cemetery on the grounds. And I'm telling you, spring has sprung on the Mobile Bay. The flowers were GORGEOUS! It made me go home and work in the flowerbeds.

And then we came home... I think our kids were glad to see us, well, at least one of us!

He pulled through!

After having a rough day (both babies were exceptionally whiny today - I know that doesn't constitute a rough day, but in my life, it's rough), my dear, wonderful, sweet husband came home from work and of course I immediately proceeded to tell him how I was a bit tired of cleaning up after everyone and wiping noses.

He casually says, "Good. Friday we're taking our bottle of Cask (the wine he wouldn't let me open since returning from Napa. He's guarding it with his life!) and going to the Grand Hotel and spending the weekend in Fairhope. And I've already arranged for a sitter."

I can't wait! Short drive and a couple of days with my husband. I love my kids, don't get me wrong, but I'm really looking forward to having uninterrupted conversation between the two of us. He remembered!

Tick Tock

So my anniversary is Friday. The deal was that I would plan Valentine's Day (which I did, and did well, I might add), and husband would plan anniversary. I think he has forgotten and I'm not reminding him. Hmmm... I'll keep you updated.

Tis the Season...

Cadbury Creme Eggs. This is possibly my favorite part about Spring. My diet is doomed. I was walking through the grocery store this weekend and the shiny red and blue foil caught my eye. I promptly threw a four pack in my basket and had my way with them when I got home. Milk chocolate with gooey goodness. You can't go wrong. Luckily, after Easter, they disappear for a while. I don't know what I would do if they were around all year.