Kitchen Upgrade

Out with the old and in with the new. That has been one theme in our household this summer. First it was the fence. Currently it's our kitchen. We are really happy with our granite choice {Santa Cecilia} and think the countertops looks great. We are planning on painting the cabinets next and I've narrowed the choices down to two paint colors. Excited about the fresh, new look. Be back soon with the finished kitchen...

Happy B-day, Momma!

Today is my mom's birthday. If you don't have the pleasure of knowing her, you're missing out. She's one incredible lady. My mom has always been a great spiritual leader in the home as well as a hard worker in the business world. Family is a priority too, which is hard to come by these days. Moreover, my mom rocks! Last night we celebrated her special day with dinner at Corbett's. It was great being together, as always. Happy b-day, mom!

The Heat Is On

These are my Confessions

I confess I don't brush my hair every day
I confess I love a clean house
I confess I paint over my chipping toenail color instead of getting a pedicure
I confess I visit Target at least twice a week
I confess I eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon
I confess I shop the sale rack of JCrew and Banana
I confess I pray for world peace
I confess I am a sucker for a good, romantic comedy
I confess I snack all day long during the summer
I confess I dream of becoming a mom
I confess I wish I still lived with my sisters so I could share their wardrobe
I confess I smile every time Hurley greets me
I confess I watch Keeping up with the Kardashians
I confess I like to lay around and do nothing with Andrew
I confess I enjoy family game night
I confess I want to visit Disney World before kids
I confess I daydream of owning a home in Colorado
I confess I would rather go out to eat than cook
I confess I like long walks on the beach
I confess I wear a size 9.5 shoe
I confess I loved registering for my wedding
I confess I don't want to go back school

What are you confessing today?

History of Rap

I have always loved a good beat. And music in general, really. Hip hop {clean version only, please} is one of my favorite genres to bust a move to and sing along with. I also love Justin Timberlake. He's such an incredible talent {singing, acting, dancing} and absolutely easy on the eyes {hello, gorgeous}. Well, JT was on Jimmy Fallon with the Roots and the videos below are hilarious dedications to the best rap songs of the past 30 years. The two rap with flawless rhythm not missing a beat, literally. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Freshman Academy Retreat

I spent the morning at school, working with my colleagues who also teach at the freshmen level, discussing higher expectations, non-negotiables, intervention plans, and standards based grading for the upcoming school year. I won't bore you with details, but basically we believe all kids can learn and it's our job to figure out how to do it. Together we can develop the skill and maintain the will to continually strive toward ALL kids at HIGH levels in a PERSONALIZED environment.

After a few hours working to make sure we are all on the same page, we drove to Jefferson Memorial Forest where we participated in team building activities. This retreat engaged all participants in discovering solutions to unique obstacles. It was really fun being with my peers outside of school. We learned a lot about each other as we encouraged one another through the various challenges and had some good laughs along the way.

Party of Five Photography

Wanted to let you know about a wonderful friend and super~talented photographer, Lisa Russell, from Party of 5 Photography. Lisa used to babysit me and has been a huge encourager throughout my life. She is a mom to three cute kiddos and such an inspiration when it comes to raising a Godly family. I am kinda biased about her work below {my precious family} but know that all of her work is just as beautiful.

Biblical Far Side Cartoons

Go for the Fences

Andrew and his dad are amazing! They have been working so hard {in this unforgiving heat for that matter} to finish our backyard fence. The original fence was built with the house about 25 years ago and was deteriorating fast. The guys work well together {they made an assembly line of sorts} and only took a couple days to construct the perfect new one. Thanks for your hard work; it looks great!

Just Do It

If you know me at all, you know that I'm obsessed with Nike. I guess it started with my love of Michael Jordan in the 80s and has grown to other athletes and sports' teams nationwide. Their products are just so cute and comfortable. It definitely doesn't help {the wallet} being married to someone who likes the Swoosh even more than me. We love the global brand and often sport our Nike gear around town.

Great news for us... a Nike Factory Store is coming to Louisville! Sometime in mid~Oct, it will make it's debut in the Shelbyville Road Plaza {along with Trader Joe's and Quest!} So excited about the retail space filling up again {we all remember the downfall of Circuit City and Linens 'n Things} and hope the companies do well. I know that husband and I will hit up all three stores a lot!