Kt.log » General

What a Difference Little Changes Can Make

katie — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:00:06 +0000

Last Sunday I started out with the idea that I would be making a few adjustments to our bedroom. I wanted to widen the curtain rods on both windows to open the window up more to let in more light. In order to have enough room for the curtains, I had to move the dressers around.
Well, I started with the changes and couldn’t stop! I added a new quilt I bought from JC Penney for a steal: $40 for a king size! I bought a king even though our bed is a queen because I wanted it to drape off the sides of the bed.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s several thousand to show it off.

Dear Pottery Barn

katie — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:00:57 +0000

Dear Pottery Barn,
Thank you for creating an iPad app full of lovely things to look at like this lovely yellow bed that is calling my name. Next order of business, making this cost less.
Your devoted fan,
Katie

2011

katie — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 14:01:48 +0000

A good start for a New Year

I’ve never made New Year’s resolutions. Like the practice of giving up something for Lent, it was never something my family did so I never thought it important. Enter all the talk about most people giving up on their resolutions before February, I figured it would be a waste of time. Instead of making resolutions, I am going to make goals. Very specific and obtainable goals to use to measure growth this coming year.

1. I am going to spend more quality time with my husband. Sometimes that is hard with his work schedule but if one of us is able to put down the book/phone/laptop, it is going to be me this year.

2. I will take better care of my house and yard. Being a homeowner is a TON of work, most of which is rewarding, so I will concentrate on beautifying the place we call home… even the nasty lawn.

3. I will finish sewing projects that are currently sitting in the craft room partially completed. I have a shirt for Brian, a stack of mending, several garments for reenacting, and housewares all on my to do list. Maybe this will help me to clean out the craft room closet?

4. I will work on decorating the front room in our house. It’s the first thing people see when they walk in our front door and it bothers me that it is still so chaotic. I want to be inspired, save my pennies, find furniture, paint, hang art and make that room one we can comfortably spent time in with friends. Today, I will work on a mood board.

5. I will take care of myself. I will work when I need to so I can enjoy my time off. I will take action against he health concerns that I have (yoga for headaches?), learn new skills, strive to be purposeful and learn to appreciate the woman God has made me.

6. Ending with a 5 point list would be too easy so #6 is to pay off at least 2 loans this year. We have done a lot of talking about this and believe the car loans will be the first to go. Paying off 1 student loan this past year felt so good. Not having car payments every month will be close to miraculous.

How about you? Did you make resolutions or goals for this new year? Are they obtainable?

Psalm 37:3-8

katie — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:07:08 +0000

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Psalm 37:3-8

Down, kitty!

katie — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:26:39 +0000

How many people out there in the internets (sup, people!) have to tell the smallest of their furbabies multiple times daily, “We don’t bite mommy’s curtains,” or “Stop biting my toes”?

Just us? All alone on that one?

Mowgli joined our family a little over 5 weeks ago and is now eating all solid food (!), weighs 2 lbs and climbs ev-er-y-thing (curtains, furniture, us).

Countdown to kitty-mom-doesn’t-have-to-worry-about-her-curtains: 2 months

Disney Countdown 2010: 1.5 days

katie — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:50:03 +0000

We are leaving for a short (probably too short) vacation to Walt Disney World in 1.5 days.

1.5 days!

We haven’t been since our honeymoon 2 1/2 years ago and it’s been killing us. We love it so much we’ve joked about naming our firstborn son Walter after Sir Disney himself.

Have we packed yet? No, of course not! Well, I can’t say that we haven’t packed anything because there are definitely things in the suitcases.

Contents of my suitcase 1.5 days: swim suit, water bottle, traveling purse, motion sickness drugs, lotion, sunblock, park tickets, Disney gift cards, flight confirmation numbers.

Contents of Brian’s suitcase: swim suit.

My goal for this trip is to take twice as many photos as on our honeymoon. I didn’t have my camera on that trip since it got itself lost in the parking lot of our reception site after the rehearsal and didn’t show up until after we got home from Florida. I want to be able to make a photo book or something to remember this by.

Lilacs

katie — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:38:42 +0000

This is my favorite time of the year, mainly because of the lilacs. They’re purple (purple!), delicate, and beautiful. The only thing I cared about in a potential yard when we were house hunting was that there was a lilac tree or space to plant one.

We have one. It’s my favorite.

Other than gazing at flowers, I’ve been extremely unmotivated, feeling lazy and worthless, overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. Bleh.

Scary

katie — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:16:13 +0000

My grandpa went back into the hospital this week Tuesday. He went in because he was having breathing problems and found out the cause was pneumonia. But they also discovered that he has congestive heart failure and likely will never be well again for the rest of his life.

I cannot express in words what Grandpa means to our family. I know everyone feels the same. He has served so many people in his life. He has always been very active and strong. He and Grandma helped me and Brian define our relationship and without their love, encouragement and approval, I don’t know if we’d even be married. Grandpa and Grandma celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last year. They are such a great example of what a strong marriage looks like.

We love them very much.

Trying new (food) things

katie — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:50:58 +0000

DISCLAMER: Not everything I make turns out great. Brian may say it all does but I think he’s blocked out some of the bad ones… like the crock pot bbq chicken. GROSS!

Over the last few months, I’ve been trying out new recipes much more frequently. I got bored with cooking and eating the same things over and over again so I started collecting. I’d ask my mom for favorites when visiting, my mother-in-law gave me a subscription to Taste of Home (I’ve gotten some good ones out of there). Craftster, blogs and allrecipes.com have helped too.

Over the last few months I’ve tried shepherd’s pie (got my husband to eat veggies, including peas, without complaining), chocolate chip fudge cookies, and baked spaghetti.

We’ve talked about making spaghetti sauce to freeze this summer from our garden tomatoes, I found a really tasty looking recipe for pretzel rolls, and have saved at least a dozen others as photos in my phone.

I can’t wait to try them all!

Baby crack

katie — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:34:26 +0000

I was reading a blog earlier written by a woman who had a baby three weeks ago.

3.week.old.baby!

Photos of tiny babies are like highly addictive drugs.

For a woman without children who likes babies as much as I do, that was dangerous territory. Baby photos turn me into some sort of baby-addicted crazy lady. I feel like I need to post a disclaimer: I’m not crazy, I swear but seriously, who can resist such a kissable, lovable face?

(I seriously considered posting a photo of baby feet but changed my mind. Because, eh, feet? *shudder*)