Signs of Spring!

I just love planting bulbs in the fall and waiting for them to come up in the Spring!These are Crocus (I think) I planted quite a few in this one area of my front yard. They are only a couple inches tall but I love seeing the color and when they pop their heads up it means Spring is just around the corner!
Such a beautiful creation from God.

Photo Tag

My Mom sent me a photo challenge nearly a month ago and I know I am a slacker for just getting to it but here are the rules:
Go to where you store your photos on your computer.
Go to the SIXTH folder and pick the SIXTH photo.
Post that photo on your blog along with a SHORT story about it.
Tag SIX people and leave a comment on their blog or email them letting them know you chose them.
This is our yellow lab, Abby. She doesn't bark like a normal dog, it sounds more like a combo of a bark and a howl - this is what she is doing in the photo. She does this when she gets excited and here we are camping at the base of the McGrew Trail. It is morning and we are all eating and getting packed up for a day of wheeling and she knows it! She loves running along the trail with the trucks.

I'm tagging:

1. Trisha

2. Tawny

3. Ashlee

I would also tag Tammie but she does not yet have a blog! I look forward to seeing your photos ladies!

Florence Damask

Entri Come Amici, Vada Come Famiglia

(Enter as Friends, Leave as Family)

Here's the Damask pattern I used on the kitchen wall in my dining area. It is a Florence Damask so it is keeping with the Italian color scheme and decor. The red wall is the same color as the other walls but it is a flat finish. The Damask is a mixture of the same red in high gloss finish and Venetian Gold metallic paint. It is fairly subtle and mostly uses the light to reflect and show the pattern.
For those of you who know me, this wall has been white for about 4 years now. I have finally come to terms with the fact I cannot afford a mural to be painted and I certainly don't have the skills to do it myself. I am however quite pleased with how this turned out!

Diva Designs on Etsy.com!

Well, unfortunately we did not get the refinance. Due to low comps in our area, our house did not appraise. While this was very frustrating to hear and I took it pretty hard at first, what I need to keep in mind is God has a plan and He will take care of us. We are not in dire straights, we are not facing foreclosure or anything, we are just sick of paying so much interest!

Anyway, I spent the weekend doing something productive and got a lot of my jewelry posted on etsy.com! Check it out!

Appraisal and a Long Overdue Post

I know I have been a bad blogger lately but Lance and I were back to working on the house and right through the holidays so it's been crazy! Here are some photos of how the house looked for the appraisal today. Please keep us in your prayers - we really need this refinance! We should know the results by Friday!

Front Entry

New Fish Tank cabinet doors Lance built

Front Room

Yes Lance is sleeping - we were up until midnight last night working on the house and he has been working on it the last 2 and a 1/2 days straight!

Dining Room

Kitchen Table w/ Flowers

Main Kitchen counter

Main BathroomTrim work Lance did in our door frame into the main bathroom
Clean back hall w/ our new Doggie Door (best investment ever - except when the raccoon came in)

Laundry Room

Our Office - used to be our bedroom

Our storage room - it may not look clean from this view but you have no idea!

Here is a closer look at the texture Lance did in this room - kinda like venetian plaster
Master Bedroom
Master Closet

What you can't see here is all my shoes at the bottom of this photo - it turned out a little dark

Master Bathroom

That is all for now - keep your fingers crossed for us!

Kreativ Blogger Award

The rules are I have to list 6 things that make me Happy and 6 other bloggers to give this award to!
1. Having a job that I can truly say I enjoy 99% of the time! In this market, that is huge!
2. Having a wonderful husband and a home to call our own.
3. My health!
4. Having my family close by and my in-laws as well, yes I love them too! This includes watching Kaylie grow up!
5. Good friends I can count on even if they live in Utah!
6. Living in a country I can freely and openly worship God

2 People I want to pass this on to are:
1. Trisha Clark - her blog is great!
2. Ashlee Rutter - she has a young mind and figures out all these cool things to show off her blog!

Girls' Nite Out!

I was at Tammie's house last night doing a Body Shop at Home party and from this you can tell how much fun my nieces had!

From Left: Julietta, Melania, me and my other sister-in-law Cameo. We snacked, laughed and tried everything! That's all for now. I'll post a final on my house soon.