grag a comin'

this lady will be 

boarding a plane in minutes.

the girls and i are giddy with anticipation.

not sure who this little lady is?

look here

this is how 

we get ready for her visit

 will be her first time 

to our new north carolina digs

 can't wait to show her 

a proper southern welcome.

this is what we have planned:

1.  explore the culinary delights 

that only fayetteville has to offer

2.  fully utilize our 

front  porch

and those awesome black rockers

3.  take a field trip to raleigh

for a pre-christmas shopping

extravaganza

4. get in our jams at 7:30

only to climb in bed and do hair train 

with the girls.

5.  laugh...

(we do a lot of that 

when grag is around)

6.  play scrabble

7.  enjoy a glass of merlot 

while we make her famous mashed potatoes

that only she has perfected.

8.  count our blessings that we have each other

and live close enough for regular visits.

will let you know exactly 

what we end up doing.

photos and deets comin'

tell  me how you enjoy 

your most special loved ones 

when you get them all to yourself.

the girls won out...fall dining room table.

that's right.

the girls won out.

they got their orange...red, yellow.

whatever.

i can't be a mean mom

after all.

 so what do you think?

i'd say it's pretty true to me,

barring the sprig of orange, but 

i figure.

i can't let the girls have a warped childhood, right?

yeah.

that's what i was thinking...

help me out here.

did i pull it off?

hope so.

so that's the dining room. 

tell me about yours...

fall porch: fayetteville style

out here in the south,

come fall,

peeps decorate.  

simple fact.

no pressure.

really.

so did i spend 2 hours in hobby lobby

scouring the aisles for 

non-fall fall decor?

i know.

misnomer.  

tend to decorate in whites,

blacks and greens.

(see visual above)

much to my children's chagrin,

they are still complaining,

that they got jipped.

i guess jipped they are.

still.

i trudge on.

no matter the season,

i tend to stick with the same palette.

i guess i need to get out of my comfort zone,

yet still i sit.

in my comfort zone.

 just like to keep it simple:

black burlap,

green gords,

white and metallic pumpkins.

non-fall fall.

 guess i'm not the typical fall

decor zhusher.

tell me how you spruce up the place?

would love to hear about it.

8 weeks in fayetteville

we've been here in 

fayetteville

just shy of 8 week.  

now i understand it's no

washington dc

or 

my beloved san diego.

but here is my 

top 5 

reasons why

my little fayettie is carving out

 quite the place in my heart.

1.  when i take my daily morning

jaunt around the hood

at o'dark thirty in the morn.

each and every single driver who passes me

also gives me a morning wave.

can you say southern hospitality?

love a morning waver...

love.

2.  the brand spanking new library

just down the street.

oh how i love thee

and your brand new smell

3.  the lovely

fresh

organic

produce stand 

on the way to the library.

who doesn't love locally grown produce?

not to mention

paying it forward 

to a local homegrown business.

3.  my little fayettie is

teaching the heathen west coast family

some old fashioned manners.

my girls are quickly learning that 

a good old fashioned

"yes, ma'am" 

and 

"yes, sir"

is a good thing around here.

even momma is learning.

4.  we live in the absolute best

"stomp-the-sewer" 

neighborhood of all time.

plenty of:

kids

cul de sacs

unfenced back yards
with just enough humidity to make

it some good 

sweaty fun.

gates four

kids unite!

5.  my front porch 

and 

back deck

 

perfect to

reflect on how lucky i am

to have been given this opportunity.

after completing this little list,

i realize the things that fill me

are the simplest things

in life:

a welcoming, warm environmnet,

a good book,

fresh food,

the sounds of my kids enjoying the moment

and a spot to enjoy it all.

God is good.

welcome gallery wall

are you like me?

 you are invited to someone else's house.

you check it out.

love it.

come home

and zjoush up your own spaces for

the upteenth kazillionth time?

yeah.

that's me.

zjoushing

rezjoushing

and more rezjoushing.

this is what i came up with
after heading to a neighbors and seeing their
most fabulous wall o' photos.

 

this is what it used to look like.

 so much better, 

don't you think?

now you can actually 

see grandma on her wedding day 

at the ripe old age of 17

also added a little plant life.

plant life is always good.

ignore the unuly wire hanging off 

the desk.

still working on that one.

also swapped out the lime for a little robin's egg.

check out 

the office before

and give me your thoughts.

tell me what you think...

family room reveal: take two

reworked a few things

(I always do)

here is living room:

take two

check out living room: take one here

 added slated wood chair

 added plants

hello, life-to-a-room

stay a while

 reworked the mantel a tad

would love to know your  thoughts.

new and improved?

or better before?

warning...unruly wiring: office reveal

office: take one

 

 lots of room for improvements

taking suggestions now.

feel free to offer any.

 first problema:

wiring...ugh.

all you clever wire-hiders

please chime in.

tutorial would help.

fayetteville reading nook, 

now a part of the office.

 this was the reading nook in our dc pad

not part of the office

 okay, back to fayetteville version

 aah.  how to hide the printer?  

more suggestions?

 the view from the desk.

you know i love me some acrylic.

still have some finishing touches to add.  

would love a humungo canvas on the wall.

still trying to piece things together.  

would love advice from all you 

experts out there.

come on.

help a girl out.

let's here your thoughts so far.