The Simasek-Kibler Project

This is going to be the slowest project ever.

2012-01-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

Oh, the bathroom. How you mock me.

Ok, after bumping around Pinterest and finding those great images - I couldn't stop getting ideas, right? So... I ended up at Sand and Sisal's house and found her bathroom reveal, which led me to her kitchen island update....all of which ended up sending me straight to Home Depot that afternoon. I mean, looks too cute, right?? I thought, how great would this look on that weird vanity edge in the boys' bath -

I knew i had left over beadboard from the bath wall update....but that would require going into the garage and actually finding it. That garage is a scary place. So scary that the husband refuses and if i want something in there it's up to me or the boys. Actually only one boy, the other sides with Vance and refuses to go in there. Even for his bike.

Aha! It's here! (Can you see it?...No...not the drywall...the other thing...and yes, that's the bike in question hiding underneath.)

Ok. Got the beadboard. Need me a newel post...this is usually where i lose steam on a project...but no...GOT IT.

Man, that looks BIG. (Insert, yea, that's what SHE said. SORRY I COULDN'T RESIST)

Dang it. Now i have to find the saw in the garage. Wish me luck....

Next on the "List"

2012-01-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ever since we moved into this house, there has been this "list". We all have one, and mine is no different from yours, I'm sure. Some will get done, as money and time allow, and much will not. I'm cool with that. I think. The aging part of me is anyway. The type A personality of me, maybe not. We'll see.

Last year, we put in the pool. Money well spent. That pool saved me lots of money that would have otherwise been used for psychotherapy - happy mommy, happy life.

Here is what's next on my list - Megan, if you're reading, you will be very happy i think.

Paint my bathroom vanity. Black. I've been putting if off and I can't stand to look at it any longer. Wish me luck - I hate screwing something up and spending more money to fix it after, but I'm telling myself that it can't look any worse and it's not going to get any better without my intervention - so i need to suck it up. I'll let you know how it goes.

This is it's current state - you might remember. See those orangey cabinets peeking in from the bottom?

Vance put up the beadboard and art ledge along the wall but i haven't kept up my end of the deal with painting out the cabinet to match the mirror. Enough dawdling - i'm starting this week since V is out of town and the boys are at their dad's. I have seen some really cute inspiration on Pinterest...this photo belongs to Carly Robertson pulled from Pinterest via Flicker - but i'm not sure if she has a blog. I love the shelves and the accessories!

And this is from google - so my bathroom will be a hybrid of above and below... I think it will turn out super cute.

If it goes well - I may just venture on to the kitchen. I know, I can't believe i'm actually typing that either. I think it's the after-effect of the frangelica in my coffee. I blame it on that darn Miss Mustard Seed.

I'm sitting here, mindin' my bidness this morning, drinking my coffee (with a little somethin' extra) and darn it - i come across this. Look at this gorgeousness. Is it not perfection? Even if it's not a kitchen.... And then i bounce around and read how she painted her kitchen cabinets AND did a video on it.

Must.paint.NOW.

Well, that will carry me through the next month. I mean 2 weeks. Yea, that's what I mean. Stop laughing.

9 on 11

2011-11-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

I know that for those that play this game, this is supposed to 10 on 10, and done yesterday, the 10th.

But I forgot until I read Megan's post - and thought - i have some peace and quiet so let me do this now....

Ok...possibly the sweetest baby ever - their baby half-brother. He was dressed as a cow for halloween. I could eat this boy up - just look at him.

and all 3 of them before we headed out to the costume contest...Nick was more interested in the grass :)....which is fitting for a cow i guess.

Ah, the pantry. I show you this only because it doesn't look like this anymore. My one and only looked at it on Sunday and said "ENOUGH"....bless his heart. Yep, those are bags of chips on the floor, among Crisco and the mixers. We have all angles covered I think.

And here is where we are now with this project

Ok, just kidding. We're further than that. Look, recycle bin in the middle. Cubbies for cat food and bins that still need shelves to the right and left to put more stuff. Momma's a happy girl.

Late work night dinner. In bed. Don't judge. I had been starting at spreadsheets all day, talking to 2 different IT teams and i was needing comfort wherever i could get it. Sushi, wine, laptop and bed.

The aforementioned spreadsheets. GRRRRrrrrrr.

My young men - look how they love each other LOL.

and, the last one...sweet child running to first last week. Too busy watching where his ball ended up instead of toward 1st base.

I forget about doing this and i need to be better than that - it's a great way to update loved ones near and far. This is for Mom and Dad, and Mom and Joe. See you soon...

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2011-10-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

I remember getting asked this numerous times growing up. I remember thinking "I'm only TEN for crying out loud - how do I know??"

I'm not ten anymore, but at least i know the answer to that question finally.

I hate to tell you - it just came to me last week. At age, well, not ten.

Old enough that i should be thinking about putting more away for retirement than what career I want, I'll tell you that.

I guess I'm a late bloomer of sorts.

My own ten year old son actually gets credit for my "AHA!" moment, bless his heart. Someone asked him this same question and he was telling me the story the other night when I was tucking him into bed.

I said to him, "Well, what did you say?" Very intrigued by what might come out of his mouth next. And he said "Famous".

I started laughing and I said, "I think they meant what job do you want to do when you get big".

He said, in all seriousness, "Well, that's not what they asked". Duly noted.

He turned the question on me, asking me if I was doing what i wanted to do. He asked me if I liked it. I had to think about how to answer this.

I do like it. Enough. I feel fortunate to even have a job when so many are out of work. So that's what i said to him. But, he was like a dog with a bone, this one. "But is it what you want to do?".

Life's questions never get easier no matter what age you are.

"Uhm, no, I guess. I really don't know what I want to do."

He looked at me and said "I know what you want to do." I laughed. "You do?"

"Yeah, you want to cook. and fish."

"Cook??!? Why would you say that?"

"Because mom, you always say you love packing a lunch and getting out on the water."

Yes. I guess I do say that. Apparently, I say it a lot.

So, maybe you'll see me one day packing box lunches at a small marina for boaters as they head out for a day on the water.

I can think of worse things.

Why Does all the cool stuff come out at the holidays??

2011-10-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

....when my money should be spent elsewhere - like Christmas gifts, the holiday party fund...etc?

That's what i get for getting caught up on my blog reading i guess. If you read Rene's post today - you'll see these awesome chairs from World Market. I think my jaw dropped when i read World Market. No offense, WM, but i'm used to uhh, not so great merchandise from ya.

i very rarely fall in love at first sight - but oh... the worn grey patina - the old appearance - can you blame me?

At some point i'm getting a table like this back from a friend (you know who you are) OR i'm buying a new one if she can't part with mine. I would understand the reluctance of giving it back - it's beautiful. And paired with those chairs up there - it's pretty much perfection.

And of course - now that i've fallen in love with chairs - i had to go look at barstools - AND CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS...I MEAN GET OUT OF TOWN ALREADY....World Market, i may have to marry you.

These would be great at my kitchen bar. I think i'm off to sell some stock. I mean, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do right?

Linking to The Picket Fence for Inspiration Fridays!

Halloween at casa Kibler

2011-10-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's been wonderfully cool this past week here in central Florida. Like in the 60's. At 3 am.

It's still short and flip flops weather here during the day, but the temps are perfect. A little breeze. At night a light sweater (if you're like me) is perfect.

it's been just gorgeous this weekend. I found myself nesting a little more. Trying to add some scary and at the same time, cozy up the house for the holidays.

And while i'm not the one to embrace the orange and black - i do like pulling the scary stuff out hiding, even for a week.

This guy cracks me up. He's got a motion sensor so he goes off when you walk by. Says the funniest things. Nothing scary. But my boys absolutely hate him. Says it creeps them out. So...of course...it stays right there. LOL.

I love the eyeballs in the jar, stuck with an olive fork. The skull smoking Vance's dad's pipe.

And what's a halloween display without a beating heart and a scary rat?

New Kitchen Color.

2011-10-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

I've been away so long i forgot my password to sign into google. I don't think that's ever happened before.

Life has been crazy lately - not in a bad way - just gas pedal to the floor for a few months. The little time i had free i spent either at kids' games, practice, or gathered with friends and family - and that equals a pretty good time. No complaints. Life is good.

I am still reading blogs when i can't sleep and keeping up with everyone - there have been so many great things to catch up on out there - i think fall does that to everyone. The whole "gotta get the house in order before Thanksgiving" thing.

We kind of did the same thing this weekend - it rained for almost 48 hours straight between Friday afternoon and Sunday mid-day, so with games canceled, and kids playing with their cousins (in the rain no less - no idea what makes a kid want to be outside in a deluge is beyond me) - we decided to re-paint the kitchen and family room to match the PB curtains we finally bought.

This open floorplan thing really throws one for a loop when trying to decorate and coordinate. At least it throws ME for a loop.

It was very hard trying to find what worked with things we were keeping from the merger of 2 households, and me," Ms. Holdmycashwithaclosedfist" , not wanting to spend anymore money than necessary.

This is what it started with - realtor pics b4 we bought. Very gold. i called it 'walk on the sun' yellow'. Yellow is not a favorite color of mine. This house is very odd, the way it captures colors on film, good or bad. Trust me when i say it seemed even brighter than this when i was standing in the middle of it.

So, now the kitchen is in it's 3rd revival since we moved in a year ago. We painted it blue the week we moved in. Ok, really, my dad and husband painted it blue. I was in Vegas. (on work people, really!)

which i really liked, but i didn't have window treatments to consider at the time. Now we do, and they are more gray-blue than this pretty powder blue.

So now we are here:

Notice the light differenct in afternoon light (blue paint pic) and morning light (last gray blue pic). That's part of the reason this whole paint issue made me batty.

Here are the PB drapes that you see when you walk in the front door, and you can see how your eye goes all the way thru the breakfast nook into the family room? Crazy madness.

But it is coming together - even though we still have a ladder left in the room. Not quite finished yet...Oh, and a little Halloween scarifying thrown in for the boys....cute, huh? TJ Maxx is the bees knees for stuff like that. They've got little bats instead of snowflakes, so when you shake them little glitter bats fly around. Adorable.

And, what would a decor post be without a decor dilemma. And here is mine. That entire area around and above the desk. Right now i have a few tins from Homegood up there, that you really can't see in this pic - and the entire ledge is very short - so i've had a hard time knowing what to stick up there.

Also, i think it needs a sink skirt even though it's not a sink. We don't use it as a desk and the only thing i want to put there is my cookbooks. The underneath becomes a catch all for pet food bags that are too huge to fit in the pantry - so i might as well go with it and just hide the darn thing with some cute fabric.

And if you're thinking that the corkboard is too low - it's because it had it's twin chalk board above it until yesterday. When it fell, hit the floor and broke into about 5 pieces.

So this my friends, is my kitchen. I would LOVE any input. Oh, and the color is SW Sea Salt.

Linking to Cottage and Vine's Room by Room series.

In the Closet.

2011-08-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Mr. Big: We're getting married. Should we get you a diamond?
Carrie Bradshaw: No. No. Just get me a really big closet.

Amen sister.

I mean.....remember this?

I thought i had a small closet, until i moved into this house and got married. THEN i had a REALLY small closet. So small, that i must have stuffed it a wee bit too much. Because last Saturday this happened:

Why yes, that is ALL of my husband's suits on the floor with his travel bag laying on top.

See the shelf hooks still attached to the wall? Notice the shelf is NOT attached to the wall?

Yea.

So..now his weekend project is to re-configure this mess. But no matter how much magic he makes in there....it is never going to look like this:

unless we win the lottery this weekend...and then...well, we have a whole new set of decisions to make!

Room by Room....The Entryway

2011-08-08T05:11:00.000-07:00

Today Cottage and Vine is hosting her Room by Room party, and today's room is the entryway!

It finally gave me the push I needed to get off of my duff and paint those front doors. I had been staring at very badly treated builder's doors - dings, scratches ...not to mention it was white and showed every little boy fingerprint they could leave behind.

This is what I started with...kind of boring, right?

and then i became obsessed with red interior doors thanks to Sarah's Farmhouse. This is what, 3years old now and i'm still loving it.

And, I fell in love with this shelf and coat rack too, so V built me one when i couldn't find one the right scale for the wall. Heather Chadduck love.

And here is where we are now. I found out that when you paint a dark color, it is kind of hard to photgraph...

I had to turn on every light to get a pic, and it's making the front door have this weird sheen. It doesn't look like that in real life thank goodness.

These pics still crack me up. The one the left is my paternal grandmother at 14, holding her chicken and her cat. I have got to find a way to turn that into a Christmas card - I just need a good quote or comment to go with it.

The first on the right is my mom when she was 17 laying out in the sun, and the last one is my maternal grandmother and grandfather a few days before they got married. Love that pic.

I had to come up with a way to get these things to stay up - so hook and loop to the rescue. Otherwise, every time those boys slammed the door, they would hit the floor.

Well, there you have it. I still need a great rug. And i'm looking for a very worn bend - small, no back, to go against the half wall on the left, and the elusive rug. I've tried several - only to realize that i loved the first one i had and I should have kept it. Now it's gone. Poop.

Guess what I'm finally doing?

2011-08-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yep. That's gray primer you see.....on my interior front doors....

Now....what color do you think i'm going with?

Come back on Monday to find out!

What do you mean they shrunk??

2011-07-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Like I said in the last post, it can take me for-freakin-ever to make a permanent decision. So, of course, it would naturally prevail that when i DO finally settle on something, something is going to happen that will throw a wrench into the works.

Like today.

Long story short - i found the cool chick who owns the house that this picture was from.

Honestly, i had given up and then i found similar blog, who fluke of all flukes, links back to her. Yippee Skippee!

Anyway. She wrote a great post that hit me like a ton of bricks about finding your decorating style. Like so much, that I literally sat there and had my own "Aha!" moment without Oprah.

In short - go to your closet to determine your decorating style. To quote the cute Katie, your closet is a good indicator of what you typically allow yourself to spend on items. So true. I am a Target shopper so I would be physically ill pulling out my wallet to buy home stuff at Restoration Hardware. Your closet is also a good indicator of your style (classic with a little trend thrown in) and color too.

So...I thought about that. Then i went to my closet and did a little testing of this theory.

Here are 4 pieces that i go to a lot.

That ice blue soft cotton maxi is perfect for casual date night, or having the neighbors over by the pool. I am wearing this dress so much lately that the fabric is starting to pile. (so aggravating). But it's a trendy, inexpensive dress that makes me feel cute, hides some figure flaws and i love the color.

The black dress is a work staple. Very cute, classic - oh, and did I mention it's from Target?

The red top was a TJ Maxx find that i have paired with white denim, blue denim, and black. Again, i'm wearing this shirt to shreds. See how wrinkled it is at the bottom?

Lastly, the denim jacket (also Target) - a classic. It's been worn over that blue maxi with chunky jewelry (Cute!) - over tanks and boho skirts - this thing lives in the backseat of my car.

So when I looked at that, i thought, why am I not using what I know works?? I think I got so wrapped up in new, different house, madness that i forgot how much I love what i have. Like these drapes:

(sorry for the blurry pic - i was enlarging my old realtor photos and it gets like that)

This is from the great room of my last house. Those drapes are from PB and cost a fortune. They are lined double width dupionis - (I think i paid close to $600 for the pair but i had been gifted about $300 from a few friends for house-warming so it was doable.) They puddled beautifully, which you will have to take my word for since the pic stinks - and i was over the moon for them.

So...i thought - i obviously love the touch of red/cranberry/brick in a house and in my closet - why am I not using those? So, i pulled them out of the closet and ran those puppies over to the dry cleaner last week.

And that's about where the story goes bad.

We picked them up Friday, and Vance hung them....and they had shrunk at least 6 inches!!! Oh, and the best part? The lining didn't shrink, only the drapes. So she hung there like used up prom gown to short for her crinoline. Sad.

Talk about infuriating.

So, V and I drove over to PB with the drapes and the dry cleaning receipt in hand, and had a conversation with the manager. She was very nice, and i have to say, I still love me some Pottery Barn. Especially after today. Those drapes were at least 3 years old and she gave me back full credit without even batting an eye. Very apologetic, and very much wanting to keep us as customers - and it was so freakin painless that i was shocked I didn't have to fight a battle.

However. The don't make double panels in that color anymore. Awesome.

Plan B has now turned into Plan C it looks like.

So, she sent us home with a PB credit and some options. And I'm back to being undecided.

Here are the 3 out of the 4 we came home with. The cranberry silk below is much more red than the brick red i had before. The double width is less of an issue in this house since we're just using them to flank the windows here - as opposed for privacy like i did in the old house.

Vance picked the stripe - but i've rejected that one - sorry honey - not doing it for me whatsoever. The other print i had up - but the print was more of an Indian Batik than a traditional floral - so that got nixed too. The red, i think, is too red. The brick color i had was perfect. and when i say perfect. i mean matched the brick in all of V's duck prints (which i have a love hate relationship with) Which leaves us with the Vanessa in cream, that i have hanging. In the wrong length - we'll have to order the 108" if we decide it's the one.

I like that the blue in the drape is the same blue as the kitchen wall and the green is the exact green of the rug. Where I'm stuck is that I was thinking more contrast is necessary....?

Here is what it looks like when you come in the front door.
..

They also have it in these other 2 color ways

I want to tie the blue in the kitchen to the ivory in the living room you see up there. I also need to keep the rug in there - too expensive to ditch right now.

And yes, i did this butt-backwards. I painted colors i love with absolutely no plan first - and i'm trying desperately not to repaint.

Thoughts?

The Never Ending Project and How I Change My Mind a Million Times....Which is WHY the Project Never Ends.

2011-07-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I really am trying to blog more. Really. But just when I think my life is going to quiet down some...BAM....another thing. Lately it's been the rental houses, we've had to flip renters in both houses in the last 2 months, one of which we had to evict, the other decided mid-lease to bolt. But with both came costs - some expected, some not (eviction is not a cheap process - but it was quicker than everyone told me it would be). And it came with a lot of hands-on, fix-it work at both places.

Anyway - on to the stuff that has taken a back seat. That darn hall bath. The bowling alley, remember this?

Anyway - we have not progressed very far....except to say that the beadboard is done! And considering what we have been doing on other projects (pool, vacation, rentals, frozen shoulder, new boss - did i even mention that??) - i'm surprised we made any headway in this room!

And that led to framing out the door with chunkier trim - this poor tract house is going to be turned into a cottage/farmhouse one way or the other LOL.

This isn't the art that i had on my design board...not even close. But I always seem to get drawn into anything that reminds me of the low country. I think I picked this up at Old Time Pottery for like $7 bucks. I'm not sure it's going to stay here, but i know it's going somewhere. I can't seem to get rid of this picture either, and as soon as i determine where it's going to go I'll let you know, but not in this spot - i don't think.

I really hate that orange cabinet. And now that i'm staring at the TP holder, i'm not too fond of that view either. That's our cat, Bill Compton. He never comes out during the day, in fact, i think i see his fur starting to singe from that light coming thru the door window. I'm surprised he even showed up on film - seriously this cat never comes out during the day.

Anyway.

As you can see, the cabinet's not painted. There are no places to hang towels, which means they end up on the floor. All the time. I shoved them into the bathtub and closed the curtain for this picture. I don't have a bath rug yet. And the list goes on....

But any progress is progress, right?

I am slacker blogger extrordanaire this week.

2011-07-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have no deep thoughts to share.

I had no beautiful moments of introspection.

It might have to do with the boys being home and summer calling us outside more.

I'm not sure what IT is. But the only thing i have going on in my head is nesting.

And I can't think of a more beautiful nest than this one. All of these gorgeous pics are from
http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com What a house. What an eye she has for warmth and detail.

I keep telling myself that less is more. But I may have to rethink this. This corner is just like a little hug to me...all warm and glowing and sweet.

Faking Comfort

2011-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because i don't feel all that great but i wanted some serious comfort food yesterday.

The only problem was I didn't feel up to the shenanigans of cooking something from scratch. AT ALL. I felt like poop.

So i did what i do a lot.

I faked it.

I had this in the pantry. But alone, that doesn't do anything for me. What to do, what to do...

Well, we had apples from the car trip. And the fridge celery was still kind of good. And i had a red onion. I could "help" the box get closer to something good. No offense Stove Top, but you are a last resort in my house.

I sauteed up the onion and celery in butter for about 5 minutes or so, and then threw in one chopped red apple. Doesn't that look good? It smelled amazing. Just like thanksgiving. Kind of.

I made the stuffing in a separate pot just like the box called for. Easy enough. Then threw in my appleonioncelery goodness. And it looked like this:

And that my friends is fake stuffing. And it was awesome. And, like all of my short cuts and cheats, this is for my friend Ashley, who at some point is going to have to learn to cook since she's getting hitched this fall :)

Hot and Cold

2011-07-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am back. From a very long 2 week trip.
Megan - did you notice i used the word trip, not vaca, this time? You were right.

I'm throwing in some random vacation pics just because. This is the sign the boys made when they built their fort at my parent's house this year. Funny they called out new, and to go around "this way" when it's much shorter to go straight. Reminds me of those family circus cartoon where the little boy gets sent to the store but takes the long way. Remember those?

I'm back, and it is so hot here. 2 weeks can really play with your memory - out of sight, out of mind i guess - but i seriously don't remember it being this hot when i left. This is just an abandoned homestead i saw when i took the long way home from the market. Apples do not fall far from the tree here.

And...I have frozen shoulder - thus the cold reference. I can't raise my left arm, and my left shoulder is permanently raised higher than my right. As if i'm trying to hold a phone to my ear. I look fabulous let me tell ya.

The pain was so bad that yesterday i broke down and called my Dr begging for relief - and he provided - but now i'm on prednisone and flexirol. Which, i understand the flexirol to be a muscle relaxant, but i guess my muscles don't know that because i don't feel any different - i even took before bed last night because he said it would make me sleepy.

Yea, not so much.

Just a random shot of mailboxes all lined up on the road my parents live on. I like it.

I am back, laundry is done and put away, and plans to see friends are in the works for the weekend.

I may have to recreate some of the family fixins we had on the 4th above. Cold cucumber salad, Pineapple casserole (ohmygoshmywaistdisappeared), macaroni salad that i will admit was better than my own, and made by my man. Thanks honey. I will never question you again. right.

This is literally a one car pass on the way through 7 mile ford. it freaked the kids out. I found it very...ireland-esque for some reason - does that even make sense??

Anyway, I do feel better - a lot less pain - so thank goodness for that - back to the grind now :)

Pinterest is going to be my un-doing, and this is why:

2011-07-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

This is why: See this pic? I am stalking it. You are probably thinking "hey, it's ok, but it's not ALL that - what's all the fussin about?" The fuss is that i can't find out what blog this came from and I want more pics people!! I even went so far as to email the girl that originally posted it with the comment "I miss her blog posts" because I ABSOLUTELY NEEDED THAT INFO.

No dice. So...if YOU know, please please email me.

ALL florida houses built in mass over the last 10 or so years have this look, and i have had the HARDEST time marrying some country into it because i felt it didn't "go". It's ok to shake your head at me. I understand. Oh if you only knew how i stare at the TV when "Secrets of a Stylist" comes on.

and this is why Vance wants me to stop going there - now he has to build this for the door to our porch..... (Just kidding, he actually loves this too)

Oh, and the accessory love. Oh.my.word. I love this.

And I'm now on the lookout for one of these for Nate's room - he is the Lego King of Orlando - I mean, how cute is this??

What a house this is going to be...

2011-07-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

Our friend Kevin, whose green house you saw in the last post that y'all all loved, owns Varney Construction here in town and yesterday we took a drive outside of town (read "pack a lunch, it's a hike) to see this house that he had started last spring.

Let's start with his view

This is looking to the right from his back yard. Amazing, sweeping views huh? I cannot imagine getting to wake up to this.

This is the view looking from the front porch down to the river below. That sweet house you see is fairly new, and that little peak of a roof to the right is a picnic shelter that the built to match the house. Sweet!

This is the house. You can't tell from this, but it's over 8k finished square feet and over 10k if you include the basements and garages. Yes, garage-s.

This is the kitchen - i can already see the finishes going in here, the cabinets, the counters. I know it will be stunning.

It is still a year away from completion, and we will be back again to see it before then, so hopefully i can update with more pics.

Vacation House Stalking

2011-07-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you are a lot like me in the house stalking department. No matter where I go, I look at beautiful homes and wonder what it's like to be inside.

Some of these, like this one, we know the owner. In this case, it is owned by my late grandfather's doctor.

This one, the property takes up an entire half a block. I love the overall "americana" feel of the front porch. Look at those quilted cushions. And the flag. How much more "Mayberry" can you get?

This is one that my parents considered buying before they bought the house that they now live in. Every year, the bushes seem to have overtaken more, and not in a good way either.

This is the working shed of the house above. It doesn't "go". I like it more than the house itself. I find it very "cape cod". Loving the lavender and the arbor. It's perfection.

This house is on the historic registry, thus the white oval sign. It doesn't give history, which would be great, just the house number and the words "historic registry" - thanks for the info, right??

This one is now sitting empty, but is also on the registry. The previous owners were moving out yesterday, but they left their flag i see. That's Sarah up ahead with camera on hip.

This yellow cream puff is also on the registry, and was re-done and sold to the current owner, by a very good family friend of ours. He does beautiful restorations. He wasn't even done with it before he had a contract on it.

Here is his current home. Also a restoration, a few doors down actually. And also on the registry. It is circa 1700 from what I understand. It's gorgeous inside too.

This home is across the street. On the registry too, and those lamps on the garage are really gas lamps. Love.

Vance loves this one, however, it isn't my favorite. That's not to say, of course, that I would turn it down LOL. See that flag with the pink on it? Does anyone know what that is? We saw that same flag on a few different houses today.

I honestly think that nothing is more appealing to me than taking a walk after sunset and seeing the warm glow of lights lit from within a house. Doesn't that just say "you're home"? I love that amber glow. Especially in the winter months.

These are not after sunset - but they are beautiful and welcoming all the same. These are all on the same 2 blocks of the street my grandmother still lives on. Each is beautiful in it's own right. They scream "americana" to me.

Which one is your favorite?

Having Fun Is Work.

2011-07-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like we've stopped all week. Torturing children is not all fun and games people.

The plan was Williamsburg one day, York and Jamestown the next, and then head back across the state to my mom and dad's for the rest of time.

First we had to cross the ferry. The weather was amazing. Look at the little one and his shades. That kid cracks me up.

I know i am behind on my blogging...but here are some shots of our trip to Shirley Plantation. As the kids said, the property was WAY BETTER than the house. I have to agree. Not that i could show you pics of the inside anyway because photography was prohibited. So...enjoy the grounds.

Here is the house. Note, when you are ~~yelling~~ asking your family to come gather for a family picture - remove the camera from your husband's hands. Otherwise you will get a picture of yourself lecturing said family to get their arses in gear.

can you imagine having this as your front porch, overlooking the James River??

This is what we voted the best place on the property - the grape arbor - i can just picture wedding photography done here

The family pic...finally they listened. Good family.

Going Back in Time

2011-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

In a few short days all 5 of us are piling in the car and driving 12 hours (yes, 12, but divided between 2 days) north to here....

....Williamsburg Virginia. Above is the house of John Blair, whose grandson or great-grandson, James Blair, was the first president of William and Mary college. My best friends alma mater.

We decided to torture the children with learning on their summer vaca so we're going to do the historical thing. We'll see this:

one of the working cottages in colonial Williamsburg. And since it's the 4th of July holiday while we're there we for sure will see this:

I'm very stoked to have all of my children together on this vacation - since i know that in the blink of an eye they will all be grown, and have families of their own, and these all-for-one vacations will be limited.

I just hope we don't kill each other in the car trip up. Wish us luck!

A Day in My Life - yesterday, to be exact.

2011-06-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

On Walker's door.
My dad bought it for him on a Home Depot trip, along with a restroom sign that is now stuck to the middle of his bathroom door.
They think they're funny, those two.
When i went in to wake him up, he didn't even open an eyeball.
Just pointed to the sign and said " I believe I said I'd be back at 8:30".
Smarty pants.

Behind my car seat.
What, doesn't everyone drive around with an electric hedge trimmer and miles of cord?
No?

Vance.
Vance.
Vance.
Trying to catch a wasp in the house.
There are no other words.
It is what it is.

My hibiscus that is just out of control right now.
Love.

About My Dad

2011-06-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

In honor of what this day is really about, I started thinking about all of the things my daddy taught me. Mind you, sometimes these lessons were not learned on the first go-around. Poor dad. I think he is probably thankful that he had only one of me.

How to light a fire. And why opening the flue is important. After i set off the fire alarm.
How to mow the grass. He said it was character-building - i said it was so he could watch the race. I'm sure it was some of both. But now I love working in the yard.
How to drive a car. On a dirt road in the middle of an orange grove, on a stick, in a Pinto. The absolute best part - I was 12. We kept it a secret from my mom for awhile. I can't believe we had a Pinto.
How to water ski. Which, his method I'm sure, could be called into question in this day and age. I was around 5 (he liked to start things early obviously) and I remember floating around in Lake Butler crying because I just knew an alligator was going to have me for lunch and dad said, "If you want out of the water, start skiing".
How to drive a boat so HE could water ski. This, this he paid for. One time he was standing on the dive platform on the back of the boat, trying to fish a ski out of the weeds, when he told me to inch the boat up some. Instead, I jerked it forward and he flew off the back in the weeds. I laughed, he did too.
How to shoot a gun. We had land, so learning to shoot was on our own property. I immediately fell in love with it. Scared the bejeezus out of my mother.
How to fish. This is without a doubt one of my favorite things to do to this day. I love the fact that my boys love it. Mostly, I love the quiet. All moms love quiet.
How to sew. Yes, sew. Go figure.
How to use a nail gun without killing myself.
How to use a chop saw.
How to use a circular saw.
How to do minor electrical stuff, like wiring new outlets and hanging lights and ceiling fans.
How to refinish furniture without taking my skin off.
How to read blueprints.
How to read if a sub-contractor or a contractor, for that matter, is lying.
How to find my way around Home Depot.
How to install a garbage disposal.
How to use a wet saw.
How to lay tile.
Measure twice, cut once.
Sometimes the garage is the safest place to be, or the best place to work out anger, sadness, or overall angst. Or hide. Sometimes you have to hide.
Mistakes are lessons to NOT do something that way again. It's ok - it can be redone.
You're probably going to know more about building and fixing things than any man you date. That's ok, don't rub it in, but if he won't at least TRY - let THAT be your lesson.
Home Depot or Lowes CAN lower prices on stuff, JUST ASK. It's your money, you're the only one who can protect it.
Girls are often better than boys at this stuff because we're THOROUGH.
Don't ever let a tradesman talk down to you - you've learned from the best :)
Some jobs are better left to the professionals. Know when.
Get at least 3 quotes.
Cheapest is just that - you get what you pay for.

My dad was often teased that he wanted a boy instead of a girl because of everything he made me learn. I don't believe that's at all true, I think he just wanted to spend time with me, and i with him. I know I learned so much more than what i listed - but it's the memories of us together while learning those things that will stay with me forever. I love you Dad.

10 on 10

2011-06-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm doing that 10 on 10 thing today....except - this is awesome - i have no idea who started it. I know my VBFF does it...except she is mysteriously silent today..... and i'm also joining the women at the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday - as this 10 on 10 idea did "inspire" me to use that expensive camera more. Ten pics on the 10th of the month. This has been a great way to archive memories - without getting too burdened down with scrapbooking. So....here we go!

I think I should call this "Sun rise through dirty window" - but i didn't want to stop and clean the window before i capture the gorgeous color of the morning. I love this time of day.

"You had better have good reason for waking me up....like tuna...not that dry crap you've been feeding me."

One of us graduated from elementary school!! One of us felt tortured sitting through the ceremony.

We played the last baseball game of the season, got our trophy bats and celebrated with good friends.

We put together fancy straws....

....and got cute lei's for a Bunco (Bunko?) Luau....

We gave our last speech of the year on famous Floridians - Lue Gim Gong - the horticulturist who developed the Valencia orange! (Ask me all about...i promise you i know more than the average bear about this person)

We scowled at mom who was trying to take our picture when all we want to do is watch our brother's last game...

We broke in the pool!

and...we sat in our yard and stared up at this beautiful specimen - isn't she gorgeous? There are worse views.

Voted Most Likely to Succeed...or most likely to Be Happy? Or both?

2011-06-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in the car (in sweltering heat - what is with the heat this year??) listening to an NPR show where they were interviewing adults that had been voted "Most Likely to Succeed" during their final year of high school.

I found the interviews very interesting. They talked about one girl they had interviewed off of the air who had come from very meager, hard-scrabble (her own words) beginnings and had ASKED her classmates to vote her this title because she knew in her heart of hearts she was only going up from where she was, determined to make a name for herself. And, she did. She is now a very successful entrepreneur in NYC.

There were others that had said that while they were proud of earning the title, it became very daunting as the years after high school went on and the economy started to fail, and jobs were lost, or worse, never gotten.

But the best part of the broadcast, and I'm sure the intent, was to find people who were bestowed the title, that measured their own successes instead of letting their job or their wealth (or lack thereof) define it.

One woman said she actually started college, but then found her soul mate and now is living with her 4 children and husband on a farm and to her, that is success because she knows she is where she is supposed to be and is elated with her life. Yet, she knows that if she went back to her high school now, her old classmates would think she failed, or didn't live up to her potential.

One man became an episcopal priest and said while he can't imagine his life being any more full than it is, he knows that his old classmates would just shake their head that he walked away from worldly possessions by choice.

We have a few friends that have children graduating this month and i think about the honors we have seen them receive, and all of the well wishes and advice being handed down, and I think what would i say to someone about to walk out into the world to make their mark?

If you had asked me even 10 years ago, my first reaction would be - finish college (i did not), find a good job and start putting money bank. My mindset has definitely shifted.

Now, i think i would ask them "What makes your heart sing? What thing do you look forward to the most?" Follow THAT path - because if it is one thing I know, money is not everything. Don't allow yourself to fall into the trap of wanting more, wanting better because once you start on the path of "acquisition" it is very hard to back out and untangle your life for a more simpler one.

It seems so simple, yet i know so many of my friends, including myself, that have learned this the hard way.

Relationships don't cost money. At least the ones that count. Invest your time in those. Define your success by how happy you are when you wake up. When the day is new, and you have a full 8 hour day ahead of you, are you eager to jump out of bed? Or do you want to crawl back in bury your face?

Also, think twice about a future with the cute boy or girl that doesn't share your dream of living in the city or living in the country, because at the end of the day, one (likely both) of you will end up resenting where you are. One choice often begets another out of necessity so take your time and weigh your options.

Oh, and what would good advice be without giving the permission to fail as well. Failure is OK because now you know what doesn't work and you can rule that out. Don't be afraid of trying anything. Especially when you're young. Heck, even when you're not. TRY IT.

If you have enough food in your pantry, love in your life, clean sheets on your bed - i think you're doing OK.

Summer is so close i can taste it.

2011-05-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

***updating to join Home by Heidi"'s project link up!****

The boys are feeling it.

I am feeling it.

It's around the corner.

Don't you wish employers gave you summer off - wouldn't that be divine - i am totally convinced that if we had 3 straight months off in the summer i would be MUCH more alive during the working months.

A girl can dream.

It didn't help that we jump started the season by the big dig...so every day we watched a little more progress being made toward our biggest project to date...the POOL.

I think this is the last progress shot i shared...

Well, it's changed some, and defintitely for the better.

Due to a lot of hardwork by a lot of people. My neighbors who actually built the pool (gotta love that)!

My husband who did the planting in the beds...yes, that's a large mulch bed. over 10 feet in width. You can see foxtail palms, rosemary, mexican petunia, blood orange tree...and it all looks dwarfed because the bed is huge LOL.

Vance brought this home one day last week...it's a purple banana plant. I'd never seen one. It's so vibrant, i think it's my new favorite plant!

My dad worked his hiney off putting furniture together - thanks Dad!

Not to mention, putting a pergola together so we wouldn't melt this summer - no back porch, y'all. Not cool. Literally.

and my husband's favorite thing (and probably Nate's) - the outdoor shower. Door still needs that turquoise paint job...I love the fact we saved this dang door and drug it between houses for over a year for this purpose. love the jagged bottom. yes, i'm weird like that.

That flowering vine you see planted is mandeville - it will be half way up before the end of the year, and probably overtake it by the end of next summer. It's flowers are so pretty.

So...that's where we are...not much blogging going on...but a lot of swimming :) I'll take it!

Linking to the Picket Fence... for Inspiration Fridays...

See you there!

Temper Tantrums

2011-05-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yep. This was me today. now.

I woke up at 5:30 and forced myself back to sleep, only to then oversleep and have 30 minutes to get the boys up, dressed, fed and out the door to school.

This was of course the morning that one couldn't find a book he needed for school, and the other couldn't un-do the knot in either of his shoes. Also the morning where they were on each other's nerves continuously.

Throw in me, rushing around like a fool, and walking into the sliding door frame with my bad shoulder.

The pain about put me on.the.floor. And i think i even yelped.

The rest of the day, i felt like i was underwater, people were on my nerves, and i just couldn't kick the brain into gear. And i totally forgot a dr's appt. Awesome.

Cut to later tonight when the little one couldn't find his rough draft that we worked on for his mini-research paper and he had to re-do the entire thing. Seeing his eyes water up about started my own waterworks factory.

I am spent.

But I am happy. And I am blessed.

I may have one frozen shoulder, but I also have one that works :)

We might have lost the first research paper, but Nate did much better work on the second one and we got to work on it together. And laugh. And feel him hug me and thank me over and over again for helping him put it together. And i got snuggled on a lot.

I got to spend a quiet hour during sunset watching Walker swim, while my mom, bless her heart, cleaned my kitchen. And I got to hear about Walker's day and hear him laugh.

Life is good. Always.

My Kitchen

2011-05-12T05:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you already know I have this fascination with crisp. and with kitchens. I also have this thing with the color (absence of color?) white. and lately some industrial (no idea.) But I don't think I ever showed you what we started with in our own kitchen.

This is the kitchen from the realtor listing pre the Kibler-Simasek invasion.

I'm not a huge fan of yellow. Especially when the sun beats in the house the way it does here. Just look at that fireball coming at you in the front door window. HOT.HOT.HOT.

I think I was leaning towards blue just to cool it down in here.

I have been saving pictures of kitchens that just scream out to me - and you should know, they are not HGTV kitchens, or Candace Olsen kitchens, or even Sarah's kitchens. They are, instead, YOUR kitchens from blogland. The crisp, fresh looks that i keep going back to. Lissa, Ashli, Flea Market Trixie, and Canadian Cottage.

I have no idea when the white cabinet thing is going to kick in here at casa Kibler, so i have to make do with what i have right now. And that's ok. My biggest issue is that here in Florida, the builders seem to want to give you all of these nook or shelves to decorate, and i'm not a fru-fru tchotchkes kind of girl. I'm a farmhouse fresh kind of girl stuck in a tchotchke shelf house.

Anyway.

Here is where we are now...i love the way that even in the middle of the house, it's still sun-lit. The cabinets bother me less now that the walls are not 'walkonthesun' yellow. And I think I'm going to paint that kitchen table white, since my bar stools just got here and they are the exact same chair as the table, but in white.

My Sarah came home this week, and did a little project for me too, for this space. I am totally smitten with zinc letters right now. However, at $30 a piece or more I was starting to lose that lovin feeling. So little miss "I can make anything" did just that. Gotta love having a daughter that majors in design. Up over the pantry they went. (see what i mean about stupid niches/alcove spaces)

I'm not really sure that picture does them justice either - they truly look like zinc IRL.

And i have no idea what to stick up there along with that crab can either. Obviously, it's a much longer process than i planned. :)

Copycat (like that's a bad thing)

2011-05-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have no original ideas. I steal ideas everywhere. Let this be my formal apology to Ashli.

Ashli. I'm sorry. I'm a thief. But thanks to you, the living room is coming along quite nicely. Keep up the good work! Try not to go so super fast though with your decorating - it is very hard for me to keep up!

So...this is Ashli's room that has been featured on numerous posts lately...isn't it great? The best word (and compliment) that i can come up with is that it's CRISP. I love crisp. Maybe because with 3 children, a husband, 3 cats, 2 fish and 2 weird, gross tree frogs that my boys have brought in the house - crisp is always eluding me.

I heart this room. Absolutely everything in it I adore. I went on a hunt for that darn clock and Urban Home doesn't sell it anymore... but i finally located one on amazon. Love me Amazon. That one click purchase option - that's going to bankrupt me for sure. I've used it like 3 times this past week. D.A.N.G.E.R.O.U.S.

Anyway - i love her style. I wanted to take it, throw some tropical vibe into the color scheme, being a Florida girl. But it's taking me forever. Here is where we are today. Tell me - would you paint the clock white? or keep it dark? And yes, it's off-center because my plan was to mimic this sweet child's look right down to the pictures on the right of her clock. I would just have 3 instead of 2.

So...does it stay bronze...or does it go white? If it goes white...the frames will be white. If it stays bronze...the frames will match the coffee table/chest...

Need blinds in windows, throw rug on floor....hate the lampshade. And yes, the clock is GINORMOUS. 50" across. Huge, i'm tellin' ya.

White...bronze....? Also..keep in mind i have barstools that are being delivered today that are white that will be just to the right of where this pic cuts off, and we're putting white crown in the room.

Bin Laden Family Compound Pictures - right down the road from where I grew up.

2011-05-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

With all the news this week surrounding the death of Bin Laden, this story was bound to re-surface surrounding his brother's estate in Clermont - a bedroom community just west of Orlando, and one town over from where i went to high school.

The story goes that just days after 9/11, Khalil Bin Laden and his family just up and vacated the estate - evaporated into the ether so to speak.

I remember after 9/11 getting word that my old boss and co-workers from the bank were being interviewed by all sorts of government agencies surrounding another of his family members ties and associations to our bank. I can still remember one of the wives - not sure which one - coming in the bank bringing each of us a Christmas gift and a box of candy. I remember going to her husband's office to go through some of the banking software and him questioning the credit card transaction rate we were charging him. It's just surreal, those memories. I was so young, first real grown up job. No idea who i was dealing with.

When those family members made news here - it was all over central Florida news - some of the people being interviewed all had the same reaction i did when i heard the accusations:

"Them??"

"But, they are so nice...you must be wrong"

"He is so kind to everyone - there has to be a mistake."

I wanted it to be mistake. I didn't want to fall into the trap of fear. Then, all of the sudden, the news stories stopped and I don't know what happened or how it turned out. Again, just surreal.

But here is one of their homes - my friend, Kayc, is a property appraiser out there and shared this article with us yesterday - the link to the article (and more pictures) is at the bottom.

Of course, the house stalker in me wants to see this up close and personal. It was built in the 20's, and has a great old Florida Spanish feel. I hear that these pictures are from '09 and it has since been vandalized many times over.

Here is the link to the article and more pics -

http://www.abandonedfl.com/?p=198&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dbff198b977c57c%2C0

Miss Sheri's Kitchen

2011-04-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

There are 3 beautiful little girls, 2 of them twins, who live on either side of me and refer to me as "Miss Sheri"...and every time they show up at my door there are 2 things that I know for sure will happen.

One is that I will get hugged...and hugged and hugged. Which is awesome because there plenty days around this little house that I'm called "mean Mommy" or "slave driver". So to be hugged - i'm more than good with it.

The other is that they will ask me what i have for them. Like candy. Or cookies. Or cake. Or pie.

And they usually always find something here. As do my hips.

So this week...it's pie. Because I had the stuff on hand, and because the one that is currently referring to me as "mean Mommy" requested it. And I'm weak and would like a new title.

And because I'm still teaching my girlfriend Ashleigh what her stove is for...this is another one for you Ash.

source - my kitchen stove.

So, to be honest here - this is premade pie crusts. I know - I'm a slacker. True. Just go buy some Publix or Pillsbury dough and call it done.

The rest is all me (or you) - and also, in my opinion, the most fun part of the process. I think a glass of wine and having Bethenny Ever After on the TV helped.

So Ashleigh - here is what you need.

A pie plate,pan, dish - whatever word you use - it's all same in my world.
Some baking non-stick spray - not the regular PAM, after all it's a pie not a casserole.
A bag of Granny Smith apples. Ashleigh - these are the GREEN ones.
Between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
Between 1/2 and 1 cup of regular sugar.
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour.
Either 2 tbsp of apple pie seasoning OR
smidges of cinnamon, nutmeg, a little clove (very little) and a little allspice (litte = less than a smidge) and i'm not accurate on each of these here because you might want more cinammon where i like more nutmeg. Just make sure that all your smidges and "little"s total abot 2 tbsp.
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp of butter
dash of milk.

Now - to create:

Roll one of the sleeves of pie dough across the pie pan.
Preheat oven to 425
Peel and slice your bag of apples into a deep mixing bowl. Make sure that your slices are not thick. It will take too long for them to cook through. Thinner slices work better. ( I was about 4 apples short of a full bag here which is why my pie is somewhat short, or flat. Normally, I like to use an entire bag and make a heaping pie but I didn't want to ~~stop watching Bethenny~~ drive to the store to get more. )
In another mixing bowl - mix all of those dry ingredients together really well.
Pour these dry ingredients over your apples and toss them until all the slices are really covered well with all that sugary goodness.
Tumble apples into pie pan and watch about 3 of them skate across your newly mopped floor. Or maybe that just happens to me.
Dot the top of the apples with your butter. (Ashleigh, this means to cut up those 2 tbsp of butter into pieces and place all over your pie filling.)
Roll remaining pie crust over top of pie and pinch closed all the way around rim of pie pan.
Fork your crust about 4 times randomly.
Whisk your egg yolk and milk together and brush over crust.
Lay a piece of foil over pie and slide into oven.
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes and then turn oven down to 350 and bake for 45 minutes more.
For the last 10 or 15 minutes - remove foil so that your pie crust turns golden.

This Southern Life.

2011-04-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

When you tell people that you live in the south, certain states automatically jump to mind. Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama...but oddly enough, never Florida.

I've even heard some folks say "..that ain't the south!".

Really...?

Well, I'm pretty sure it is. And I'm pretty sure there a sign a little more than few hours south of here that says "southernmost point" of the U.S.

Maybe it's because you hardly ever meet someone actually from Florida, someone that knows what a Florida cracker is. (Hint...it's not a snack.)

A Florida cracker is someone that comes from a long line of Florida-born folks.

And it's a good bet that it's someone who can trace their roots back to the pioneer days where cracker houses were nestled along the St. Johns river, where you could jump into Blue Springs and cool off and make nice with the gator giving you stink eye for being an interloper. That's ok...that stink eye gator better mind his manners because he makes a wonderful dinner. Tastes like chicken.

Can you spot the crackers above? They're the ones wearing long sleeves. We crackers stay cold until about June.

I might even confess to still having the space heater in my bedroom. Maybe.

.The great thing is i don't have to spend more than a little over an hour in my car to see this.

And Southern Living can only give you so much eye candy in one issue. Here, you can walk the streets with a camera for days and never see it all. Or smell that jasmine that you see climbing up the roof line.

It's good to be a native.

Update on the pool at Casa Kibler....

2011-03-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

I have not been the best blogger of late.

Sporadic posts.

No pics of wonderful new uses for burlap fabric or feed sacks.

Spring cleaning...? I did it - was i the diligent blogger and post pics and provide....nope. I blog hopped and read some great ones though!

I've been pool planning...researching for the landscape...basically just day dreaming over pictures like this...

and this...

Because our house is a creamy beige with a rust roof, it goes great with burnt red and turquoise accent colors...so i'm envisioning lots of color filled pots around the pool.

We picked out our pavers for the deck...

and debated over tile color fo the water's edge...(we went with the bottom right choice...it's much bluer than what it appears here though)

So, while we've been doing that - this is what was going on in our backyard...upper left corner to bottom right corner is progress during week 2 and week 3. The first week after signing the contract was permit pulling progress - and just prepping the yard. So 3 weeks in and we're tiling, plumbing, and running electric this week! We are super excited around here!

Sailing...take me away....to where I'm going

2011-03-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

I have been awake for hours already this morning. Whatever sleep I did end up getting over the course of the night was not restful. I kept falling asleep and falling back into this stupid dream revolving around a trip to the beach, in a hotel crammed with spring breakers, a bus that was really one big bathroom (think gym locker room and you'll get the idea) attached to this hotel and county prisoners cleaning it.

This is what my brain does when it's got a lot to process.

And when i read what i just typed above I realize that i made it sound like we're going through turmoil over here.

No, we just have a lot going on here at casa Kibler and I have been wanting to get to a quiet place, organize thoughts, pray, write, and with 2 boys starting spring break, that wasn't happening. So my brain took over during my sleep. At least it was entertaining - i just wonder what the prisoners scrubbing the floor of the bus bathroom relates to in my real life.

Since I was awake, I thought I'd capitalize on the quiet - and when i grabbed my laptop i found it was on a blog i must have clicked through to and then got sidetracked yesterday, because i didn't read it until this morning. But oh lordy. It was appropriate.

It was relating sailing to your relationship with God.

I don't sail but she explained it so simply that I got it.

She said, when the wind is in front of you (you're facing the situation) you have all of your sails trimmed, keeping from healing over - she said to think of it as being braced for what's ahead, facing it head on so to speak, that maneuver is called a "tack". Not "attack" but a "tack" But i thought how similar the words in meaning were here.

Then, she described a 'jibe', where the wind is behind you - she likened it to turning your back on the situation, and you have to let loose of your sails in order to catch the wind from behind. This letting go is called a 'broad reach'.

Sometimes we have to let go in order to let God do his thing. A broad reach is a broad stretch for me. I'm not good at that. I like control. I don't like letting go. That's definitely not in my comfort zone. I'm trying though.

How do you let go?

Total Destruction With Some Inspiration Thrown In

2011-03-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

I tend to think of home projects in stages. There's the planning/dreaming stage - where you gather all of your inspiration pictures together and start to plan it out. Then there's the de-construction stage where the notsogreat parts are destroyed so that you can build said dream.

This is where we are. Ground zero for the pool.

Heavy machinery sitting in yard, pavers pulled up and stacked to the side, random yard furniture shoved to the side...and a nerf machine gun. Because i might have to get serious with some of the men here. It's a justincase item. Oh and I see my Potter Barn bath mat under the nerf gun. At least it's stylin.

See this? I have some plans for this old thing.

We're putting in an outdoor shower that is solar powered for warm water...and i'm using this old gate for the shower door. I'm thinking a washed out turquoise color maybe...i love this...i almost bought that bell yesterday.

Maybe less english garden, more coastal looking...with some dune grass planted alongside.

Here's to dreams that come true...happy Sunday!

Weekend Wrap Up.

2011-03-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful weekend, time spent at our favorite nursery of all time....family owned....they serve breakfast stuff and lunch stuff at a snack stand so we kind of make it a 'date'...

walking around with our coffee, taking in all the colors. I can't describe how it makes me feel - except that i think maybe it's kind of like when you were small and got a brand new box of crayons....staring at fresh colors and blank paper....yeah. That's it.

These pots are tall. Or I'm short. That red one reached my shoulder. I wanted to carry one of those turquoise pots home but i had to choose - groceries for the month, or one beautiful pot. Darn those children that want food like 3 times day.

Here's a few shots from last weekend too - camping with my son and a some other family friends at a wonderful place called "Wallaby Ranch". It's a hang gliding ranch where you can rent a weekend cabin - in the smallest, cutest cabins ever - and learn to hang glide.

My friend Lori has over 400 hours logged hang gliding. Yea, I'm in awe. I will never do that. ever. Especially when this dude landed and then said "i thought i was going to be up there forever..." yea..again...no.

I instead focused on all the pretty scenery. Florida has some beautiful, unspoiled land.

And look at these sweet cottages you can rent....

and many swings to unwind on....

We didn't rent cabins, we "tented" it - that's our line of tents you see in the background up there. And they called us to dinner by ringing the bell in this bell tower. Very cool.

Sarah comes home on Spring Break this week and the boys come home from their dad's tomorrow and life gets very full, very quick, and i love every minute of it.

They start ripping the oaks out of the back yard tomorrow for the pool and i'm a little saddened by it. It's hard for me to justify killing something older than me for my own selfish wants.

We're having neighbors over for wings and sliders and games Friday night - so i'm looking forward to that.

What's everyone else up to? Anyone trying any new recipes or diving into any new projects?

Inspired by Heather Bullard...sigh

2011-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

One day I will own chickens. And they will run free, and when they decide to nap, i'll have a place for them much like this...

And i will make sure that they have a cute little house to call home....

Once again, I am back to daydreaming about farm life, selling jam on the side of the road and owning a passel of chickens. Except i don't think that's the right word - but the chickens won't care what word i use.

I'll give them great names like HB did - Butter, Ruby, Lola and i will adore them.

In the meantime, I will focus my energy on creating country in my city life by making my yard beautiful for entertaining...and i will set up tables like this....

and have beautiful hand towels like this....

This woman is in the perfect job - her talent is amazing. I heart her.

Linking to the Picket Fence's Inspiration Fridays...

Rome wasn't built in a day, ya know.

2011-03-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

That's my mother's voice. I think I hear her say that to me, oh, at least once a week. It's my fault really. We get on the phone to catch up and she asks what we're up to with the house stuff and I give her the running list, and that's always what she says back. And it's aggravating. But, she's right. Which is even more aggravating. You know what they say, if it's not one thing, it's your mother.

Anyway.

The shower re-caulk job is done and I seriously JUST finished re-grouting the shower floor. So i can mark that off my list - and i promise to take some pics soon of that room. But I've got yet another HUGE project that started this week. The good news is that we're not doing it ourselves.

Wanna see what we've started?...It's pretty cool....literally.

This is our big gift to the kids and ourselves. And i think i'm in love. This is pool mock up our builder provided that we approved....only to change it later. Small changes though - nothing big - this is the general idea.

Now i'm spending my nights trying to decide what plants to plant around it. And while the kids are excited about having a pool - i'm actually more excited about landscaping it - is that weird?

While V watched hockey last night, I spent my night with this cute man...

At least in the virtual world. Kind of. I spent hours going thru his blog and his website

He is one talented southern boy. A gardener by trade who started doing events, and ohmyword can he cook - i have copied down several recipes that just remind me of my grandmother.

You can get lost in all of his gorgeous pictures.

On another note...and one more project - the beadboard went up in the guest bath and the doors were trimmed out as well -and both have been painted. I would show you a picture of THAT too but the man painted everything in his path and i need to go back and re-paint the wall where they meet.

Wait - did you mean ME?

2011-02-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

How sweet is this??

Low Country Living sent this my way yesterday - first one ever - and when i see who else she awarded it to - i am in awesome company! Thank you LCL!!! Ladies - go visit her and take a look at her awesome cottage renovation - i can't believe she's moving but i can believe she sold it fast - it's gorgeous!

Ok - i'm supposed to share 7 things about me...which, i'm sorry in advance, will bore you to tears - but here goes...

I have to live near water otherwise i feel like i kind of can't breathe. I can see the lake from my driveway and while i don't have to be able to see the water from my house - i have to be able to get to it quickly. I don't know why that is, but i do know you will never see me living my parents' life in the mountains. I need H2O and sun. LOTS OF SUN.
I was a flight attendant and it's the only job I've ever gotten in trouble to the point i was removed for 3 days without pay. It's also the only job I've ever walked off - like quit - before the shift was done. I think it's fair to say that was not the job for me.
I totally forgot my first date with Vance. He drove over 2 hrs (he lived on the west coast) and got a hotel so that he wouldn't have to drive back and i totally forgot we even had a date - didn't have a sitter for the boys - and to just make it worse - when he called to say he was on his way - i actually said "Who is this again?". Yea, not my finest moment.
I plan on the sky falling. I am the worst case chick - every time something good happens i look for the bad to come out of it. It makes Vance nuts.
I actually like to clean the bathroom.
On the other hand - I HATE doing laundry.
I'm totally in love with my life right now. Truly, madly, deeply in love with where I am at this point in my life.

Ok - on to those I'm passing this along to - please visit these chicks for some great inspiration - you will find some wonderful, heartfelt posts as well as decor inspiration. Love these blogs.

Living the Dream
7924 Cottage Way
The Amazing and Incredible Invisible Blog
The Center of Myself
Infatuated With Homes and Gardens
Walnut & Vine
The Woodard Gang

Stylish Blogger Award....
Rules

-Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.

--Share seven things about yourself.
--Award seven recently discovered new blogs.--Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received the award.

Tell Me How.....to re-caulk my shower.

2011-02-24T04:59:00.000-08:00

I know...titillating stuff.

I thought about starting a series called "Tell Me How Tuesdays" where I would walk you through some stuff that I've been doing on my own. My man has been doing a lot but I carry my own weight here - i mean, i feed him and stuff (yes, that DOES count). But I come with my own skilz..But then i remembered...i'm not so good about this blogging with regularity thing - so scratch that. So maybe i'll just title these "what i did on my weekend instead of cool stuff like drinking margaritas and laying by the pool i don't have".

Onward...

The first thing I said to everyone around me when we first looked at this house was "OHMYGOSH DID THESE PEOPLE NEVER CLEAN???".

...to the realtor, to my husband, to my kids....they were there. Ask 'em.

It was dirty. Like, they should have been embarrassed, dirty.

This is what I saw when we looked at the shower - fair warning - it's beyond gross.

and i cleaned. scrubbed. and while the tile would come clean, the caulk and grout had seen it's better days. I knew what had to be done. And, I knew I would have to do it. The man - he was on other projects. And my whining would not help.

I needed to re-caulk and re-grout.

Here are some facts about me:

I know how to do a lot more stuff than i tell Vance I know how to do (thanks to what my parents affectionately dubbed Baptist Bootcamp when I was young and would get into trouble - meaning i got put on restriction a lot and was given many. many household chores).
I actually ENJOY most of these things - I hate the getting ready part though - the going to the store or rifling through the garage for stuff - but i LOVE the actual doing.

Now - also know this. When you have a project like this - think about putting some good tunes on the iPOD and just plan on this taking more than a few hours. You cannot rush this process or processes. Just tell yourself your going to be using your kids bathroom for a week and then start having more wine after dinner.

Here is the timeline that i worked under for just the re-caulking process:
Day 1 - remove existing caulk
Day 2 ( look, i said i take my time, ok?) - Wash down down frame with bleach. Let dry for 48 hrs.
Day 3 Wipe down with rubbing or denatured alcohol and then re-caulk.
Day 4-5 - Do nothing. Let caulk cure. Go to the beach. If it's raining or high humidity out, wait an additional 24 hours. Remind yourself that you are awesome for doing this all by yourself.
Day 6 - You can use your shower again.

So... there are some necessary items you will need:

Ok. Let's get to it.

First...get rid of the gross old caulk - can you believe I touched this?

Just take that putty knife and run it around all the offending caulk and start scraping it away! Goodbye gross mold. If you want immediate gratification - look at your feet...You can use that fancy schmancy caulk removal tool if you want - i like my putty knife - your choice.

yeah...gross stuff.

Ok - you've got it off. Now do like i did and and call it a day - OR get on with your bad self and clean the shower seams down with a bleach rag. Make sure all that mold is gone. If you proceeded onward and wiped it all down - you have to wait for at least 48hrs for it dry thoroughly or you will be thoroughly disgusted when your new caulk job doesn't stick.

Trust me when i say STOP and set your timeout timer for 48 hrs. If it's raining and/or you're in the deep south - 72hrs.

Alright - you're back - how were those 2 days off?

Now - you're ready to one more quick wipe down with the alcohol. I've used both denatured (which I prefer to use but didn't have any) or rubbing. They're both great for any leftover greasy residue.

I left one thing out of that item picture up there - blue painters tape. If you want crisp lines - you need this.

Go get it - and tape off a 1/8th width on both sides of the joint where you're going to caulk. Many many people don't do this. That's ok. I like small caulk lines that look like i hired someone to do the job.

If you want large, sweeping caulk smudge all over the place that's just going to get moldy eventually - knock yourself out, throw caution to the wind and do the job without it. If you want crisp - go get the tape.

Don't let that caulk gun you see laying in the background throw you - i did not use it. The husband thought i needed it because he didn't know i was using caulk squeeze tubes. I hate caulk guns - they're way to bulky for me to use.

Now it's time to caulk. Cut the tip off of the caulk tube at the first slanted line closer to the point. If you cut it off at the second line - your caulk lines will be too large.

Start at one corner and squeeze it down the shower glass seam like you would squeeze an icing tube. It's ok if you get tired and have to stop in the middle like this:

Because you will just take your finger and run it down the seam and even it out - and because you have taped it off, it won't make a lick of difference - it will still be a tiny caulk line.

Once all your seams are caulked - remove your tape. Do not wait to remove the tape because you will run the risk of comprising the seal of the caulk once it's set.

See? Crisp, clean and SMALL caulk lines.

and isn't that up there better than this?

Awesome blossom huh?

yea, i'm pretty darn pleased with myself.

Some days you need someone to say it.

2011-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Right?

I mean, we get up. Get coffee started. Get dressed. Get the kids up. Get THEM dressed. Get breakfast. Find homework. Wake the man. Get his coffee poured. Say to the kids...brushyourteethputonyourshoeswheresyourhomeworkdoyouhavepracticeafterschool?????

And then they're out of the house and you sit down and realize...

your coffee's cold

you didn't brush your teeth

the sweater you put on is inside out.

you haven't brushed your hair

.....and if you want to be perfectly honest with yourself you can't remember if you showered yesterday.

It's nice to be told...that's all i'm sayin'.

Be careful out there.

Sometimes opportunities just present themselves.

2011-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday a bunch of us in the 'hood got together for a grown-up Valentine's dinner.

We all got sitters and made our way to the upper west side - code for the other side of the pond that divides our neighborhood - and on our walk down the street, what did we come across?

A toilet.

At the end of one of our neighbor's driveway. Just sitting there. All by itself. Minding it's own business. Waiting on Monday's trash run.

Now, throw in some cocktails, much conversation about the toilet, some potty humor by our men-children and some attendance taking of who skipped the dinner...and what do you think happened next?

The men-children left the party at midnight and ran back and picked up the toilet and placed it here - in front of our other neighbor's house that didn't show for dinner.

And what you can't see (because i took this pic all the way from the end of my driveway the morning after, before Tom got up to get his paper and find this obnoxious prank on his sidewalk) is the note that the boys, i mean men, left.

"Shitta came to dinner"

They never grow up - do they?

Two People, One Card.

2011-02-14T06:23:00.000-08:00

I have said before that he begins where I end. I truly mean that. And as if i needed proof...

That's right...we bought each other the same card. I think that's both hilarious and validating. :)

when we were laughing about this over coffee being poured - i told him that it was too perfect a card not to buy it. The inside of the card says this:

You're the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I just wanted you to know that.

I can't stop feeling thankful for your sweetness

and your gentle ways.

I can't imagine not being with you today and tomorrow,

and every tomorrow beyond that.

I LOVE YOU

more than I can tell you and

I want to spend my life trying to be the best thing that

ever happened to you.

So true.

The Fireplace Is Finished! And yes, there are pics!

2011-02-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

It's taken FORFREAKINEVER...but i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My poor man. He has been to Lowes so many times over the last month that they offered him a job. Just kidding. On the job part.

It's not that this project was overly problematic - it's more that we had several projects going on at once. This is just one of them. And we actually have real jobs that pay us and want us to show up on Mondays and work until 5. So there was constant stopping and starting. And little boys who have winter football and spring baseball that are overlapping.

Oh..and my parents. They're still here.

But...you want to see the goods, right?

Ok..here are some before shots. But....because we don't have it together enough to take a decent before pic and the realtor pic of this fireplace was lost when my laptop crashed...i had to make do with a pic from christmas morning. Yes, morning. I know it's dark outside the windows. That's how we roll here - up and at 'em at 6am. Yessirree bob.

I know, this picture is really not a great before. Here is better closeup. Also, make a note ladies that when you ask your husband to take a picture of something, anything, make sure he understands what the subject is. In this case, it was not the TV as one would think. It's of that absolutely stunning tile.

Here is the look i was going for....RMS inspiration...

And now that you've waited almost as long reading thru this post as it did to do the darn fireplace...here is where we are now....windows trimmed out, fireplace mantle and surround built, new tile inset and hearth and bookshelf builtins.

As you can see, we still have some things to finish up (like the blue painters tape isn't really the look i was going for there) but i really wanted to show off what Vance and my dad have done because it's so pretty. There were some things that i wanted that weren't in the inspiration pic - and i think the men in my life pulled it off quite well. The room isn't big enough for free standing furniture pieces to house the electronics and i have absolutely nowhere to store books so i asked them to create a built in space beneath the windows and it came out great i think.

Originally, i wanted to do the mosaic surround like in my inspiration pic, but my stepdaughter, being the design diva that she is, suggested i go with something more timeless and i think she was spot on. Love the travertine inset and hearth.

The trim needs to painted - right now you're looking at only primer on everything. And we need to redo the orange peel on the sides of the fireplace where we had to replace the drywall after tearing off the tile. But we are nearing the finish line and i'm so glad.

Hope you like it!

Linking to Transformation Thursdays and Inspiration Fridays - go there to see more cool stuff :)

Hall Bath Inspiration...FINALLY

2011-02-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hi cupcakes! It's Friday....so you know what that means...Inspiration Fridays, now at the Picket Fence. Meet me over there for some great pics.

With some good old fashioned encouragement from you guys (thanks bunches btw)...I spent some time last night trying to put a plan in place for the hall bath.

Ok girlies, I will paint the darn cabinet. I'm skeered to screw it up, but i figure it's better than that awful orange.

I'm sticking to the color family in my inspiration for the house that hangs in my bath - but going deeper hues since it's the boys bath. Are you tired of looking at her? I promise you will only have to look at her 100 more times until the house is done. promise. (And thanks to Megan - I now know the artist...and not at all surprised that we share tastes in art)

And i do believe i picked the most expensive bath art out there in my board below. Seriously, how do i do that?? These are from Ballards. I try to not even go to that site unless i have money to burn - and i don't - so I need knock-offs and i need y'all to help me find them. Megan - you're good at this (hint hint) Subtle aren't I? So here's my polyvore on the hall bath...first, the bath again...and...where it's headed! I'm super excited. I can't believe i have a plan...

Note the beadboard behind the pics here...yep - doing that too. I have no original ideas - but i can sure steal 'em! That was a great idea for the wall.

Hall Bath by

Mothers and their opinions....and a before shot of the bathroom

2011-02-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Mother: "When did you decide to stop cutting your hair?"
Me: "I didn't stop cutting it. I'm letting it grow out."
Mother: "Did Vance tell you to do that?"
Me: "No...I made the decision all by my 41 year old self"
Mother: "Well...it makes your 41 year old self look older than 41."
Me: sigh.

I so wish I was making that scene up.

Anyway...on to other things that she can critique later - like my bathroom reno that needs to get underway.

Here is what i affectionately call the bowling alley. It feels that way to me - with that long expanse of wall on the left.

Sadly, this is not the true before...it's just ugly still. The true before would have shown you lemon yellow walls but fortunately for YOU my computer crashed awhile back and took that unpleasantness with it. This is the after where i couldn't decide on a paint color and slapped the family room paint on it - which of course - is blue.

Let's break down this sad bath..

I know. I know. You're thinking I'm a design diva. I can't even type that with a straight face.

Anyway.

There are a few things that i'm ok with in here. The mirror. And the dark hamper. Oh, and that vanity tray with the goodies on top. That's about it. And you really can't even tell what the hamper looks like but trust me, it's all PB knock off cute from Target.

Everything else gives me a headache. It's a hodgepodge of mixing houses together and forcing things in there and nothing matches and i hate it. HATE IT. Hate the lamp, hate the soap canister, hate the candle, hate the shower curtain. hate the orange cabinet. hate the ...well you get the idea. And i have no clue what to do. Seriously.

I just know it needs to be crisp, clean,   I have become smitten with crisp. Like these.

from Maillardville Manor

RMS - love this. A lot.

And then, there's my Heather Chadduck bath...but i'm realizing that i'm already over the map thing. And I'm thinking it's little too rustic now.

And there was a time not too long ago when we bought this...and this was supposed to be the jumping off point for the colors all through the house. And this ain't goin' away. I love it. It's over my tub and I realized that i kept straying away from it because i was trying to make all the old stuff work. And it's not going to. So it's all going away. All the burgundy, olive, dark stuff - gone.

New House.
New Marriage.
New Look.

as cheaply as i can get by with it. ahem. and as long as i can hide the evidence, i mean receipts, we should be good.

You Really Like Blue, huh?

2011-01-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

So, i have been promised that I will be able to take pictures of the completed (yes, i said completed) family room fireplace project by this weekend. I have my doubts.

While we're talking about the family room, some friends of ours came down and stayed with us over the weekend, and I saw the wife eyeing my family room walls. I thought perhaps she was taking in all the construction around the fireplace windows...but no. She took a long look at the wall and turned to me and said "So...do you really like blue?"

I wasn't exactly sure how to take that.

I mean, uh, yea, i do. Thus my blue kitchen and family room. So then i started thinking about how it wasn't the right blue and how worse my walls must really be...and so it goes. And by "..so it goes.." I mean I got in my car and drove to HD and got some more paint swatches. I have not however broken the news to Vance. I can't risk the bathroom not getting done so i'm going to just keep the paint thing quiet for a few more days.

I did try and find some cute bathrooms but i have found nothing that really wows me - except for this one...she's a beauty. Oh...and she's blue. So there.

This is from HGTV RMS. Where do all of you go for inspiration? I would love some new sites to pick through...please share.

Hello Luvah....

2011-01-30T17:02:00.000-08:00

One more day, and February is here. I can't believe one month is in the books for 2011 already. It seems unreal that we've knocked one month out.

Found on etsy by modernprariedesigns

That means it's only 2 weeks until Valentine's day. Are you ready? Do you have anything fun planned? I try and do some special things for all of my boys every year and this year is only different by the fact that I'm actually planning more than a few days ahead.

We'll do Valentine's day twice, since they will be with their dad on Valentine's this year. They will probably ask for spaghetti and garlic bread again - which is fine by me, easy peasy. But for the grown up dinner, if it's cold, Vance will want comfort food. Right now, i'm leaning toward this casserole with roasted chicken, gruyere cheese, shiitake mushrooms and spinach. Recipe from Coastal Living here.

On a side note...it looks like our hall bath will be getting a slight update sooner than later. Walker accidentally pulled the towel bar out of the drywall over the weekend leaving a gaping hole and broken ceramic pieces. Awesome. Because i don't have enough going on. So...i'm off to houzz to view bathrooms for some ideas. - night all.

The Inspiration Files Strike Again.

2011-01-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

January is a tough month for me.

We come off of the holidays and slide right into

baseball tryouts - 1st week of Jan
winter football - 1st week of Jan
hubs bday - 2nd week
oldest son's bday - 3rd week
statewide camping, scouts (which got canceled - HALLELUJAH) 3rd week
and because of all this STUFF, i don't get much time to myself. unless i want to stay up until 2 am. and even if i wanted to, i couldn't. i'm an early bird, not a nigh owl.

Days are still way too short - and i have a thing about needing sunlight on a regular basis

Tornado season starts. Yes, we really have a tornado season - and it scares me more than hurricane season. And today, our weather radio went off way too much.

Anyway...for some reason - the dark crunch days of January make me want to lighten up the house. Add color. Get organized and rid the house of all unnecessary things. (you should have seen what i took out of our master bedroom closet over the weekend).

I long for super tall windows...and fresh tulips...

A gorgeous bed beside beautiful corner windows. I see trees out those windows, let's just pretend it's the ocean...

I am in love with everything in this next picture. Especially the gray blue paint.

and this..still loving that black interior door...and those bamboo blinds...not really digging that table behind the sofa though. forgiven on that.

Happy Tuesday, almost Wednesday....halfway to the weekend guys....

Inspired to Retire

2011-01-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

I read a post the other day over here that had a great sentiment.

The statement simply said...

"Never Give Up On Anything You Can't Go 5 Minutes Without Thinking About".

Well....that struck a nerve. I use the term "nerve" instead of "chord" because I constantly (and I mean constantly, friends) say that i want to do something to increase my income, be a little less dependent on the weekly grind, and live on the water. And it has to be getting on the 'nerves' of all those around me...because all i'm doing is kvetching and not doing anything to work toward that goal.

This...this is what i can't go 5 minutes without thinking about....

Georgia's on my mind. Actually, the low country is on my mind. Thunderbolt maybe. Isn't that a great name for town? Thunderbolt. For some reason, not sure why, it reminds of a comic book every time i say it out loud. You would think it would be rain, storms, etc - but no. I get super-heroes and words like "SHA-ZAAM!" and "POW!" that pop into my head. I'm not sure what that says about me...

Anyway....i'm not going to get there by dreaming and talking about it. And i've been playing around with this idea for awhile...just taking a small bit of $$ and getting it to start working a little harder. And since i can be somewhat bored by a dry read sometimes....i decided to start with this. I figure if he can speak plainly for a teenage audience, I should be able to understand it, right? (I hear my stepdaughter snickering i think).

I heard that even though this book is somewhat older now - it's a great resource for learning terms and how different investment tools work. And you know what? It's a GREAT read. Not dry. He summarizes each chapter, and I have learned a lot so far. No where near 'market ready' but I've taken the first real step toward working toward the finish line!

Linking to Vanessa's Inspiration Friday's....

Total Randomness

2011-01-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

I complained about the number on the scale yesterday....and then had Del Taco for dinner. I am my own worst enemy. I should have been eating this instead... this is a great summer salad i found here. We made it about 10 times last summer and changed it up every time. It's awesome.

We have had a handful of chamber of commerce days here with weather in the 70's...thank the heavens...because i am OVER using a space eater to warm my feet during work. I would much rather put my toes here....on Anna Maria Island.

My living room still looks like a tornado went through. The bookshelves are halfway there but i have a ladder and toolbox and paint and and and....and was told by my dear man that i needed to just change rooms if it bothered me that bad. and to be quiet. ok....maybe i will be quiet and l just start planning my summer reading list instead of nagging. This was last year's bag - i didn't really dig Wendy Holden though...new choices for this year. Still working on it...suggestions?

And even though we are in save mode around here...but am still looking forward to this...lazy afternoons on Rod and Reel Pier waiting for fried fish sandwiches and sweet tea. Ignore my little one's face - he HATES to be still (but adores her...promise...and she lives to torment him...lol)

And then Tracy posted this...and now i want one. Isn't it awesome? She is super talented.

Go poke around her blog - she has the cutest pics.

See...totally random.

Kitchen Clutter

2011-01-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start this post with "I have a dream" and then i remembered it's Martin Luther King Day today. And i think what i'm posting about would almost be offensive in it's 'smallness' to MLK, so i will just call this a wish.

I have a wish that my kitchen counter would stay absolutely free of clutter. I hate clutter. CANNOT STAND IT. But....I have children with legos, trains, matchbox cars. That have decided that my counter makes the perfect launching pad for car races. I have parents still in town that need their medications laid out so they don't forget to take them, and i have this man i live with that has my family room completely torn apart right now in a home improvement project. (which he is doing absolutely for me because he loves me and i just need to do an Edith and stifle. And if you don't get that reference you are far too young and should just stop reading my blog and go watch Jersey Shore.)

Some people dream of these HUGE kitchens with all the gadgets. Not me. I dream of Lissa's kitchen, in it's small, clutter free sense. With grapefruit or seashore candle burning and a simple dutch oven sitting on the stove waiting to be filled and warmed.

So...at 7am this morning, i cleaned off the counter again, determined to maintain my space and sanity, only to be reminded that it's MLK day and the kids are out of school. Does the schoolboard not get the whole "kids should be in school, and in Japan go to school 7 days a week" - ok i just made that Japan thing up but really....it is time for these wee ones to go do a math problem and bug a teacher.

Dreaming of Summer...and a bigger bank account

2011-01-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

I think the cold weather here has me in a funk. I can't stand weather in the 30's, 40's ....BLECH. Have i said I live in Orlando? This is stupid cold for here. And....my boss can't stand to hear me kvetch about it one.more.time. Especially since she's knee deep in snow with lots of snow days inside with kids. I don't know how she does it. Margaret - you need to move. I get cold talking on the phone to you.

I thought i'd sunny up my mood a little with some warm weather wishing. Above pic from HGTV RMS. Below from Blue Haven pool's website.

Here's to some Jack Johnson or Zach Brown, some magazines, suntan lotion and trash mag Saturdays....linking to V's Inspiration Friday's of course....

Keep or Take Back?

2011-01-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Help - have i lost my mind on this?

It's not what i would normally gravitate to but I saw it and I fell.in.love. But you know, we all can fall in love for the wrong reasons. But oh, i heart it so....

Remember my inspiration pic? Have I strayed too far?

I mean, it's not stripes. I haven't painted my door yet either. Is it too... contemporary? It does have it's issues too - like the door won't clear the darn rug. The bottom sweep on the door would have to be cut. That is irritating me.

But it makes me happy just to look at it. Stupid i know, but it's a happy rug, what can i say - small things people. And you can't tell from this awful lighting but it looks gorgeous against the wall color, and it has a great olive color that the living room rug works with....

And i AM going for a cottage feel....and Pottery Barn did use a similar rug in this bedroom that I've been carrying around for ages....

And then here's another but....we aren't getting rid of this rug anytime soon - like years...and my house has no walls so everything flows from one room to another - so am i jumping too many styles here in too short a space? Like when you're at the piano (pic above) - you're looking at this to your right (below)

So...that's my dilemma....should i just start over?

That whole New Year thing.

2010-12-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

I had to get glasses this month. That was...interesting. Now i leave them everywhere, but never where i need them. I'm guessing it takes some getting used to. The good thing is my headaches have eased off. The bad news is I spend a good 10 minutes trying to find them every time i settle down to start a project.

A new year brings change - always - kind of like the glasses thing - and every year about this time I find myself thinking about what i might want to improve, or change in myself. Don't say resolution. I never resolve (that sounds so strong, doesn't it?) to make permanent change...ever. I make notes on things i might want to....attempt. My list is much shorter this year. Not sure yet if that's good or bad. But it's definitely an easier read.

So far on my list:

Slow down. This means my laptop shuts down at 5:30 (latest) and i don't pick it up (or my droid) after dinner. Yes...this will be hard. Yes, i know there are going to moments where I cave. But i promise to at least be more aware, and to stop myself if the office isn't burning down.
Instead of dieting i'm just going to buy clothes that fit. There. I said it. Oh yes i did.
And those clothes I'm buying? Less Ann Taylor and more...bohemian. More Anthro. More Urban. More....FUN. I'm not my mother...yet.
Vacuum my kitchen floor after dinner. I started doing that this past week, and it makes such a difference in how i feel when i walk into the kitchen the next day that's clean down to it's floor. Silly but true.
Buy some of that jewelry on etsy that i have been coveting for such a long time.

Told you it wasn't a long list. Just my list. My sanity savers for 2011. I think i can do these.

Linking to Vanessa's Inspiration Friday

What a little time buys you.

2010-12-28T14:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a few sneak peaks at what we've been up to at casa Kibler (aside from gorging ourselves ourselves on homemade cake, cookies, candy and developing quite the eggnog butt).

This precious thing is covering one of my front door windows - it's twin is not finished yet. I had high hopes for using a set of roman blinds that i got from Sears at a great discount but they were too huge and it was more fight than i had in me to figure out how to modify them. It does not escape me that i probably worked twice as hard on this thing since i did it sans pattern and i lost my cool a few times....ahem. However, i think it's kinda cute. I promise to show more once i get the other one up.

And here's the man-project. What i am not showing you here is the fact that the fireplace had no surround. No trim. No molding. Just gross big ceramic tile that they tore off the wall yesterday. Taking the drywall with it and leaving a gaping hole. That the cat tried to crawl thru. Here is the drywall back up, ALL TV CORDS HIDDEN INSIDE - YAY and a new outlet pushed to the outside for the summer kitchen we hope to have (SOMEDAY). I'm told tomorrow brings new trim, and travertine for the inset. Here's hoping...i think i'm drinking tonight.

all so that it can look like this by week's end...courtesy of Centsational Girl...she had me at hello. So, for the next few days, just imagine her fireplace in my family room...

That's it for now girlies. Anyone thinking yet about New Year's Resolutions? I am....

How many? Only one.

2010-12-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

Follow the star to a place unexpected

Would you believe after all we’ve projected

A child in a manger

Lowly and small, the weakest of all

Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl

Just a child

Is this who we’ve waited for?

Cause how many kings, stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many Gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

How Many Kings is probably one of my most favorite contemporary Christmas songs. If you have never heard it, i urge you to listen here:

It was all good until the Christmas Ninjas showed up.

2010-12-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Little boys. They amuse me so. This is what i found yesterday morning on the way through the living room.

Do you see it? No? Here...go in a little further...

Is that not hilarious? Those poor villagers have no idea what's about to happen. Those carolers up there? Totally clueless.

Hiding in the church...no santa in this chimney!

Hmmm.... that's one way to raid a toy store. After visiting ToysRUs yesterday - i kind of get that approach.

Dear Florida, we have to talk.

2010-12-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

This is totally unacceptable. You're making me wrap pipes, cover plants, and do other 'northern' things that just.aren't.right. ESPECIALLY since you're not even being nice and giving us something like....SNOW. Do you know how nuts you're making me my kids right now??

entryway pics take 2

2010-12-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, my pictures disappeared after a few days...so here they are again :) You'll have to take my word for it that it looks much chunkier in real life. And it fills out the wall quite nicely.

Here she is...up closer.

Still working on the black door, the rug, etc..

New Entry Pictures - A Work In Progress

2010-12-07T07:02:00.001-08:00

Is it just me? Am I the only person who looks around and finds the HARDEST way to do a project?

It's been a pain in the youknowwhat.

Couldn't find a ledge to fill the expanse of the wall.
Dear man tells me - "I'll build it".
Sarah paints it.
Found hooks. Too tall.
Found new hooks. Too big. (But ohmyword so very pretty. cry.)
Found New new hooks. Too twisty. Yes, twisty.
Found the RIGHT hooks. Didn't come with screws.
Found screws - TOO BIG FOR HOLES AND THE WERE THE SMALLEST LOWES AND HD HAD IN BLACK. Yes, my typing DOES indicate i lost it right.about.here.
Wonderful man bores existing holes to make them larger because wife is crazy.
Hang ledge. Top is flush. Bottom half is surfing out into the foyer. That's not gonna work.
Wonderful, now irritated man, takes down ledge and shaves top half to be equal with bottom so entire ledge lays flush against wall.

All is well. Until pictures fall off and smash to the floor.

Isn't she pretty??? i heart her.

I need to rub a darker stain on the frames - but these were a deal so I picked them up - for $3 a piece at Sears a few weeks back. Exactly what i wanted, just a tad too orange brown.

Also, i have picked the pictures out but they need to be printed out in black and white - i think color pics wouldn't look right...?

He did awesome. I am so very proud of this sweet wonderful man that told me without any sighs "sure i'll build that for you." And he did. And i absolutely love it.

Ignore that stack of boxes in the DR corner, and the broom. I have some wrapping to do and for whatever blessed reason, the boys have not realized that some of their Christmas is right there, under their nose.

I still need a rug.
I would really like an antique, aged bench.
And some roman blinds.
And the door still needs to be painted. I bought the paint - does that count?

Seas and Greetings

2010-12-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our father
Brothers all are we.

Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.

With every step i take
Let this be my solemn vow.

To take each moment
And live each moment

With peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

Linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and The Christmas Tree Party at TDC please visit and soak up all of that wonderful Christmas spirit. Peace to you all.

A Coastal Christmas

2010-11-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Coastal Living

I was born here.

A sunshine state baby, while my parents and all of the rest of my family hail from Virginia.

The love the Blue Ridge mountains, while i love the blue water. They can keep their mountains (it's a nice place to visit as the saying goes) but i will keep my beach. And i can think of nothing prettier than a low country town decorated up for the holidays.

Coastal Living

I will take Savannah, Tybee, St. Simons, or Charleston. I will use shells and sand coral while they decorate with snow and icicles.

       Completely Coastal

Thinking about a couple of different ideas. Using my black PB lanterns from Homegoods on the front      porch, with my starfish and some evergreen.

Maybe move the pre-lit dining room tree to the lanai and put a live evergreen in a galvanized pot in it's place and decorate with some burlap and starfish and shells and i'm thinking feathers. Is that crazy? Is burlap overdone? I'm thinking pheasant feathers - natural colors like creams, browns, sages.....not sure yet.

Anyway, off to bed. We're still in Tallahassee for the holiday. Heading home in the morning. Enjoy the rest of your weekend girls :)

I survived - without Starbucks!

2010-11-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

We survived :) Back from an all boy adventure (plus a few moms) in the woods, with tents, and knives and some really big sandhill cranes. One of which wanted to fight me for a pancake. I won. (But there was a moment when i almost let him have the darn thing).

I wanted to thank everyone that emailed me since my last post - that post really did come out of the clear blue when i was cleaning the kitchen the other day and i felt i had to write it down. Get it out. And reading your words of encouragement in the emails i received was amazing and i thank each of you, from the bottom of my heart.

We got home before 11am and we were still pretty wired so we started the process of christmas decorating. The tree is up but it took awhile to get it fluffed out right from being packed away, and i can't decide what i want to do yet throughout the house - so i'm working up some inspiration....what do all of you have planned?

Southern Living

Reminders...a love story

2010-11-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

This is what i look at on my kitchen counter on a daily basis. In some sort of fashion or another.

It's not always that same pile. Sometimes there's a quart of paint (just pick a color - right now i am my own personal Home Depot). Other times there may be a drill or even 2 drills, just depends.

But this man-clutter is a God-sent reminder to me that years ago when my heart was breaking in a million pieces, He heard my cries. And He rescued me.

In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. - 2 Samuel 22:7

Flashback 6 or 7 years. I was sitting at the bottom of the stairs in my foyer, alone and sad, and crying over yet another fight between my ex and me - when my MIL showed up at my door.

I cannot explain the extent of my sadness, but to say, i have lived ALONE - and not been as lonely as i was during the time I was married.

My husband didn't want to be married but didn't want to divorce because of the kids, and he encouraged me to find someone to be my companion so that he didn't have to travel with me, or do outings like other married couples. He said he was bored to death by me. That is why i was sitting there crying that day. Total rejection.

My MIL, i'm sure with all good intentions, sat down beside me and said something i will never forget. She said "sheri, no one, NO ONE, will ever love you the way you expect to be loved. That's not reality." and then she went on to say that she remembered feeling the same way once but she got past it, and moved on. She found girlfriends to travel with, made a life that didn't involve her husband.

My friends, i cannot tell you how her words, which were meant to help me, just broke my heart even more. I wanted someone that loved me. wanted to spend time with me. not someone that wanted to be as far away from me as possible - and was telling me to go elsewhere for that relationship i so desperately sought. I wanted to be married. That's why i got married in the first place. I didn't want to spend my life living alone. But that's what i was doing. I was also praying a lot. Praying and crying.

Sometimes God says no though - and He said no to my marriage. He wouldn't heal it, no matter how hard i prayed. So i gave it over and said, ok, if this isn't meant to be, at least not now or maybe ever, i need You to provide income. I need You to provide an affordable house. And i prayed that He would provide someone for me - i was so lonely.

One by one He did provide. Months after I started the divorce process - a brand new house was built down the street in my price range. I got financing with no hiccups. and then not even 3 months later, i was offered a new job making 30K more than i was making before. I remember sitting on my new living room floor (because i didn't have furniture yet) crying because He did everything I asked of Him. They were the happiest tears i had cried in a very long time.

And then, He provided Vance. (which, in true Sheri fashion, i pushed away from at first)

But from the very first date - i knew. I used to hate it when i would hear people say that, but i knew. If you saw us together you would totally say we are like puzzle pieces. He starts where i stop and vice versa. I know how lame i sound - it's ok - i don't care. It's true. And he loves me beyond comprehension. He gets me. He laughs at my jokes. He has let me cry and started crying because I was crying and he hates to see me sad. I cannot imagine my life without him.

And when i think back to that day when I was told that no one would ever love me the way i thought i should be loved - i now know she was right. Vance loves me beyond that. And every day when i look at those piles of hammers, screws, duct tape, i let that serve as God's reminder to me of how faithful He is when we trust Him to meet the desires of our heart. And I am forever thankful.

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. - 2 Samuel 22:17-19

The entry's not quite there yet

2010-11-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

But close. So close it's making me nuts. It's the rug thing that i just can't get right. But V built the Heather Chadduck shelf ledge. Sarah painted the ledge. We attempted to put the hooks on but realized they were too tall for the piece - so it's back to finding vintage hooks that go more out than up.

My VF Megan over there on the sidebar is telling me i must go to HL - so hopefully next week i can get there. If i don't get eaten by mosquitoes and sand hill cranes at the scouts campout this weekend. If i don't post by Monday - someone please send a search party (with a Starbucks in hand).

I also got some great roman shades for a steal. They were probably a steal because they are abnormally HUGE. Which means i have to perform surgery on them to make them fit.

So, while i can't get my act together quickly enough to product pictures of my OWN house - i'll post some favorites i've saved.

Oh...and it's pure randomness. Obviously. No tie in whatsoever to this post. Don't you love me sometimes? The closest tie in is the middle one is Heather Chadduck again i think.

I think all images are from www.myhomeideas.com but don't quote me.

Have a great night y'all :) Off to finish watching Parenthood...

It's like Christmas, only better!

2010-11-13T05:28:00.000-08:00

My steppie is home!!!!!!!! And i think if i hug her one more time she's going to slug me. And i'm pretty sure she hates that word. I need a new word, definitely. Work on that y'all, while i'm out, k?

She's home and we are going on a shopping expedition (If i can get her butt out of bed this morning - what IS it with staying up until 2???? I never got it. Oh wait, yea, i was young once. In a land far, far away where time stood still)

BUT once she's up - we're going here...

and then straight to here....

and then skipping 2 doors down to here...

and then across the street to here!!!!!!!

and my wallet will be lighter, and my soul will be filled. And yes, i do get out more than you would think from the sound of this post.

DID I SAY I'M GOING TO ANTHRO TODAY????

i did? Ok then. Off to rouse sleeping beauty....

Have a great start to your weekend!!!

Painted Door Inspiration

2010-11-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Home and Harmony

sigh...Cote de Texas.

Yep. Convinced.

Linking to Vanessa's Inspiration Friday!