Destination Disney: Disney in Red

Heidi has started a new theme for
Destination Disney: DISNEY IN COLOR.

Hop on over and join in the fun! We're just getting started and our first color is RED!

I started looking through all of my albums and realized I had a gazillion alot of photos that would work this week. I decided to narrow it down by choosing a "red" picture from each of the 4 parks, so here goes.

Magic Kingdom:

Of course, Minnie's signature red & white polka dotted dress popped into my mind immediately.

EPCOT:

The red phone booth in Epcot's United Kingdom pavilion had to make the list!

Hollywood Studios:

The big red guitar is one of my favorite sights at DHS, we  love, love, love Rockin' Roller Coaster!!!

Animal Kingdom:

The attention to detail at Animal Kingdom is amazing!!! Love this red bicycle!

Blooming Daylily

no longer the world's worst dieter

You know how I've mentioned before that I'm the world's worst dieter???? Well, I started a diet last week and so far I've lost 6 lbs.!!! What am I doing you might ask? Well, after hearing amazing results from a friend of mine doing the Atkins diet. I researched quite a bit and then decided I'd give it a go. My goal is to lose 20 lbs., and after losing 6 lbs. in the first week, I'm super motivated! I had never lost the 20+ lbs. I kept on after having Nathan {almost 17 years ago!} and while I still wear the same size that I have forever, I was beginning to feel miserable in my clothes. I have realized that with age, weight just creeps and creeps up on you a few lbs. at a time, and goes to different parts of your body. I refuse to go up a size, so it was either diet and lose the weight, or be miserable! I'm already feeling better and can hardly wait to see if I reach my goal. I think I can I think I can......I love to eat, no really, I LOVE to eat! It is very difficult for me to give up food. It's not the sweets or junk food either {although I love and eat both}, but for me it's hearty food.....a big, homecooked dinner every night, with second helpings please! So, after looking over the Atkin's diet plan, and loving the food choices {meat, seafood, bacon, eggs, and cheese-a staple of mine}, I started last Wednesday and it's going great. The beverage choice was a bit challenging for me though. Since I can't have sugar, no sweet tea for me....OMG! but I've learned to enjoy it with Splenda instead. I didn't drink alot of water {which I should}, so that has been hard, but I'm the better for it. I can have Diet Coke .....thank you thank you!!!! :O) and.........I have learned to love coffee as well. I add Splenda and a little heavy cream {allowed}. I actually look forward to my morning cup of coffee {are you proud of me Wanda???}. :O)Since I can't have juice or milk I was limited on what I could drink for breakfast, so coffee it is!

Here's what a sample day might look like for me on this diet:
{1}
BREAKFAST:
2 egg omelet w/ mushrooms & cheese
cup coffee


LUNCH:
tuna fish {canned} w/mayo,  pickles & lettuce
diet coke


DINNER:
steamed shrimp
a salad {leafy greens, green pepper, cucumber, cheese, chicken, ham, or turkey}
ranch dressing
iced tea


SNACK:
sugar free jello w/ whipped cream {redi-whip}


{2}


BREAKFAST:
bacon & eggs
coffee


LUNCH:
cheeseburger w/ grilled onions, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles {NO bun}
diet coke


DINNER:
pork chops {grilled}
deviled eggs {made with mayo, mustard, dill pickles}
asparagus
iced tea


SNACK:
Atkins Snack Bar

You can sign up for a free starter kit that includes 3 free bars at www.atkins.com .

I'll keep you posted on my progress...............hopefully, I'll become the world's best dieter and reach my goal! :O)

and then there was light....

Blogging is all about sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Well, you can say this is ugly...

 I really should have been ashamed to show you my dated fluorescent light but I have to show you the bad so you'll appreciate how nice our kitchen and laundry room look now with the new lighting {and fresh coat of paint on the ceilings and trim}. A few years ago, we replaced the ceiling fan w/light in our kitchen and put up a cute light fixture.

Problem is the light was not bright at all, and we missed having a fan in the kitchen which I really loved {and needed}. So after a few years of trying to function in a dimly lit kitchen, we bought a new fan with an awesome bright light. This smaller light {above} got moved to the laundry room.

Of course, with any project you get into, it always turns into more than you bargained for. If you look closely at the ceiling you'll see how desperately it needed painting.

Getting the ceilings painted has been on our major to-do list for quite awhile {we've been in the house for 21 years so you can imagine their need for a fresh coat of white paint!}, but we kept putting off hiring a painter to do it. After taking the light down, I could not bear to put up the new fan with the ceiling looking so awful. Peter and I then made a pact.....we would paint it together, a little at a time until the job was complete. Then I thought, since we would be going to all the trouble of painting the ceiling, why not finally paint the trim too?! The kitchen was the only room left in the house that had the original stained trim, and I really didn't love it! So....we picked up a gallon of Behr paint w/ primer and started that project as well.

It's coming along, but it is quite the painting project, especially trying to fit it in after work! I love the white woodwork though and know the finished product will be worth all the work. Dad came by yesterday to swap out the laundry room light. I was happy to send the fluorescent light fixture to the dump! The smaller one we took out of the kitchen looks perfect there.

I'll post pictures of the finished project.....hopefully it won't take us all summer to complete!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day Service 2012

Old Glory

our veterans

annual Memorial Day service held on the church lawn

our church choir {Mom standing furthest left}

each girl drops a rose petal as the names of deceased veterans were read

"All gave some, some gave all."

The fire dept. was invited to attend....Nathan looking good!!

AMERICA
1. My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!


2. My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.


3. Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.


4. Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Blooming Hydrangeas

5Q Friday...5/25

1. Are you a napper? Didn't used to be but lately I've been taking a {little rest} after dinner. I just posted about this a few weeks ago.

2. What was your favorite subject in school? Most hated? Favorite subject was math {and english}. Subject I didn't love was history.

3. Did you have the something old new borrowed and blue at your wedding? What were they? LOL .....I honestly don't remember {it's been almost 29 years!}:O)

4. What one thing are you determined to do this summer? Go kayaking......and go to the beach more....

5. Ice cream or Popsicles? Icecream.......

and make it mint chip please!

Destination Disney: Week #10- Favorite Park

Destination Disney Week #10 ~ FAVORITE PARK
A big thank-you to Heidi for another round of Destination Disney! I'm really looking forward to the next one which will be all about color! Should be fun! But to get back to this week's post, my most favorite park in Disney, I didn't even have to think about it.........................
hands down MAGIC KINGDOM!!!!!

Pin It Tuesday....5/22 Planks, beadboard, or board & batten?????

Here's what I've been pinning! My latest search is for a cool wall treatment for the living room and our bedroom. The current drywall is is desparate need of a facelift. Here are a few ideas I've pinned.

I love the wide vertical planks painted a pretty color/white trim

I love white board & batten with just a bit of color at the top

I love the painted board & batten too!

more painted plank walls

I really love this version of board & batten

horizontal planks?? like :O)

or maybe just do this again...I did this type of board & batten in my craftroom/office/den and it turned out great!

painted wide plank beadboard

or maybe just standard beadboard {can buy in 4x8 sheets @ Lowes}

Lots of pretty choices to choose from..............hopefully by fall I can decide, in the meantime, I'll keep on pinning!!! :O)

Destination Disney: Week #9- 2 Favorite Memories

Destination Disney - 2 Favorite Memories
{1} Our very first on-site stay! In 2008, Peter, Nathan, & I flew to FL for our very first on-site stay and Nathan's first ever trip to WDW. We stayed at Coronado Springs from Jan 20-25. The resort was amazing and the trip was truly magical!! We were hooked! Highlights were character meet & greets, dinner at Rainforest Cafe and 50's Prime Time, seeing Wishes for the very first time, as well as Spectomagic Parade. Another memorable thing that happened was getting stuck at the top of Expedition Everest on our very first ride on it!!

{2} Another favorite memory was from 2010, the 4 of us went on our very 1st family trip to WDW from Jan 29- Feb 05. Although the boys were 14 & 21, they had an awesome time! It was a dream come true for me and a vacation I'll never forget! It was our very first stay at Caribbean Beach Resort and some highlights from that trip were our day at Animal Kingdom {Logan had been to WDW in 2006 for Grad Night, but hadn't seen everything...including Festival of The Lion King which is a favorite of ours}, Hoop Dee Doo, all the fun and laughs we had, the rides, the food, and best of all, the time that Logan and Nathan got to spend with each other that week. They still talk about the fun they had hanging out together during that trip and how they grew even closer.