To Tape Or Not To Tape...

Hello my loves!

I've missed you.

My computer broke so I have been MIA.

Things to catch up on: we painted our kitchen this weekend! I love how it turned out. We went with a dark mocha {and I thought it would look blah. Wrong!} I'm not posting pictures yet because there are a few small finishing touches that I want to add before it's photo-blog ready!

Let me just say how much I love my husband... he is the best! You know there is a but coming along at the end of this sentence though... he's the best BUT I don't like painting with him. {If you're reading this today honey, no offense, I love you to the moon and back!} Let's just say that I'm more of a wing it and it will all turn out okay kind of girl. He's more of a tape every edge, corner and nook and paint it meticulously kind of guy. So as you can see, therein lies the problem.

But we managed to finish it in two short days! And we're still married!! Double bonus.

I think I'll be painting the dining room solo when the time comes.

Can't wait to share my pictures with you!

xo

First Place...

Hi there!

Last Saturday night I went up to my horse trainer's horse show. She was showing her beautiful new gelding. I was standing so close to the rail of the arena that dirt was flying at me from all the horses hooves.

It was a night of dazzling horses and elegant riders for sure. I was so nervous for her as they came bounding into the arena. My eyes were glued to them. The energy was palpable. Camera flashes going, people cheering... super exciting.

She won first place!

Afterward, I went to the stables where all the show horses were kept. My sweet Isabel was there too. I just had to go back to visit her. She saw me and started nickering. Melts my heart!

So not only did my trainer win, but I got to spend a rare Saturday night with Isabel. C'mon, what could be better?

Here she is, all sleepy and ready for bed... It was a late night.

Ugh, that pretty little face! I love her so much.

xo

pic via: me

The Blog...

Happy Wednesday.

The week is half way through. I have so much left to do before the week is finished!

Just a little back story here. I started this blog about 2 years ago. Back then it was under a different name. But my intention was to create a blog so that my family and I could all blog back and forth to stay close. Several family members live out of state.

The blog has since morphed into something else entirely. I changed the name and started posting pieces of my refinished furniture for sale on it.

Then I started writing about all things French that I loved.

Now it's just a hodgepodge of whatever I feel like writing about. It makes me wonder if I should change the name again?

Something like: musings of a wanna be farm girl... Or living simply and deliciously on a budget... Or she speaks to anyone who will listen... You get my point... I'll keep you posted if I change the name.

But I love my little blog and it still does keep my family tight. I know they tune in regularly and that makes me happy.

 

xo

pic via pinterest

It Starts With The Kitchen...

Morning!

My latest and greatest idea is to host Christmas at my house this year. But, first things first. I need to redo some rooms before it's guest worthy!

I finally got my hubby on board for House Redo 2014... We are starting with the kitchen this weekend. I have cream colored cabinets and cream colored walls. Blah...

We're going to get color swatches Friday night and do some painting! At first I was thinking a shade of mocha on the walls with white trim... But that seems kind of blah too...

I have been pouring over pinterest, Houzz, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware but nothing is grabbing me!


So color wise, this is how my kitchen pretty much looks now. Same faucet and sink too. Pretty, but simple... Very neutral. {No strange candle light fixture in my kitchen though...}

Then I see a kitchen with shades of blue and I really gravitate towards that.

Not exactly on my cabinets, but on the chairs. Like these. I have them in my "cart" at overstock. I really think I want to order them.

However, then I see a natural looking kitchen and back I go to loving blah.

Next room will be the dining room. I will definitely keep you posted on how the kitchen turns out!

xo

Pics via pinterest

The Bitter Taste Of Defeat...

I am feeling defeated.

I know, I know. Wah...

But I have come really far in my journey towards being fit and giving up is not something I take lightly.

I have come to the conclusion that this bootcamp is too hard. I wheeze and huff and puff during sprints. I feel like I'm going to pass out from heat exhaustion from no air conditioning. An hour at maximum high intensity full throttle with no breaks is too much for me. It's just not working.

I. Can't. Do. It. Anymore...

That is so hard to say and admit!

I woke up this morning dreading going. I shouldn't dread it. It should be hard and challenging, but I shouldn't dread it, right?! Do people dread it? I have no idea. Everyone there says they "love" it. They say I'll get there. Well, I'm not there. Not even close.

So, I had a chat with myself this morning...  And I decided that I'm not going back. I know the key is to just go back, but how can I keep committed to something that I don't like? Or why should I stay committed to something that I don't like? I loved going to my personal trainer. I actually looked forward to it. I didn't mind driving 40 minutes to get there either! So I'm listening to my inner voice that is screaming in my ears that this isn't right for me. It's a hard pill to swallow. Crossfit and now bootcamp. Double fail.

A pep talk is needed here... I jumped rope in my backyard today. I went for a walk. I did arm weights. I will slowly build myself back up. This is a temporary setback. I will not give up. I will find another way to do it. I will be tenacious about staying fit on my own terms in a way that works for me. I will not beat myself up.

I GOT THIS.

Sometimes a little venting makes a whole lot of difference.

I feel better...

Thanks for listening.

xo

pic via pinterest

Barn Charm...

I have a slight love affair with barns. Okay, it's more than slight. More like total and complete obsession.

My dream house would actually be an old barn converted into a cool post and beam home. When I was little, I remember my friend's mom wanted to buy a huge old barn and convert it into a home and I thought it was just about the weirdest thing I had ever heard. She was so ahead of the curve. {She also did yoga before I even knew what yoga was. She was sort of a trend setter mom back then! And she bought a potted Christmas tree every year so she could replant it once Christmas was done. My friend was always mortified, but as an adult, I so get it! She was eco-chic too! Go Louann!!!}

Anyway, back to barns... My office at work is an old house that the landlord took meticulous time to gut and renovate. He kept the old charm of the home but added all new updates to make it work for a select few offices. I adore my office, but here is the kicker. Behind my office is a barn built in the 1800's. It is divine! So as I was chatting with my landlord today I was telling him how much I love the barn. He said he was thinking of renting it out... BUT, it would need a lot of work to have it safe enough for someone to actually use as an office. Oh how I want my office in a barn!

I would skip into work each morning if I could sit in a barn all day. He {landlord} said he is thinking of building a big barn {but will make it look old} to use as all offices. He is so my kind of a landlord. Cool dude to the core.

I told him to sign my name on the lease the day it's finished.

Here are a few mini "barn offices" that I covet...


Lucky girl... Check her out in there just typing away.

So adorable. Picture some window boxes outside too. I could pull 12 hour shifts in there!

And this one... yeah, I could convert that into a home. No problem. I think I would even let Isabel live in there with us!

xo

Pics via: pinterest

Amazing Women...

There are several women who I hold in very high esteem.

Women who inspire me to the depths of my core.

I am an animal lover with all of my heart. Big and small, tame or wild. All beings.

This particular woman I kind of view as a hero of sorts.




Do you recognize her?

 

 

It is Jane Goodall...

 

Do you know much about Jane Goodall and her work? She was a woman well ahead of her time when she first started out all those years ago.

 



If you don't know much about her, take a minute or two {or 5 hours or 5 weeks} and look her up. It would behoove you to learn more about this mover and shaker. She is a one woman dynamo.

She has inspired me for years and continues to with her remarkable soul.

 

 

So beautiful. Look at the level of trust she has built with the mother. Remember... mother's in the wild will literally kill for their babes if feeling threatened.

One of my favorite pictures of her. Breathtaking.

Women inspiring women. Love it!

xo

Pics via: Pinterest, Jane Goodall Institute

Get Yer Groove On Miss Thang...

Hello fancy ladies.

So... I said I would keep you posted on my pursuit of fitness after my epic Crossfit failure.

I joined a new bootcamp studio. OMG, SO HARD! It's an hour long of non-stop hard core working out. I leave there dripping wet from head to toe. Pure exhaustion. And did I mention it's hot? Well it is and we do a lot of our workouts outside! Plus there is no air conditioning. Just fans. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

The first day I wondered if I could do it {oh no, not again!} That self doubt crept in. More like swooped in like a vulture for some road kill, but let's not split hairs.

After my first class, every part of my body hurt. But... I went back for another class. And another. Life is about choices, right? No one is putting a gun to my head making me go workout. I am consciously and deliberatly choosing my life for myself. Everyday it's a choice. Some people don't have that choice. They can't walk, can't see, have too much pain in their bodies to stand or move.

And sometimes I really don't have time... I have to force myself to make the time. Ain't easy, but I am worthy of one hour of my day spent only on me. We are all worthy of that!

I can't say I love it because that would be a lie. It's hard work and I feel good afterward that I pushed myself, and I am hopefully getting healthier in the process. I envision my arteries thanking me as they pump blood harder cleaning out all the gunk that can clog arteries. Yuck.

But I have to tell you, the whole time during class, I just want to forward-lunge-walk my way out that door. {Now that would be funny!} But I don't. And I keep going back. That is the key. Just go back.

I signed on for 10 classes. We'll see after 10 classes if it's still for me. The second class was easier than the first. The third class was easier than the second... You get my point. Maybe after 10 classes it will just be easy? Doubt it, but don't crush my dreams!

It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that working out has to be a lifestyle... not a phase, but a lifestyle. It's a must.


That is why I love this picture and quote so much:

This goes along the lines of self care. Putting your needs first is hard sometimes, but think about what the pilot tells you to do on an airplane if the cabin loses pressure... Put your mask on first, then the masks on loved ones. You can't help them if you're not okay. Makes perfect sense, right? Same goes with health.

I just love Miranda. And horses. And her quote. There is no such thing as perfect anyway. It's all about balance. Eat what you want sometimes. Don't deprive yourself. Just don't go overboard. BALANCE. It's hard for me to remember that, but it's liberating when I do. It's not dieting. It's eating better and being active yet still indulging once in a while.

And in a nutshell, this is where I am on my journey. It might change as I go along {of course it will change! It's the ebb and flow of life. I am a firm believer that change is good too.}

I hope you were inspired a bit to get yer groove on Little Miss Thang! Go out and dance, run, hula hoop, forward-lunge-walk, hop scotch, do leg lifts sitting on a chair, whatever, to get your body in motion. We're all in this together!

xo

pics via: pinterest

You're Making Me Blush...

G'morning!

Something strange happened to me in my world of decor. I've become drawn to pink! Not hot pink, but more of a soft blush {hardly even notice it's there} pink. When did this happen?

I've never been opposed to pink, yet never have I been sucked towards it like a moth to a flame either. Well, it seems to be one of my favorite hues lately for some reason. And certainly not an explosion of pink. I'm not shooting for the look like someone threw up massive amounts of pepto bismol. Ew. I'm talking soft accents here and there.


I think I am drawn to the calmness of the color. Mixed with dark charcoal grays or even lighter heather grays. It's kind of a nice juxtaposition between masculine and feminine. Even though I'm definitely not a girly girl. I don't like ruffles, lace or anything frilly. That's just not me. But these few pink pieces really caught my eye. I smell a new decorating project on the horizon...


This is pink overkill for me... the walls, all the accents, etc. What I am drawn to is that beautiful sofa. With grey walls. Modern grey patterned pillows. That would be so lovely in my home!

Same thing here. It's a more vibrant shade of pink, but still, mixed with darker colors, I could definitely make this work for me.

I would love to drink my morning Isagenix shake out of one of these beauties. Such pretty details. Love.

Love the rustic shabby look of the kitchen with a fun pink refrigerator!

I also love the shabby look of this pink{ish} hutch. I am definitely doing this in my house. I'll paint the inside gray so my hubby doesn't feel like he's living in the depths of I Dream of Jeannie's pink bottle.

 

 

Blush is good.

 

xo

 

 

pics via: pinterest

 

The Spilling Of My Heart...

Hmmm... not sure if I ever talked about this yet... I think not, so here I go.... This is me sharing deep within my heart.

I had a friend many years ago who was like my sister. Not my current bestie now. Not the one who I talked about that lives across the country either. A different one. She was a special friend indeed. We spent our entire high school years and many years thereafter by each other's sides. There through the ups and downs of life. Through the good and bad. Through the pretty and ugly. Through the thick and thin. All of it...

And then... we weren't. And it was my fault. We didn't talk for 9 years. Yes, 9 long years. Gulp.

Recently, I reached out to her. She responded immediately. Double gulp. Breaks my heart. Breaks my heart that I let 9 years pass too...

 

 

 



But the beautiful thing is that we have reconnected. We went to dinner and sat for many hours talking, laughing, crying. We hugged so tightly when we first saw each other we practically suffocated one another. And we wouldn't let go. We were both shaking.

I will never let time pass in that way ever again. Never. People... friendships... relationships... are not to be put aside. They are to be cherished and loved and tended to. I am so grateful that she was open to reconnecting...

I can kick myself for wasting 9 years or I can be thankful that I have her back in my life. I choose to be thankful {though trust me, there was a lot of kicking myself.} So much in our lives has changed in 9 years, but when we talked, it was like we never left each other. That is the beauty of a friend who has known you for that long. You pick up right where you left off. In this case, we had some other things to discuss first, but then, we were right back where we left off. I have learned such a life lesson from this. I can't even begin to explain it all here on this page. Words don't do it justice.

 

 

We are going out together again this week. I can't wait. We have been texting and calling each other. We are making plans for travel. I mean, come on. This only happens in the movies! But no, this is actually happening in my life.

So so so grateful.
Beyond blessed.
So lucky.
Second chances are possible.
Don't waste them.
Ever.

xo

pics via: pinterest

Toe That Line...

Happy weekend y'all!

It was a glorious weekend in CT. The weather was spectacular! So spectacular that I decided that I needed to start drying my clothes outside in the sunshine and warm summer breeze.

So off I went and bought a clothesline and hung it between two lovely trees in my backyard. I adore it! I already hung towels on it to dry. I won't be hanging any bras or underwear on that thing {even though I technically could because my backyard is totally and completely private.} It's more for towels, sheets, blankets and jeans. No undies. Who does that? Especially if you have neighbors. I just think that's kind of weird, but that's just me.

Now, for some reason, my husband hates it. Well, I happen to think it's farm girl chic. My laundry will smell like fresh grass and sweet summer. And I couldn't be happier. Love when a simple little thing makes my whole day happier!

Now I just need to find a cute little frenchy wire basket to hold all my clothes pins in!

xo

Pic via: pinterest

Um Actually... Yes I Do Quit...

Okay, okay, I know. There were those of you who said Crossfit would be too hard. And I brushed you off like a nasty little bug on my shoulder.

Well, I don't say this often... but you were right. Way too hard. Like, I thought I was going to die on the floor in front of everyone hard. Literally die.

Not going back. Not for me. I Quit! But I am not quitting working out... just quitting what is not working out for me in my life. And that is okay by me and doesn't really count as quitting in my book anyway. These are my rules for my life. If I hate it, find something else. So I am. I'm trying a new place on Thursday. We'll see if that matches more with my life... you know, like being fit, not dead.

I'll keep you posted.

Another thing that happened to me is that I had to go to the eye doctor. He put me on these eye drops that I swear made me cross eyed this morning, but then I was fine. So was I hallucinating from these eye drops? We'll see tomorrow because I'm going to give them one more try. If I wake up looking like this:

 

then I'll be quitting the eye drops too...

 

 

Fingers crossed {oh please not eyes crossed} that my eyes are good tomorrow!

 

 

xo

 

pic via: pinterest