Organization 101

                                                                          I'm just popping in to say "Hi"
                                                                   in between organizing my entire home.
                                                                 And I am so serious, every single drawer,
                                                                     cabinet and closet has been emptied.
                                                            I can't even begin to count the endless trash bags
                                                               that I have filled and I am about 75% done!
                                                         I have to tell you how good it feels to open a drawer
                                                              and be able to find what it is I am looking for.
                                                  I should take out stock in white plastic bins from Walmart
                                                        because I alone have bought every single size bin
                                                          in the tri-state area. And I am not even kidding.
                                                                            Here's an example for you:

                                                 See, I wasn't kidding...everything is organized by ailments.
                                                       You have a stomach ache? Middle shelf to the left.
                                                                  Sore throat? Middle shelf to the right.
                                                                 Red eyes? Bottom shelf third to the left.
                                                                              I am sick, this I know.
                                     While I have a slight form of O.C.D., my husband has a sickness as well.
                                                                      It's called C.I.O.E.P.O.S.I.T.W.
                                                                             Otherwise known as:
                                                          Can I Own Every Pair Of Socks In The World?
                                               Fortunately, my sickness finally put an end to his sickness.

                         
                                                   Another thing finally done was my living room photo wall.
                                                            Once again, inspired by this wall on Pinterest:

                                                                            And this is the finished wall:

             
                                           And see the white empty frames next to the pinned photos?
                                        I bought 9 of them, just waiting for the husband to put 'em up :)
                                                       Did you all have a nice Valentine's Day?
                                                 I definitely did, we had a lovely romantic dinner
                                           and we exchanged cards and gifts, I am a very lucky girl.

                                                    Last weekend, we all visited Ryann at her school
                             to see her have a monologue in a drama ensemble, as always, she shined!

                                                           

                                                            And we will see her shine once again tonight
                                                  as she stars in the lead role in The Female Odd Couple
                                                        as the female Felix Unger character, I can't wait!!!

                                                                I leave you with another Sweetie photo.
                                                            She won't even bother to look at the camera.
                                                                                     She kills me.

                                                                                    Have a great weekend!
                                                                                                  Jody

Love Blows

                                                                            Happy Valentine's Day!
                                                A quick post to say sometimes the right photo can give you
                                                 the perfect amount of inspiration and my new blog header
                                                                       is the catalyst behind just that.
                                                  I got the idea from Pinterest, to pose my middle daughter
                                                                     in front of a wall of heart stickers
                                                                 (There's no rest from Pinterest, I say!)
                                              She has recently felt the crushing pain of her first heartbreak
                                                     and when I saw this scene through my camera lens,
                                                           I knew a page was born titled "Love Blows".
                                                                At 15, she has sadly learned this truth.
                                                                    But like all youth, she is resilient
                                                            and the tears have stopped, I am happy to say.
                                                    I love her so much and am so proud of the young woman
                                                                            I see unfolding before me.

                                                          I leave you with a photo op I staged back in 2004
                                                                   of my girls when they were SO little :(
                                                                  Their Daddy loved this gift very much!

                                                    Hope your day is filled with love (and chocolate too!)
                                                                                        -Jody

'Til You

                                                                          Happy Wednesday to you-
                                                      I'm here quickly to post a new page I made this morning,
                                                                                 shocking, I know.
                                                     The title is stolen from a pretty song by Alanis Morrisette.
                                                               The journaling is short, but sweet (and true)

 

And if you were wondering,

Sweetie still couldn't care less.

 

                                                                                     See ya!

Intervention

                                                                                       Help!
                                                              I need an intervention from shopping at
                                                        Homegoods/TJ Maxx/ Marshalls/ and Michaels!
                                                      Not that I don't love what I have bought in the past
                                                         or what I will buy in the future...I just can't stop.
                                                     My new blog header is what I call my "Happy Shelf"
                                                   It's in my foyer and depending on what time of year it is,
                                                                      that's the way it is decorated:

                                                 Here is the other wall in the foyer in full Valentine mode:

 

 And as soon as you walk in the front door, this sign greets you:

 

 

How do you like it so far?

(Thanks Megan for taking my pic from the more flattering staircase angle)

 

 

A couple of things in the kitchen,

new signage for the shelves:

 

 

Loving the tulips on the kitchen table:

 

    The new sign above Sweetie's dog bowls:

 

 

She couldn't care less:

 

 

                                                      And the new sign above the sink, a steal for $12 bucks:

                                                                           
                                              The living room with the new green chevron blankets, 
                                the mantle houses the new mirror, empty frames and new word art sign::

                                                                              
                                                  And once again Sweetie couldn't care less:

                                                                            
                                                         At least Erin feels the same way I do:

                                                                            
                                             What is the store that you can't say "No" to?