Pooped...

After my first week of school, this is the only word to describe how I'm feeling...pooped!
I am in a school/district that is new to me. On top of that, we're literally in a brand new school. I feel so blessed to have found this job, but it has me wiped out! Luckily for me, I am not alone; everyone is feeling pretty overwhelmed. Unfortunately, I'm also having to adjust to new expectations and a whole new batch of students. They are wild and loud, so it's going to be a busy year for me! On my first day, one of my kids stepped behind a column and peed right out at the car rider line...yeesh!

Anyways, my energy has really been focused on school for the past few weeks, so I apologize for my absence. After such a hectic week, on Friday night I headed home to my parents house for some relaxation and sushi! My dad was in the mood for pizza...Cici's pizza, in fact, (a restaurant of screaming children?? No thanks!) but thankfully I was able to convince him that sushi would be better! I turned in pretty early Friday night.

On Saturday, mom and I had a fun and successful day! We headed out highway 17 to a fun and funky antique shop. We had a great time exploring and left with a few treasures!

Loved all of the outdoor/garden items that they had, especially the metal bulldog...not really sure where we would put one though! I was fascinated by these mini cokes, so Rip got one as a prize! They were from the 1994 NBA Finals and have real coke and a top that can be popped. We definitely won't be drinking it though...

I left with a prize too! 

I loved the embroidery on this clock and thought it was so sweet and pretty! Not sure where I'll hang it up or if I'll do anything to alter it, but I'm excited to find a spot for it. It has a glass frame that locks shut.

We headed to Southside 17 for some lunch next then headed toward John's Island. We stopped at Family Thrift and Consignment just to see what they had and were pleasantly surprised...

I found a dining room table! I had planned to try and make a dining room table with my dad after seeing how expensive they are! But after finding this table, I had to have it! It's so unique and I thought that the coloring would look great with my floors! PLUS, we were able to bargain with them and bring the price down!

It's an 8 ft oval table with two leaves that fold down. It's a sturdy wood, and we're guessing it's maple. I can't wait to post some pictures of it in my dining room! Now I've really got to get to work on finding all my chairs! This was the last part of our adventure. We headed back to their house for a quick nap before I came home.

Today, I finally had some time to do some sewing and it was great! So relaxing!

A reversible Carolina/Clemson blanket! So happy with how it turned out! :)
Did some lesson planning this evening, so hopefully I'm ready for this next week! And I hope I'll have some time to show off some new projects soon!

JUNK!

I am super excited about some great thrift store finds in the past few weeks! 

This year, I decided to try my hand at junking...I started this quest over Spring Break this year, and I will tell you, it has taken some time to get used to the smells associated with sifting through other people's junk. In the beginning, I came home with nothing. I couldn't see the potential behind things. Everything just looked like...junk! 

However, as I started following blogs that involve repurposing old items, I started to see the possibilities. I've even looked around my own home to find items that might be recreated into something better. My husband and friends have learned that we do not throw things away! No, I am not a hoarder! I just like to reuse any items that I can. 

Ok so here is what I've found recently:

LOVE this! Not totally sure where it will go, or what it could be, but I had to have it!

This came from Habitat Restore on John's Island for $35 (well...free b/c my mom paid for it!)

It's an old milk jug, and I still need to look up the company stamped on the back. I plan to redo the color, but I can't wait until it's finished!

I am SUPER excited about this chair! As we moved into a house with an actual dining room, I started thinking about what I wanted the style of the dining room to be. I didn't feel that a formal dining room set would suit our style, so I decided to put together a mismatched set of chairs. I want to make or redo a table and pair it with a set of random chairs. I plan to paint the chairs the same color and add matching cushions. 

So far, I had spent a total of $10 on 2 chairs from Goodwill that would definitely need a little TLC. The shape on both is great, but they will definitely need a paint change. Plus, if they don't end up coordinating with the final set, I can send them right on back to Goodwill.

This chair was a budget buster...haha! Stacy and I found this one in Sumter. It involved literally climbing through Solomon's (he is definitely a hoarder!) maze of junk. I loved the shape and uniqueness of the base of this chair. He said it would cost me $35, but we were able to talk him down to $25 (or, $20 with a $5 tip) because Stacy's husband was his banker! It pays to have connections!

 I love the cross-stitch look of the seat, but unfortunately, it's gotta go!

Stacy and I found this rusty brass light at the Habitat Restore in Sumter for $8. As with all things brass around my house, this is calling for some spray paint. I love the unique shape of this and thought it would be awesome in a funky color. It will definitely need some sanding, but the rest of the project should be fairly easy.

This was our last find at Sumter's Habitat. A stack of cabinet doors...on sale for only $2 each!!! I snagged 5 of them in various sizes and details. The larger ones will make awesome trays, and I plan to paint some of them for gifts around the holidays. The smaller ones will make the perfect canvas for a painted cross or quote! We also snagged some cabinet handles for only 25 cents a set! Yay!

This final lamp is nothing exciting. I inherited this from a teacher friend who didn't want it anymore. At my last school, we were all about lamps and plants to decorate our classrooms and make them more cozy. Lamps can get expensive, so I was always open to taking free ones. Anyways, I've had this for a few years in this state. I think the shape is alright, so I'm thinking I'll spray paint it to use in my new classroom. The shade (which has been hot glued in place...no, seriously!) will have to come off. It may even fit on my tall brass lamp once it's spray painted. The shade will need to be covered in another fabric, and I'll find a smaller one that's more suited to the size of this lamp.

Summer Lovin

One of the highlights and main focuses of my summer has come and gone!
I had such a great time sneaking around planning this surprise party for my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. I LOVE how the invitations turned out!...

Prom picture, picture from their 30s, wedding picture

Me as a baby, Casey as a baby

The family with the Caddy, Casey in the hospital, and Stonewall family

 The four of us in Andros a few years ago.

This is the fake invite that I sent to mom and dad and posted on my fridge :)

In the days before the party, I felt pretty ready for all of it. The house was about as ready and clean as it would ever be, and I was really proud of all the work that we put into it this summer. Rip and his parents did a great job getting our yard ready that week.

Our great friends Jay, Stacy, and CJ came to help out (and enjoy some good food). Rip, Jay, and CJ picked up the BBQ and helped all the guests hide their cars. Stacy and Rip's parents manned the kitchen and kept the food and drinks coming.
We had Orangeburg BBQ, fried chicken, and spicy wings along with lots of dips and snacks. We made yummy Strawberry-Lemon Sangria and Beer-itas. Casey brought a keg of Sweet Water and a keg of Bud Light. We know that no one was thirsty at our party!!! Although a few people wondered a little about the "lemonade with all the fruit in it"....we had to tell them that it was definitely not lemonade and to be careful because it was actually wine and rum. We know that in the future, we'll need to be sure and label our drinks! Haha!

Our friend, Rev. JimBob Brooks thought it said 40 Years of Torture....haha!

I covered the tables in fun fabric, candles, and a mix of pictures of our family throughout the years.

So many wonderful friends and family came to visit and celebrate with our family!

My parents finally arrived at 4:20 (late as usual!). I hurried them inside so that they would walk inside at the same time. We awkwardly yelled SURPRISE! Then Casey and I headed back out to unload their car (including their dog!) while they got to hug and visit with everyone.

 SURPRISE!!!!

(Mom cried for over half of the party.) 

 Yay! We did it!!

Thanks for all your help, hubs!

Here's a few more pictures...sorry for the poor quality. Picture of a picture never works very well!

 Mom with her parents

Mom and my cousin Jay

 Prom!

August 19, 1972

Congratulations on 40 years! 

Here's to 40 more!