Date at the range...

One thing you probably didn't know about me is that I really like shooting.  It is a great stress reliever.  It was especially fun to shoot with my husband.  In our over 8 years of marriage, this was the first time we had gone together.  It's definitely something we'll do again.

Not bad considering I hadn't been in well over 10 years.... 

Family Heirooms and Photo Gallery Wall

I inherited a lot of my Dad's old things (baseball mitt, box of goodies from his Dad, pictures, etc.).  I wanted a proper place to display them so this is what I came up with.  I'm pretty happy with the results.  Thanks to my patient husband, Chris for moving things around several times for me while I changed my mind....

I stained these crates (purchased at JoAnn Fabrics) and Chris hung them on the wall.  The contents are mostly things from my Dad (including his picture).  The vases were my Grandmothers.  The canvas tree was a adoption fundraiser.

I do not have pictures in all of the frames yet, but I'm super happy with the result.  The saw was my Grandfathers.  He used it a lot and there are little carvings on the side that you can't see.   I bought all of the frames at Michaels. 

I never knew this box existed.  It was my Grandfathers and apparently, he collected all of the little memorabilia inside.  It's really cool, but putting it all together and tying the objects inside was a huge pain. 

 

I'm really happy with the finished project, but have a few more pieces that I need to add. 

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Power Puff Derby

Mia is a Daisy (Girl Scout).  This year, she competed in her first Power Puff Derby (similar to the Pinewood Derby).  It was so fun and a great opportunity for her to do a project with Chris.  She won 3rd place in the race and got an award for the most colorful car. 

 

 

She was so proud of her trophy!

The race

Mia and her BFF, Lexi (also a Daisy).

Book Review: Same Kind of Different as Me.

 Same Kind of Different as Me is an amazing story of unlikely friends told in two voices by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.  I finished this book in 1 day.  It is one of my top 3 favorite books of all time.

There is so much I loved about this book, but mostly, I loved the message to not judge a book by its cover.  Denver was a homeless man who had experienced a lot of loss throughout his life.  Ron was born poor but became a talented an art dealer, allowing him to become wealthy.  Ron's wife, Debbie was an amazing woman with a huge heart who brought them together through her/their volunteer work at an inner city mission.  I have since recommended this book to several people.  You will need tissues though so be prepared! 

Book Review: Never Ever Give Up, the insprirational story of Jessie and her JoyJars.

I recently reviewed Never Ever Give Up, the Inspiring Story of Jessie and her JoyJars.   At age 11, Jessie Joy Rees was diagnosed with DIPG, a rare inoperable brain cancer where a tumor grows in the middle of the brain stem.  She fought for 10 months.  During this time, she coined the phrase Never Ever Give Up or NEGU (nee-goo).  During her frequent trips to the hospital, she  asked about some of the other kids who were fighting cancer.  She learned that some had to stay in the hospital for long periods of time to fight.  When she went home, she started making bags of toys for the kids.  They soon turned into JoyJars which have been distributed to thousands of kids everywhere!
Jessie's story is so inspirational.  At such a young age, she was so selfless and focused on helping other kids.  Her story really touched my heart.  I was given this book to review, but the opinions are all mine.  I highly recommend this book.  Although the outcome is sad (obviously), it is a story of hope, love, and giving back.