Laurie's Life

 I settled on a wall color:  SW- Latte  Do any of you have this color in your house?  According to the man at our local Sherwin Williams it is their top selling color.  I just wanted to go back to a very neutral color.  I didn't want to do anything too dark because I want the room to look bigger and brighter. I bought this color chip book on Saturday and I am having so much fun with it.  Everytime Steve looks at me I have this in my hands and usually have it pressed against a wall. I try to get a perfume for Christmas every year.  Have you ever smelled Oscar de la Renta's  Something Blue?  I THINK I love it.

 I am thinking of doing away with the gold (Danish Pine).  I had this painted five years ago and I am getting tired of it. Hoping to do something more neutral.  This is Sherwin Williams Studio Taupe.  It looks gray here, but it really isn't.  What I REALLY want to do is have our kitchen cabinets painted white and then glazed, BUT it will be $2200 at the least. In other news.............. I had to take Kristen the cat to the vet Monday and it was VERY STRESSFUL!!!!  Just plain awful.  Trying to get her in the carrier is dreadful.  She kept hopping out of my reach.  I trapped her in the bathroom and got her in the crate.  Then she tried to kill the clinic staff.  They wrapped her in the armored blanket and she was making sounds that made me jump.  The loudest cat screams you have ever heard.  I take her to a clinic in a town about 30 minutes away.  They only see cats and the vet there has a degree in fel...

We are so thankful for sweet friendships.  The girls were invited to Kinley's 5th birthday at a little girl nail salon.  The place is SOOO CUTE!  My girls had been counting down the days/sleeps until the party.  It was magical for them.  They are so proud of their nails.  Sarah Kate has wanted to wear sandals every day since, in the 30 degree weather so people could see her toenails.  Ha!  That did not happen! I loved visiting with my grown-up girlfriends!

I want to thank those of you who took the time to read my testimony on Kelly's blog last week.  Thank you for the kind words that you left.  I went back and left a few words of encouragement and thanks on the first half of them.  I plan to finish the rest this week. I went to a baby shower last week for my friend, Elizabeth.  It was hosted at my friend Maegan's house.  I LOVE her house and decor.  She collects old pictures.  She inspired me.  I found and bought this old framed print at a local antique mall on Friday.  I think it is so cute and my girls loved it.

 Several weeks ago Sarah Kate decided she wanted to be Tinkerbell for Halloween.  Emily wanted to be a cat.  So, they wore those costumes to their school Costume Carnival.  The night of the "intruder," when eight police officers were at my house,  the girls were wearing their Christmas clothes.  Don't you know those officers thought we were CRAZY?  We had done a little photo shoot with Kelly for an article she is doing for a magazine in December.    On Halloween it was Pirate day at school.  Emily decided she would just stay in pirate costume to go Trick or Treating.  SK asked if she could wear Emily's cat costume. We had such a fun night out trick or treating! Sarah Kate organized her candy and was very particular about what she would let me and Steve eat.  Emily dumped hers on the floor and it was a free for all.  They are so different!!!!

 The girl's school is celebrating being drug-free.  Today they had to dress like a pirate.  When I got the note, I thought, "well they can just forget that."  BUT....my sweet friend Tracy brought these pirate accessories to church last night so that the girls could participate.  The girls were soooo excited!!!!  So was I!!!! I learned about this Bible at Dot Mom last Feb.  I bought the Bible this Summer and we LOVE it!!!!  I LOVE the way everything is explained.  It is a wonderful Bible!!!!  Get it for your children.  This week, I was in bed with Sarah Kate reading her the story of the Last Supper.  Here is what it said," Then they sang their favorite song. And walked up to their favorite place, an olive garden."  Sarah Kate lifted up her head and said, "uh...they went to Olive Garden?  That place made me throw up!"  We got a good laugh!  Several years ago SK got a virus after eating ther...

Last Wednesday afternoon, Steve left to go on a hunting trip.  I hate it when he is away from us, but I would not say that I get scared being alone when he is gone.  We live in a safe neighborhood and our house has a security system.  I am always certain to set it when I leave the house. Thursday night we did a little photo shoot with Kelly and then went out to eat with Kelly and another friend.  I failed to set the alarm because I did not think we would be gone long and I knew we would be home before dark.  As my mother always says, "everything takes longer than what you think."  We stayed out MUCH later than I expected and did not get home until dark.  It was about 8:00.  We came in to a dark house.  As we were walking in the house I told the girls to go straight to the bathroom.  As we were standing in the entry way, I heard walking and thumping upstairs.  My heart sank!  The only beings that could have made that soun...

 Emily's favorite place to be is this desk that she got when she turned TWO!  Ha ha.....she does not know that she is too big for it.  She will draw for hours in this spot!  She also likes to make books here.  She writes little stories and then illustrates them.  When I can't find her, I know just where to look. SK's favorite place to be is with her cat, Frisco.  She would rather hold him than anything.

 October 16th is our anniversary.  We celebrated this past weekend with a trip to Nashville.  We dropped the girls off with Steve's parents in the Memphis area.  They had a cute cake to welcome the girls.  We are so thankful the girls were able to stay with them!  They were in good hands and the girls loved being with them.  We stayed at the Gatlord Hotel and Resort.  SOOOOOOO NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We had the biggest hotel room I have ever stayed in.  This picture does not do it justice.  We went to the Grand Ole Opry.  We had never been.  It was such an enjoyable show!  I saw a bit nervous during the show becasue they call people up to play games between acts.  I would have been sooooooo chawed.  A lady was called up on stage to play a game called "Dance or Dare."  Steve and I were laughing SOOOOOO hard thinking about me being up there.  She took the dare and had to dance to the song, ...

Sarah Kate had a clothing meltdown this morning.  So, she used to only wear dresses.  About a year ago she started loving leggings. The tighter the leggings, the better!!!  She only wants them skin tight.  Today she put on these leggings and started crying saying they were "slobbery."  She pulled them off.  I convinced her to wear them.  She recovered and then it all started over again when she saw Emily's pants were not "slobbery."  She told me not to EVER buy her slobbery pants. So, no jeans, no clothes with words and now no "slobbery" pants.

 One of my best friends, Tracy had an over the top party for her girls Sunday afternoon.  It was such a nice party with so much thought put into it.  I don't know how she does it!  Fun for all!  Everything was so cute! Never thought I would see the day that I was riding a camel around in my friend's backyard.

Last Saturday we met up with the Stamps at a local family friendly farm.  The weather was perfect.  We all had a wonderful time! Sarah Kate held a two day old pig.  The girls always love to ride ponies.  I loved it too when I was little.  They had so much fun with these sweet little girls!  We had close encounters with cows! Feeding the cow tortillas.  Who knew they loved them?   I LOVE FALL!!!!!!!