Mantle Ideas

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the freshness and soft colors popping out. I love the wildflowers blooming and the variety of fresh flowers to be bought at the stores.
I also always start itching to redo my mantle as soon as spring rolls around. This spring it's bad...really bad...I want to do some MAJOR changes!
For the past couple - scratch that- for the past FOREVER I have the same basic mantle basics, mosaic tiles hurricanes, clock and candles. I want changes!
And I want COLOR!!!

When you need decorating ideas, where else do you turn? Pinterest, of course!!!

I really love the rustic-ness of this mantle. I would do this in a heartbeat if Emil would let me. But he wouldn't. And neither would CC!

What I love about this mantle is the large painting behind it. I have a large painting above my mantle and it kind of hinders items that can be placed in the middle of the mantle. I usually have to keep decorations low, as this one has, which is probably why I haven't switched it out much. But I love the reds, love the cherry blossoms and adore the bunnies. I want bunnies on my mantle!

I love the simplicity of this mantle. I love the wooden log! And the votives inside are just perfect! I love candles on my mantle so this would work out perfect!!! And I love the green. I want green on my mantle! If Emil would let me I would totally copy this look.

This one has a bit much going on for me but I love the little topiaries. I think I would take away the layers mirrors and the wreath and add some bunnies....And no spring banner. I'm not a fan of banners spread out around the house. This one is pretty monotone in color so that's ok, but my Toby would have that banner pulled down in a matter of minutes. I can just see him swinging from it now.....

Now THIS is a mantle I could honestly see myself having. It's a bit more formal than the way I really want to go but it does match the living room...and it's green and has candles....I really, really like this. The bonus is I really wouldn't have to purchase very much, it looks like I have all the items all ready.

BUT if I could have any mantle I wanted and decorate it any way that pleased me and IF Emil and CC wouldn't crash my girly plans....THIS is the mantle I would put up in the living room...and maybe in my bedroom....

It's absolutely perfect!! I love every aspect of it.... every single detail is just what I love.....

Feb Showers Bring March Flowers??? (3/24-25/2012)

All the rain we have been getting lately has really made all the wildflowers bloom!! Last year, because of the drought, there were hardly any wildflowers around here. I LOVE seeing them along the road!!
Yesterday the girls and I went to Austin for the morning. This was something we enjoyed doing often when I wasn't working. Since we haven't gone and just wasted they day away in a few weeks, we woke up early, picked up Bill Miller breakfast tacos and headed the back roads to Austin!
We saw tons of thick patches of bluebonnets!! I love, love, LOVE bluebonnets!!!

All along Loop 1 in Austin were these beautiful yellow wildflowers and bluebonnets!

On the way home from Austin was this field full of purple wildflowers. We weren't the only admirers pulling over and taking photos!

A close-up of the little flower responsible for all the prettiness!!

Things are blooming here at home too. It seems in the last week or two our grapevine has just exploded!!!!

There are even some clusters starting!

CC's salvia is blooming and spreading so pretty!

About two years ago we threw down some wildflower seeds in our weed/flower bed. We didn't get bluebonnets this year but we do have those pretty purple and yellow flowers!

My roses are also budding. I have one knockout bloom so far and about five more buds on the bush. My Peace rose has two buds and my red rose bush has a few buds as well. No buds or blooms on my white rose bush but my goodness, it looks like it doubled in size since last spring/summer!!

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This has been a really nice, low-key weekend, except for our shopping excursion in Austin yesterday. This morning I visited my best friend Pam in her new home. She made chorizo and eggs for us. Then I visited Mom for a while and picked up Lena. The weather was so pretty outside Emil decided we should go to the park for a little while. He has been stuck in the shop working so much he needed a little time away. We bought ice cream and went to the park. There were so many people there and it was pretty warm, so we went for a drive and ended up at the Guadalupe State Park. We didn't go in but have made plans to fish and relax next weekend!

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I can't believe I will be starting my fourth week at my job. I have learned so much it's unbelievable! So far I am really liking it and I am seeing the potential in advancement within the company. AND Mitt Romney is going to be speaking there this week... I..AM..SO..EXCITED!!!! While I have made some great friends and really like what I'm doing, I do miss my girls and Emil. I spend alot of my day thinking about what I would be doing if I were home with them and wondering what they are doing... It's going to take some time, and it's getting better. But for now everything is looking good!

Tourists In Our Own Town (3/20/12)

Last Tuesday, we had to take care of some business downtown. It was beautiful weather out and Emil decided we should make a day of it! We went to the Riverwalk, walked around, ate, took a boat tour and ended the day with Starbucks!. It was a perfect day!

Despite having lived here almost 20 years, I have never "walked" the Riverwalk. I've walked past parts here and there but never enjoyed it the way we did Tuesday. AND the water was still green from St. Patrick's Day!

I caught a tender moment between my girls. I have to admit, I am so fortunate that this really is how they are most of the time!

We walked around until we found a restaurant and pub called Mad Dog's. The decor was really cute, inside and out.

I didn't even notice the money hanging from the ceiling until I was posting this pic!

Lena ordered an amazing Chef Salad, CC had the veggie burger (it was delicious!)....

And Papa Bear and I ordered this... Longhorn Ale or something like that. It was sooo good!

After filling up on food we hopped on the tour boat and took a ride along the river.

There are many bridges like this along the Riverwalk connecting both sides of the river.

This cute house was on one side. The tour guide didn't say what it was or what it was used for. I wished she would have.

I think this is the St. Anthony hotel...not sure...but that was our tour guide...Elizabeth Taylor! Ha!

She said the Indians would hide in this tree and attack the soldiers as they came around the river bend.

Here she said legend has it that when the walls were being put up, two sprigs fell in these cracks and now two different types of trees grow out of it.

This was the Aztec Theatre. Charlie Chaplin performed there. You get to the theatre by a water taxi.

Me and my Lena going under one of the bridges....

Emil and CC.....

After our boat tour we stopped by Starbucks....

The little birdies were scooping up our crumbs... This little guy was my favorite!

We had a wonderful time spending the day together. We haven't done anything like that in quite a while. And we learned alot about our city. Fiesta is coming up next month...I CANNOT WAIT!

Evening at the Cirque...

This evening my Papa Bear and I went out on a little date. We had the most fun, enjoyable and relaxing time. It was much needed!!
We saw Cirque du Soleil's Quidam. I absolutely LOVE Cirque...they are amazing! Alegria is my absolute, hands down favorite, Quidam is my second. It was nothing short of amazing!

The skipping ropes were one of my favorite parts of the show. The real action start around the two minute mark...

Emil's favorite part were these two. Their bodies are AMAZING!!! It was unreal!

The final act drew a standing ovation....

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Yesterday Emil and I and the girls, along with their friend Priscilla went to Austin to celebrate me passing my Texas State Adjuster License. This past week has been so stressful and hard. I didn't realize how much I stressed myself out...surviving on caffeine and little to no sleep. But I passed and I guess it was all worth it. Now the fun part begins! Six weeks of training, then I'm out on the floor.
I am really liking my job. I have made some amazing friends and have learned so much. I didn't think it was possible to like a job this much...but I do!
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Today, CC, Lena, Priscilla and I got up and around a little after lunch, well...a lot after lunch. We looked at some model homes, went to eat frozen yogurt, then I got the girls pizza and movies.
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Hopefully next weekend will be a weekend of simply doing nothing. I haven't had one of those weekends in months! (or at least it feels like it!) And I am starting to itch for Galveston....
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Not much else has been going on here. CC has really stepped up to the plate and has helped me so much here around the house cooking and cleaning. She has been wonderful!

And since I don't have much else to write, I will end this post with Alegria....

10 Years Next Month

Next month will be my and Emil's ten year wedding anniversary. (We've been together 17 years!)
With my starting a new job it just won't be possible for us to go away for a week or so as planned/hoped for. ( He wanted Vegas where we got married. I hoped a little bigger, like Italy! Ha!)
So instead I am booking us a weekend at the beautiful new Hotel Eilan where my dear friend just started as a manager.
This hotel literally has everything you could want...10000 sq ft of spa space, 10000 sq ft of gym space, dancing fountains, hill country views, rain forrest head showers, cool neutral colors....you name it! I am really looking forward to it!
Here's a few pics I took during my tour...





Check out the view...














Indoor pool with sky light....


I am really looking forward to going!
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New Changes...

The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions. I have gone all over the place from being super excited and optimistic to sobbing uncontrollably from missing my girls and Emil and Mom.
I hardly slept last night dreaming that I was dreaming that I was dreaming that I was dreaming that I didn't turn my alarm on and asked Emil to. When I finally did wake up and ask him I wasn't sure if I really did turn it on or if it was another dream.
I made it through the day by praying. I spoke to Mom and the girls only briefly because I knew just hearing their voices would make me cry.
Let me tell you, 4:30 never looked so good! It was the hardest day I've had being away from them. I think tomorrow will be worse. Hopefully Wednesday things will start to get easier.
It was beyond words exciting to come home to my girls. I I hate the fact that I am at work more hours of the day than I am at home. I'm not sure that's a "work-life" balance.
I will be so happy when the weekend comes so I can rest up and look at this new journey with fresh un-tired eyes.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone