No tricks, just treats!

Treat #1

I really like JettyBetty's definition of Halloween! We won't have visitors tonight except maybe the two neighbor boys next door because my whole neighborhood is under construction. Maybe we will spy a black cat or a skunk crossing the street. L will go out and about with friends in another neighborhood. He has always hated dressing up for Halloween so I'm not quite sure what he will be tonight. He says "James Bond." We will see.......

Treat #2

We had a really nice weekend. My mom and uncle came to visit and got the official tour of our new home. We did the touristy stuff on Saturday. Here are the boys with my mom before our "Duck Tour". It is a very fun, informative tour of downtown Austin. The Duck drives around and then you proceed directly into Lake Austin. It is a very strange feeling driving into the lake. After the tour we went to visit the bats that live under Congress bridge. There are millions of them literally - great activity right before Halloween!

Treat #3

As we were waiting for the tour we browsed around the Visitors Bureau store. My son K that is wearing his UT shirt in the picture wants a Hook 'em Horns room. For those of you who don't know it is University of Texas Longhorns. There was a UT poster on the wall in the store. I asked the sales clerk if they had any for sale. She came out of the back with one and told me we could have it for FREE! It was priced $30! We were thrilled! It is a picture of the UT Tower lit orange!
Treat #4

And last but definitely not least is the extent of my free halloween decorating: A real spooky spider and large web conveniently located on my front porch window!

Treat #5

The weather has been absolutely marvelous lately! Perfect autumn weather!

Hope your day is also filled with lots of fabulous treats!

HELP!

You all know that I am a pack rat. Well, moving has motivated me to go through some boxes that have been around for a very long time. Three of those boxes housed my precious Panda Bear Collection!

When I was young I collected Panda Bears! If I remember correctly it began when I was in third grade and I did a report on Pandas. For about twelve years I collected with the help of my dad. When I got married the collection was boxed up and put in the attic of our first home. When the boys were babies some of the pandas appeared as nursery decor. We moved in 1996 and the boxes resided in our attic for the nine years we lived there. And that brings us to present day.

I have a dilema! I don't know what to do with my precious pandas! I just can't "bear" to give it all away! I need your help and advice! I am a little embarrassed that I am 40 years old and still loving my pandas!

What should I do with my collection?

Kim says give them away. My husband just keeps his mouth shut-smart, huh?

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Running with Barry!

I had a inspiring run with Barry this morning at my favorite place! My friend Karen gave me Barry Manilow 2 Nights Live cd for my 40th birthday (one of my best gifts, I might add). And just now folks as I was pulling out the cd case to share the info with you I realized something exciting: There are two cd's because it is 2 nights live! I have only been listening to the first night live. And what a night it is! I get chills just imagining if I was sitting in that audience with Barry, or on stage with him ( I can dream, right?) I have one more night to listen to!!! Woo Hoo! I am popping it in my computer right now!

Anyway, if you didn't already know I am a huge Barry fanatic. Well, fanatic might be too strong a word.... I don't obsess about him... but I do love his music very dearly and have felt this way almost all my life. As I was running this morning listening I was contemplating whether I really "love" Barry himself. On the cd someone from the crowd yells out "I love you" to him and he says " I love you, too" back. And it made me think about that concept of "loving" a famous person that you really don't know personally but feel like I do. Oops, I have gotten a little off the subject......
It was a glorious morning running with the sweet sounds of Barry in my ear, a cool autumn breeze on my face, and tree leaves falling all around. I never get tired of his music. It inspires me, makes me smile, brings tears to my eyes, and touches my heart! Some of my favorites: Mandy, Even Now, This One's For You, Looks Like We Made It, Can't Smile Without You, I Made It Through The Rain, Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again, Somewhere Down The Road.... I love them all!

I realized that he is now performing in Las Vegas and we will be there next year - guess which show my husband and I will be attending?

Okay, enough about Barry....

Who's music do you adore?

What is a topiary.....

.....my sons asked........

Anyway, here is one that Kim made for my house. I'm not too keen with the candles on the side, but the topiary is beautiful, isn't it?

It was a fab weekend!

Yesterday morning I was dragging with big ole bags under my forty year old eyes. Staying up all hours of the night doesn't agree with me now that I am an old lady. The weekend was fast and furious but extremely productive!

I picked Kim up from the airport Thursday around 11-ish. We immediately hit the stores on the way home and we shopped and decorated continuously except for eating and sleeping until Sunday about 3-ish.

I am ecstatic about the work we accomplished!

Here is my favorite, our master bath:
BEFORE:
AFTER:


Wah Lah! Cool, huh?

I will post more later in the week!

An exciting weekend ahead!

I will be very busy this weekend because one of my best friends Kim is coming to visit tomorrow. She has been my friend forever and she is my personal decorator! She is THE best friend and decorator a girl could ever have! This will be her third official decorating assignment. The first was in my old house. The second was to help me pick out colors for my new house. And now she will assist me in arranging and picking out deco for the new house. I am absolutely helpless without her! So..... for the next four days we will be shopping, arranging, laughing, and crying (we always cry for some reason or another when we're together). I can't wait! !!!!!!!!

I wanted to post some before pictures of the house and then next week I will post what we actually accomplished. Our main focus this weekend is:

1) the kitchen







2) three bathrooms (the guest bathroom not pictured)







3) dining room (sorry no picture)

4) living room







I will update you next week!


I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Our neighborhood is going to pot!

As I sit at my computer this is my view out the window to the front of my house. All day long trucks pull up in our cul-de-sac and stop here to use the facilities. Funny, huh?

Do you think it is odd that I have a port-o-potty across the street from my home?

I guess it doesn't really bother me, just makes me laugh. Our home is only one of four new homes in this section. The rest are under construction so there are a few p-o-p's in the area.

I really have some great scenic views from my house! lol

Welcome Home!

The main question of the last two weeks...Are you settled in your new house? But a better question is: Will we ever really be settled or organized? I would like to think so but not too sure!

This week I have been a little anxious about getting things accomplished. We have made great progress but have had some very minor details hold us back. For example, We can't seem to get the trash men to pick up our trash. I have called a handful of times and spoken to the right people and our trash is growing much faster than the new Crepe Myrtle we planted.(Maybe another post about the Crepe Myrtle looking very ill.) Maybe today will be the day? I have also found that my telephone jack in the kitchen is silent. The phone guys are going to have to tear into a wall to find the problem. And then there is time, not enough of it. Oh, and my great inability to decorate has been a frustration....decorating doesn't come naturally to me.

As I work at getting there it reminds me of Saija's post last week and one of my favorite songs called "Welcome Home" by Shaun Groves. See the words posted below.

I love this comparison of the heart to a home. I have been putting odds and ends (mainly alot of junk that I can't seem to throw away) in closets, cabinets , and drawers but in the haste of unpacking boxes some have not been well organized or dusted. Some boxes of miscellaneous items have been pushed into closets. Therefore on the outside the house looks somewhat settled and organized but if you open some doors you might uncover clutter. The walls are bare as well because of my fear of placing a picture in the wrong spot.

I have been a Christian for almost thirty years and thankfully He has swept, dusted and filled up my empty heart but there are still lots of "creaky doors, dusty floors, guilty stains, and empty halls." And I know someday, "in a blink of an eye" , I will be totally renovated in a subdivision with streets made of gold, no trash to be found, and a face to face communication with Him - no dial tone needed.

Do I need to stress about all the details of life or in our home? It doesn't have to be perfect! "Take me, make me all You want me to be". And in our home Lord, "Spread Your love upon the walls and occupy the empty halls". "That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking" "Every closet's filled with clutter. Messes yet to be discovered. I'm Overwhelmed, I understand I can't make this place all that You can."

So, settled or not,"take a seat, pull up a chair, Lord and Welcome Home"!

What area of your heart can Jesus decorate for you?

"Welcome Home" by Shaun Groves

Take me, make me all You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking

Welcome to this heart of mine
I've buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I've made
Inside of me, come decorate, Lord

Open up the creaking doors
And walk upon the dusty floors
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remains

Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded

Chorus:

Come inside this heart of mine It's

Not my own make it home

Come and take this heart and make it

All Your own Welcome Home

Take a seat, pull up a chair

Forgive me for the disrepair

And the souvenirs from

Floor to ceiling

Gathered on my search for meaning

Every closet's filled with clutter

Messes yet to be discovered

I'm overwhelmed, I understand

I can't make this place all

That You can.

I took the space that
You placed in me
Redecorated in shades of greed
And I made sure every
Door stayed locked
Every window blocked, and
Still you knocked

Take me, make me all You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking.

I found it!

The missing key has been found!