Summer's Hottest New Lip Color

So, have you been looking for that perfect shade to accent your summer pout? Look no further, Wyatt has discovered it for you! It's actually sidewalk chalk...shhhhh! No one ever has to know.

To apply, follow these simple steps:

1. Select a color (Wyatt is shown here wearing Hot Pink)

2. Eat the chalk (the aftertaste is bad, but the color stays on great!)

3. Run like crazy from your mom while eating the said chalk and voila - flawless lips.

This boy gives us a run for our money, but he sure has a good time doing it!!

Take A Few Minutes...

to read this wonderful talk. Mark's sister Cami spoke at Women's Conference at BYU this year, and her talk was so uplifting and inspiring. It made me want to do better in my marriage, work harder to look for ways to serve others and to find a way to better hear and recognize the promptings of the Spirit. I loved hearing her talk at the conference, and again re-reading it today. Take five minutes out of your day to read it!

http://saratogarushes.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-womens-conference-talk.html

Bedroom Makeover On A Budget

I have been tired of our bedroom furniture for a long time and have been just ITCHING to paint it! It was all that santa fe, mexican pine wood. I didn't take a before shot, but here is pretty much what my dresser looked like:

I painted it with flat, interior paint from Walmart (13 bucks a gallon), distressed and antiqued it, and stained the top. I also replaced the hardware with some bin pulls I found on ebay for $1.50 a pull. The hardware was a BEASTLY project - by far the worst part of refinishing this dresser. Those things are stapled in there instead of screwed, so I pretty much had to claw them out one by one. And Mark had to put the new stuff on - not fun on this dresser, but at least it is done! Here's what it looks like now:

I did the night stands in the same paint (they were the same wood as the dresser) and decided to leave the dang hardware on there. It will just have to stay there until it bugs me enough to rip it out and replace it:

And then came the headboard. I like bright colors, and I decided I wanted to paint it a bright robin's egg blue. I think people thought I was a little crazy, and I was freaking out a little bit as I was painting it, but I ended up loving it (luckily!). The bedding was a steal on Overstock, and my talented mother-in-law/seamstress made the pillows. I almost bought the same quilt we had for the last 5 years and totally wore out from Pottery Barn, but my friend Hillary talked me out of it. It's so nice to have a change, and a cheap one!

Dogs make really great pillows...

But apparently Wyatt has found something even better.

November, why are you SO far away?!

Bygones

I published a post a few days ago about something I was upset about regarding my business. My emotions got the better of me, and I said some things that I regret saying. I was upset and venting, but it was a mistake to post it on my blog. While I still feel that some products are too similiar and the business model is the same, I think I overreacted and could have handled it differently. I apologize to anyone who read the post and was offended by it. I don't want any drama over this, and I'm not holding a grudge against anyone. There are two sides to every story, and things could have been handled differently on both sides.

Dedicated Daddy

Mark is out of town and we are all missing him. He is such a fun, hands on dad that when he's gone it is a huge difference for both the boys and for me! We love you, honey - our house isn't the same without you here!

at the zoo - Wyatt's face in this picture just makes me melt

Staying up till midnight (twice) to finish the swingset.

SO EXCITED that it was done when they woke up they had to try it out in their jammies.