I want to be a Farm Chick!

Serena Thompson, THE Farm Chick, is having a most awesome giveaway on her blog! One lucky winner will have the opportunity to get a real behind the scenes look at the Farm Chicks Antiques Show, from set-up to going to the Vendor Dinner on Saturday evening as Serena's special guest! Even better, the winner will have the opportunity to be a guest blogger/or Twitterer and write about their experience when they return home. (Like I won't do that anyway, hee, hee, hee!)

Anyway, I will be attending the Farm Chicks Show again this year. It really is one of my very favorite antiques shows - if you have not been, I highly recommend it!

Serena's extra special giveaway ends on Sunday so head over and say hello!

If you will be in Spokane for Farm Chicks, please leave me a comment, I would love to meet up with other bloggers/readers - over a cocktail and conversation about our great finds, of course!

Fabulous or Flop?

Restoration Hardware's new products are just so fabulous! But yesterday when my catalog arrived and this chair was pictured on the cover, my first reaction was...yuck! But later I took another look and could really appreciate it's unusual lines - it would make a great statement piece in a library or living room.

What do you think? Is it a hit or miss? Would you use it in your home?

Yes! I chose.....to be a soccer mom.

I confess, I have a problem with the word "no". How about you?

What does the almighty Oprah call it? I think she refers to it as, "the need to please".

Yep, that's what I have got - "the need to please", and I got it bad!

I chaired our school auction two years in a row...yes, you heard me right, I was dumb (yes, dumb) enough to sign up for round two after round one about kicked my butt!

What is it about us women that we can't say the short little, two letter word "n-o"? I guess it something we have to learn, and learn I have.

I have learned that I while I am looking to please others, I am neglecting things that I ultimately feel are most important to me.....my health and well being, my children and family, my career dreams and aspirations, my little 'ol blog....

So this weekend, I made a choice.....

A BIG - and perhaps scandalous - choice.....

I chose to be a soccer mom for the weekend INSTEAD of attending the school auction that I had spent a year planning!



You see, it seems I (former 80's cheerleader) gave birth to a pretty awesome athlete who just so happens to be a pretty awesome soccer player. Said daughter had a soccer tournament scheduled for this week in Iowa. Because of the auction, I was going to stay home and hubby was going to go and cheer on our awesome athlete.

About a week ago, I was lying awake in bed unable to sleep, thinking about my choices and what was really imporatant to me. I was thinking how I wanted to be more purposeful in using my time - spending it on things that really mattered to me. And I had a "lightbulb moment" (more Oprah references).....I did NOT have to go to the auction, the work was already done! I had two other co-chairs who could handle the evening.

For me (and my daughter), it was so much more important to be in Iowa, in the rain and cold fulfilling my duty as a soccer mom.



I never even considered that in my quest to not disappoint the school and the co-chairs I had worked with, that I was disappointing someone who matters to me even more, my own daughter.

I am so thankful that this weekend I chose to be a soccer mom. Let me just tell you girls, this is a big deal for me and one that will lead me down a different path....

It's the little things......

It is a well documented fact on this blog that I am a lover of all things bird/nest related....perhaps in a former life??.....



Back in December I had the chance to visit one of my (and most likely yours)favorite bloggers, Kasey from Lola B's in her home. Before I even stepped inside the door of Kasey's lovely home, I was smitten with her front door....and not just because it was a charming front door - with a great window with a pull-down scalloped shade that hung from the inside. Oh no, I was smitten with the bird decal Kasey had added on the window of her front door. I knew I needed to "borrow" the idea and get my very own adorable bird decal for the window on the door leading into my sunporch/family room.

Kasey told me the decal came from McMaster & Storm - a charming online boutique that sells all sorts of packaging/gift wrapping/crafting supplies plus some unusual decor thrown in for good measure.

Well, imagine my disappointment when I contacted Darcy at McMaster & Storm and was told that they were no longer carrying the bird decal but hoped to soon.

Boy did she regret ever telling me that!

The stalking began....

Long story short.....because don't you have better things to do than read this lllloooonnnngggg story....

McMaster & Storm began carrying the bird decals once again last week! I promptly placed my order and it arrived on Friday! McMaster & Storm makes their packages extra special and even include little gifts with your purchase.



It was easy as can be to transfer the decal onto my glass door. Directions were include.



I think the bird looks great on glass doors but you could also spruce up a plain mirror by adding this little guy!



Call me crazy, but it really is the little things in life that make me happy.