My Day As Cinderella

Brenda from The Brenda Blog has nicknamed me Cinderella. She said that my picture on the sidebar reminds her of Leslie Ann Warren-an actress that played Cinderella in the 1960's version. I googled Leslie Ann Warren and she is beautiful! I think I have a lot of work to do in order to look that good! But I definitely adore Brenda and will take the compliment! She is such a sweetie and if you haven't checked out her blog I encourage you to go and visit her!

So, today I am going to share with you the day I truly felt like Cinderella.............. My wedding day. July 26th, 2003.
Marc and I met at work. I know, I know! I had been working for a large residential management company and had gotten transferred to a new property where Marc was and had been working for over 10 years. It wasn't exactly love at first sight- for me anyways. Sure I thought he was absolutely gorgeous but I thought he was a total snob. He never spoke to me, he would just nod his head as he walked through the office. One day I told one of my co-workers that I thought he was a jerk and she cracked up laughing! Come to find out Marc was notorious for being deathly shy. Oops!
Fire inspection day came around and all of the firemen were on property in full uniform. As I got back from lunch I turned around and there were 6 firemen and the chief standing in a line in front of my desk........ the chief told me he had to apologize for the behavior of one of his men but to be honest he was just smitten with me. All of the guys put there hands over their hearts- it was totally a Top Gun approach and I turned as red as my dress. I am NOT into show. I took the guys number to save him embarrassment. Later that day I found out that Marc was really upset- one of his co-workers told me he had been trying to work up the nerve to ask me out and once he heard about the fireman he assumed he had missed his chance. I got butterflies and told the guy to send Marc into the office and ask me out. (So high school!) I have never seen a man sweat so much trying to get words out so I helped- "Dinner tomorrow night at my place? I'll cook if you bring the wine." He shook his head and said he would be there at eight.
From that first night I knew I would marry him. There was something about him that I just knew. I had never felt that way before. He stayed until almost four in the morning and we talked like we had known each other forever.
Marc was the guy that would do the most romantic things. He told me one night that I needed to go to my door and look out the peep hole- there he was- cell phone to one ear and holding a bouquet of roses so big I couldn't see his face. I lived on a ground floor apartment and one night there was a bunch of guys hanging out outside of my window drinking and being obnoxious and throwing things at the windows and I was scared so I called Marc. I knew he was supposed to be out of town but I just wanted to have him talk to me. The next morning I woke up early and opened my blinds only to see Marc asleep in his car that he had parked right up to my window. I stood there and cried because I had found my prince charming. He had slept outside of my bedroom window all night to "protect me." He never told me he was there and had I not caught him I would have never known.
Twenty two months after we met we were in Florida on a mini vacation. We took a long evening walk and all of a sudden Marc stopped, got down on one knee and proposed. I remember the night like it was yesterday. I can still remember the smell of salt water in the air and see the moon peeking through the palm tree that we were standing under. And he had even gone to my Dad to ask for my hand before he proposed which made it that much more special! Three months later we were married. We both wanted a small wedding and therefore it didn't take a long time to plan. I thought I wanted to get married on the beach but Marc told me the beach was no place for a Princess and that he had the perfect place in mind. We hopped in the car and went for a drive in the country and when we pulled in I knew this was the place........................


A castle!!! This castle has a lot of history and is now a part of the Metro parks. It was the ideal place and we actually chose our wedding date according to when it was available.

We had about 50 people in attendance. Which was much more than my shy man thought he could handle but he did great........ other than trying to put his ring on my finger! Everyone got a good laugh and he loosened up after that.

We had some things fall apart before the day of the wedding but I didn't care. All that mattered to me was being Mrs. Marc at the end of the day. Our photographer cancelled on us a week before the wedding so I called my cousin and had him take the pictures. He isn't a professional but loves taking pictures as a hobby and they turned out beautifully. Marc knew a guy through work that ran a lemo service and he gave us a deal on a lemo- $75!! The day of the wedding he showed up with not one lemo but two! How Cinderella was that?? We had a co worker do the catering (her and her husband did it as a side business) and had a small reception on the property where we both worked. Marc's Aunt and Uncle make the best wine and they supplied 40 bottles of their wine with personalized labels on them with our names and wedding date! It was raining up until 2 hours before the ceremony and then the sun came out and it was the most perfect day!

I truly felt like Cinderella. It was the first time in my life that I really felt beautiful and 100% happy..................

I had met the man of my dreams.

I just knew that whatever trials and tribulations that would come up in our marriage and our lives that we could face them as long as we were together. My father told me that Marc was a good, noble man and that he would take care of me and our future family no matter what it took, which is why my Dad gave Marc his blessing. He also told Marc that once he took my hand he wasn't allowed to give it back!!

Marc is truly the most honest, most loving, most genuine, most respectful, most hard working man I have ever met. In the almost 7 years I have known him I have only heard him raise his voice twice- and both of those were in defending me from someone he felt was being disrespectful. From the day I first met him he has treated me with such respect and love that I wished I had found him years before.....................

He treats me like a queen and always puts the needs of me and our children before his own. I ask God everyday what it was that I did that made me so deserving of such a man.

He is my soul mate, my best friend, the true love of my life. The love I had always dreamed of but never imagined I would find.

We are serious and we are silly.............

And almost five years........... and almost 3 children later.............. we are still madly in love.

And although I don't know sometimes how he puts up with me I am really glad that he does! I just hope that he knows how much I love him and how much I appreciate him for everything he is and everything he has helped me to become.

I may not be wearing the beautiful white gown or the glass slippers but he still makes me feel like Cinderella.

I love you Prince Charming! Let's go ride off into the sunset in that big orange pumpkin- shall we???

~Heather :)

Self To Do List

I have said before that I am a lover. I am a people- pleaser. My entire life I have tried to live up to others expectations of me, behave in a certain way and allow people or people's ideas to "control" me. Trying to live up to other's expectations is not only exhausting but it causes us to lose who we really are. I have always been afraid of stirring the waters, I like to do what it takes to keep the peace. If someone does or says something to upset me or causes me pain I tend to look over it. When I do speak up for myself I always feel bad later because I fear that I have hurt some one's feelings, or I second guess myself and wonder if I was in the right. I tend to get very stressed out about things and hide them away until they eat away at me. Sometimes when it all comes crashing down I realize just how stressed and upset I was and it ends up causing physical pain sometimes. Isn't stress a crazy thing? If a problem is too big I tend to just turn my back on it and pretend it doesn't exist. I "run away" from the problem so to speak. I think part of this is due to the way I was raised, I think part of it is coming into who I am and learning WHO I REALLY AM, and partly because I do not like confrontation.
I have wasted the last several months of my life not being completely and entirely happy because of something that happened over 14 months ago. And that thing that happened 14 months ago was something that was years and years in the making. It was coming. I knew it would come someday but I had no idea how or when. On this particular day I stood up for myself and confronted miseries and bottled up anger of decades past. I decided that I needed to be free of the mind games, emotional stress and hurt. This has caused a lot of people a lot of pain, stress, and confusion. I never gave an explanation to those who didn't understand what was going on. At the time I kept it from them because I felt I was protecting them............ I have second guessed myself over the last year or so but still feel that it was the best decision. I finally decided to do this for myself, for my marriage and for my children. Even though it was a hard thing to do, I have a great sense of peace about it. That was up until recently. Things have gotten stirred back up again because people do not know when to let things go............. they insist on keeping things stirred up. So I have started getting stressed again. And then today I realized I am sick of playing games. I am an adult now and I know now who I am. I know what I want, how I want to live my life, how I want to mother my children and what kind of wife I want to be for my husband. Today my stress turned into attitude. Major attitude.
It seems as though when something is going on in my life God finds a way to hit my pause button and make me sit still so that He can speak to me. I got a cute email today with a list of things that we already know........... but need to remember. Then I saw a quote that literally felt like a punch in the gut. It's like He is reminding me that it is getting to be too much for me to handle and that His arms are open- they are open so that I can hand my problems off to Him and then He can embrace me with the love and support that He knows I so desperately need. And I am definitely going to need His help with this one. God has worked wonders in my life over the course of the last year but we still have a ways to go as I am a work in progress!

Here is the list from the email............. they are all pretty good but some of them stuck out more than others:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27 Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34 God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.


All of this got me thinking. I have kept a running To Do list for the last few months. On the list is all kinds of projects that need done around the house, phone calls I need to make, things that need to be purchased, etc. Do any of you have a To Do list for yourself?? Things that need "fixed" or "touched-up"??? I'm not talking haircuts and pedicures and new wardrobes......... I am talking about fixing things inside of yourself.

Examples of this might be:

1. Pray more
2. Find better ways to deal with stress.
3. Work on finding out who I am- things that make me happy, things that bring me peace, and practice them regularly

Now obviously you would be much more specific but you get the idea. If we neglect our duties and upkeep in our homes things fall into disrepair and neglect. If we don't mow the grass or weed the flower gardens the grass and weeds overtake everything- and possibly kill the beauty that has been planted. If we don't fix that leaky pipe under the sink it will eventually cause damage that is much more time consuming and expensive to repair. We need to fix the problems while they are still small............... and if they start off big then we need to realize that we need to call in for back-up. I think I am going to start a "Self-To-Do list". We'll see what happens!

Hoping you all have a wonderful day!!!

~Heather :)

Finished Curtains and Another Tag!

I finished sewing my curtains for the living room last Friday. However, it took me until today to hang them up and get the tie-backs hung also. I am looking for a new curtain rod and tie backs that will look better with my cottage theme but these will work for now, keeping the nosey neighbors from sharing our evenings with us! Now, I realize this isn't the best picture - remember I am not a good picture taker (not even calling myself a photographer) and I had to take it from a funny angle because the sun was so bright coming in the windows!

I LOVE gingham! They almost look pink at different times of the day but they really are red! Yes, I know my curtains are a little short- but I actually did that on purpose. My kids love to help run the vacuum so in order to save my curtains from the suction of despair they have to be off the floor a little!!

My new bedding set arrived last Friday. I was so excited! I opened up the box and..........sigh. Not what I had anticipated. The bedding in the picture online looked like it had a white background and what was nestled in that box......... well it was taupe. Looked like it had been coffee stained or something. More back- shelf- of- a- dirty -second- hand- store than cheery cottage. But I tore everything out of the packaging, made the bed and hung the curtains. After staring at the set for awhile I decided- yeah, I really don't like it so much. In order to make it work I would have to repaint my walls because the color is now off, change the lighting to take some of the gloominess out and ............. way too much work. I don't care how cheap the bedding was. So I am back on the hunt. My husband feels bad because it was my birthday gift from him but I told him he already gave me a great day- bedding or not. And if he was that broken hearted about it then he could just get me a new Coach bag! LOL!!! Now that is something I won't send back!

Ok..........I have been tagged AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! I feel so loved! Brittany from Adeline's Shabby Cottage
tagged me this time to answer 5 questions about myself. Brittany is such a sweetheart and I love her blog. She really loves the cottage style and her home is so pretty! She seems like one of those women that is beautiful inside and out. If you have never been to Brittany's blog you will have to go check it out. She does Friday Flea Markets and has such pretty stuff!

What Was I Doing 10 Years Ago?

Hmmmm......... that is a hard one. 1998 I think I was still living in my hometown, working for a daycare as a preschool teacher. It was right before I spread my wings and moved to "the big city". he he My life is pretty much a blur before I met my husband because I believe that that is when my life truly began.

Five Things On My To Do List

I have way more than five but I will list the most important ones!
1. Paint and decorate baby Cali's nursery.
2. Organize master bedroom closet and hallway linen closet....... again.
3. Finish decorating hallway bathroom.
4. Sew/make decorative pillows for living room.
5. Mop my kitchen and bathroom floors.

Snacks I Enjoy

Right now anything within arms reach! LOL!! I am a big fruit nut so I enjoy snacking on strawberries, apples, grapes, pineapple, etc. Any kind of fruit. Recently I really have a thing for Doritos, Little Debbies, Gummy Bears and french bread. Of course today I opened up a box of Keebler Graham bite size snacks and proceeded to eat the entire box in one sitting. My OBGYN would be so proud.

Things That I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire

Wow. That is a tough one. Hopefully the same things I do now because I do enjoy my life. I would definitely buy a little cottage with a big yard for lots of gardening, I would buy my Cadillac Escalade, and the truck of my husband's dreams. I would make sure that my children would be financially taken care of so that they would never have to worry about money- but also teach them the value of money as well. I would go to the market every day to buy fresh meats and produce for dinner.......... wouldn't that be wonderful!!! And since Bella wants a kitty so bad but we are all allergic I would spend that awful amount of money and buy her one of those non-allergic cats. I would love to take family vacations to show my kids places they have never been or dreamed of. And I would have to donate a lot of money too to causes I believe in. I would love to do that!!

Five Places I Have Lived

I have lived in different cities and towns but they have all been in Ohio. Boring- I know. But I am one of those people that actually enjoys the crazy Ohio weather! Although there was a point this winter I was very tempted when my husband came home and said we had the option to transfer to Florida with his job! We used to travel a lot when I was younger and saw a lot of states and I just love Ohio as I think it has so much to offer. It kind of has a split personality like me! he he

OKAY........... I Tag:

Kimba at A Soft Place to Land I really enjoy going to her blog daily. She is inspirational in her relationship with the Lord, she is MUCHO creative and she shares her projects and tells you how she did them! Not to mention every time I read a post I am usually laughing to the point of tears- she is hysterical.

Laurie at Decorating Fanatic She has such a talent for decorating that it just really isn't fair to people like me! She is a busy mom like me and super funny too! She doesn't post a lot lately but when she does it is always enjoyable!

Susie at Bienvenue Susie is also very creative and quite handy! If it weren't for her the tops of my cabinets would still be undecorated. She did a post not long ago and had pictures of the tops of her cabinets decorated and I was inspired!!!! She has so many good ideas and makes the most darling tassels that she sells in her Etsy shop!!

So ladies- YOU'RE IT!! As for everyone else- go check out these fantastic women at their blogs!!!

Have a GREAT evening everybody!
~Heather :)

My Happy Place

About a week ago I made up my mind that I was going to post my kitchen TODAY. Why today? Well, I thought I needed to set a goal for myself or I would never "finish" my kitchen. My poor kitchen gets dumped on, it is triple duty as kitchen, laundry room and project/craft room. And, of course, since we have a nice big breakfast bar it is also the dumping ground for everything! I have been working in my kitchen for last few days and had to kick it in to high gear today but I got it done. So here I am posting at 12:08 a.m. Tuesday like the crazy loon that I am! Does it count that it is technically Tuesday now?? Oh well, got it done so.........good enough!!
I finally- after a year of living here- decided to decorate above my cabinets. I am not 100% happy with the way the area turned out but I never have been good at accessorizing. It works for now- any suggestions??
This picture didn't turn out well. I really like the rustic baskets with the glass and crystal pieces. The painting is another one that Marc's late Grandfather had painted. This particular one is my absolute favorite one................

This side I decided to do all of my milk glass. I have started a collection and hopefully it will continue to grow. More paintings from Marc's late Grandfather, an old chippy picture frame from the flea market, one of my red and white china plates, a couple of old Ball jars and another old dish of Evelyn's......................

Ahhh..... my favorite "possession"........... my range. 6 gas burners with BTU's varying from 600- 15,000. This baby makes me feel like Emeril in a skirt. Too bad my skill level isn't comparable!! We had purchased this range before we moved back into an apartment (as well as a dishwasher) so I was thrilled when we found out we were allowed to bring our appliances. She would have been very hard for me to leave behind...................

This is the view from the laundry area into the dining room area. There is the bar that is always cluttered but I cleared it for the pictures and I am hoping it stays that way! HA HA HA My Aunt Debbie made the rug that is in front of my sink. She is the Aunt that has her own Etsy store now Fruit of My Hands . She made it for me as a wedding gift and I have decorated my kitchen around it ever since..................

Refrigerator side.............still waiting on my stainless steel one.......... this poor thing looks a little out of place. Too bad we can't paint the cabinets or those things would have been white months ago!!

Okay, through a doorway is my laundry room/pantry. It is very small- as is the rest of my kitchen- so functionality, maximizing storage and organization has been a big priority. I can not believe I am going to show you this but............... here it is..................... this is the side above the washer......

I keep all of my cleaning supplies in here as well as cleaning rags, dishtowels, dirty towel bin, etc. Don't really want the kids messing with all of that stuff! Here is the side above the dryer.........

All medicine and first aid items are in here because the kitchen is protected by a gate to keep the kids out at all times. They have free rein of the rest of the apartment so it is safest here! Some of my favorite cookbooks are here too for quick and easy access.

And my most recent project...................I am SO happy about my new spice racks!! I had my cousin pick up some spice jars at IKEA a few months ago because I wanted something prettier than the ugly plastic containers the spices come in. He told me he would be more than happy to pick them up for me and then when I told him how many I needed he thought I was joking. 72 spice jars- he had to get an entire flat and then didn't even know if they would fit in the car!!! I bought some twine and some little key tags this weekend and labeled them all and they look so cute! Then, today I hung up the racks and put all of my spices in- alphabetically, of course! I was so excited! And the shelves didn't fall off the wall!!!! Wahoo!!

Here is a closer shot of both sides................ the picture in the middle of both racks is of my Grandmother and her mother and all of her sisters in their kitchen when my Grandmother was in her late teens!

I don't know if you can make out the picture but one is making a pie, one is doing dishes, one is doing the laundry......... how cool! All in the kitchen! Oh, I guess I do that now. hmmm

This is my pot rack that hangs above my laundry doorway. No, we do not hit our heads on it. Thank God for 10 foot ceilings!! It was the only wall space we had and since we have limited cabinet space this rack was a necessity......... See my toile curtains? When we have company over I can close them up and hide my mess!!

My kitchen does not have a window and under the cabinets seems really dark. I wanted to do something to lighten it up. I tried painting faux tiles but it ended up looking really country. So, I took these iron grates and painted them white. I like how they turned out. They definitely make the area feel brighter. My little canisters are from Wal-Mart!! I bought them because they look vintage and remind me of some my grandma used to have- the lids even make the same noise when you bump them against something!

So, that's my kitchen! I am so glad I finished it! I feel lighter and it feels cleaner! Speaking of clean................... I think I forgot to mop the floor.

I love my kitchen. I spend a lot of time in this room so it needed to be practical and pretty. I really would love to have white cabinets but these will work. They don't bug me too badly!! This is my favorite place in our home with my balcony being a close second place. I am sure I will fluff and tweak as I often do but for now it is done.

One more thing off the To Do list!

Have a great day everyone!!!

~Heather :)

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!!! And Flea Market Finds

Today was a fun day! Marc and the kids and I went to our local flea market and had some fun! I have an antique slipper chair that is a precious family heirloom. The condition, however, is less than precious. The fabric has faded, seems have come loose, buttons are missing. I have wanted to have it reupholstered for years now but have never been able to afford the $400 plus estimates I have received. Most recently we have had it stored in the basement of the house we still own. Well, the basement flooded and even though the chair was not sitting on the ground it has started to mildew. I have met a man through the flea market that does beautiful upholstery work and sewing and we took the chair to him today for an estimate. $210 including fabric!!!!!!! I was so excited. Now that probably still may sound like a lot, but to me, this chair is priceless and is a piece that I want to be able to pass down to my children. He is redoing everything down to the springs and restaining the legs even! He told me it should take about 5 weeks so I will be counting down to see the final result. I can't believe I forgot to get a before picture though!! Man!
While we were there we decided to look around a bit. Oh I found bargains!!
Look at these pretty treasures...............

I have no idea what this dish is but the possibilities are endless! How fun!

I love this white glass................. so cottage looking...........

I have been looking for these bud vases ever since I saw Kimba's post with all of her pretty flowers...................

These I liked because they have little grape clusters on them................

I love the way the light comes through these pieces...................

Okay, now for the shocker. Are ya'll wondering how much I paid??? $7 !!! As in EVERYTHING............ ALL of this stuff for $7.00. I was SO excited!! I feel like I got a bargain and it is all so cute. Now, hopefully someone will bring me flowers so I can fill my new vases!! :)

he he he

After the Flea Market we had dinner at Bob Evan's and then went grocery shopping. I will tell ya it was not all that fun. We tried a different store than we normally go to. This place was so disorganized, messy, dirty. We could not find anything and the kids were getting tired. I am sure you all know how that ended up. Now I appreciate the fact that my husband always does the grocery shopping on his way home from work even more. I am so spoiled!!

Okay, now for the fun part! I have been tagged by Brenda at The Brenda Blog . She is such a sweetheart. Brenda does not think she leads a glamorous life but I enjoy her blog so much!!!

Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag people at the end of your entry.

Alright.......... 6 unimportant things about me. Just six?? Oh I could so go over on this one!

1. I guess the first thing would be that I don't believe that there are "unimportant" things about anyone. Crazy little tidbits maybe, but not unimportant. All the little things is what adds up to make everyone who they are. I am a lover. One thing that really upsets me is when people judge others without trying to get to know them first. I think people get hung up on the little things or outside appearances and fail to see the beauty that lies in each of us.

2. I love quotes! Some bring inspiration, some spark motivation, some make me laugh, and some cause deep thoughts and emotions. I love quotes so much that my sister made me a cute book to write down all of my favorites- and the book is filling up quickly! They can be quotes from famous people, friends and family, they can be verses from a song or verses from the Bible.

3. I am an organization freak! Some say I am OCD.....and they are probably right. I like labels out, straight lines, I organize alphabetically, I color code the clothes and shoes in my closet and I love to label everything! Organizing brings me a great sense of peace! LOL!!! This drives my husband nuts but he cooperates fully because he knows I get itchy when things are messy!!

4. I can not throw anything away. Which is probably where the need for organization comes from!! My husband tells me I have a sentimental attachment to everything! I have saved every picture my children have ever made, cards, even scraps of fabric. I always think I can find a use for that later- and I usually do. My husband and I were organizing my jewelry in new caddies not long ago and he came across something and said "What is this? Are you kidding me? You still have this?" When Marc and I were dating and getting serious he wrapped a bunch of thin copper wire together to make a ring. (He is in maintenance work ya know) He slipped it on my finger and told me that he wanted to put a diamond on that finger someday. He stayed true to his word but I had to keep that little copper ring! To me it is just as priceless as the diamond I have worn for the last five years.

5. I love doing laundry but I am terrible at putting it away. I love how my apartment fills with the smell of my laundry soap and dryer sheets as the machines are busy doing their job. I have to have Oxyclean on hand at all times or I freak out. Oxyclean is my friend and with it by my side there is no stain we can't handle! But once the clothes come out of the dryer and go into the basket............. they usually stay there until we start digging for clothes or risk going nakey! I am awful about that! Putting laundry away has been a New Years resolution for the last.........way too many years! Oops! (I think I need your help Brenda!)

6. I am crazy about kitchen everything...........pots and pans, gadgets, my range, fresh produce- everything. It has become an obsession. At last count I have 68 spices (and bought 4 new ones today). I love to cook, and bake and try new recipes all of the time (although we still have our regular favorites). And I love to create new recipes too. I spend hours playing around with different spices and ingredients to come up with something. I used to tell my husband it was a Martha Stewart recipe and if he didn't like it I was off the hook- but if he did like it I would fess up. I can't use Martha anymore as he has caught on so I just tell him "I tried something new." Domino's is on speed dial just in case!!

Well, there's my six. Talk about glamorous, huh?? he he Now you are probably sitting in front of your computer thinking "This chick needs some professional help!"

Here is who I am tagging:

Jo from To A Pretty Life I adore Jo's blog. She is beautiful and oh so talented! I love how sincere and open she is in her posts. She doesn't find herself funny but I beg to differ. And with talent like hers she doesn't really need to be funny anyways! She seems like such a sweetheart so I would love to get to know her more.

Rue from Rue's Peanut Butter & Jelly Life I met Rue through HGTV's RMS and I love her! She was the inspiration for me to start this blog and she held my virtual hand while I was getting it up and running. She has a kind heart, an old soul, and she is an incredible decorator. I have gotten to know her over the last few months but am just itching to know more.

Rhonda from Scooterblu's Whimsey Another lovely person! Rhonda is such a dear and I love hitting her blog daily as well. She has sucked me in with talk of tractor pulls and vintage items......... I am, after all , a country girl living in the city. She has a gorgeous home and a super

personality!

So go pay these ladies a visit- you will enjoy it! Thank You Brenda for my first "TAG" How fun! Hope I didn't screw it up!! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Heather :)