Wacky Wednesday!

Today is Wacky Wednesday at Kingston Parish....this is how my kid left for school this morning---two different socks, two different shoes, PJ pants and a tie dye shirt...

Here's a little sneak peek of what's going on at Poplar Grove....kitchen cabinets were delivered yesterday and will be set today---Rob picked up the bathroom tile this week too--I am in love with all of it and can't wait to see it come together!

Bathroom Tile

This is stamped inside all of our kitchen drawers. Crafted by H.I.S. Inc for The Norris Family :)

A very productive weekend....

We got so much done this weekend and had a great time doing it! On Saturday, Shane started outdoor soccer again. They didn't play a game, just went over some drills---this is the first time since we started playing soccer that he didn't have an orange jersey....I quite like this new unique design on his jersey, but he doesn't get why it's not orange, his favorite color. HA! After soccer, he wanted to go home with my Mama & Daddy--so Rob & I went to Richmond alone. We went to Capitol Marble & Granite to pick out a slab of granite for the bathroom vanity. Then we went to The Original Mattress Factory and picked up a new full sized mattress for Shane's new bed. After that we hit up Panera Bread for a delicious lunch, complete with bagels to have for breakfast on Sunday morning. Then I got a surprise stop at HomeGoods--where I found mirrors for the master bathroom! WOO HOO! After HomeGoods, we went to Costco and picked up the new TV for our new living room. Loaded to the gills, we headed home and decided to stop by Saude Creek Vineyards to pick up a few bottles of wine....what a beautiful place!! It was VERY tempting to stick around for a tasting and just soak up the scenery there, but we just purchased our wine and headed on back to Mathews. Mama had made fried chicken for dinner, just for Rob, so when we picked up Shane, we stayed for dinner. Once we got home, Rob & I watched The Help....what a fabulous fabulous movie! Although, I will not want to eat any chocolate pie anytime soon. Ha! The words, "you is important", won't seem to leave my mind after watching that movie...Sunday, Rob headed back to Poplar Grove to work since he missed out on any work on Saturday. He completed Shane's swing set, minus the swings since they didn't get packaged up with everything else. Rob called and hopefully they will arrive this week. I know that Shane will definitely get a few years enjoyment from that play set. I just did some chores around the house--I stopped long enough to take Shane to see his play set and clean the kitchen floor at the new house---we're still holding out hope that the base cabinets will be put in this week. Now, it's back to the grind. That always seems a little easier when you've had a good weekend!

GO RAMS GO!

This weekend, we went to the Saturday session of the CAA tournament. A great fun filled day with 4 basketball games with some of the CAA's best teams. VCU played the 6pm game. It was a great game and they walked away the winner--which put them in yesterday's game, which they won and will play for the championship tonight. I have grown to love the game of basketball--I love watching it, whether it be college or the big boys at NBA. I also in very much in love with the VCU tuba player and band leader---both are so entertaining and bring the game up a few notches for me :)

In between the sessions on Saturday, Rob took me to Buz & Ned's for some barbecue. Might I say, it was quite delish...although, my hubby cooks up some mean BBQ. He thinks that theirs is better than his, but I beg to differ. Their sauce is great, all he needs is a bottle of that, and he's got them beat! :)

The New Love of my Life....

Ok, so Shane and Rob are the REAL TRUE loves of my life, but there's something I must confess....there's another....

It's my Rainbow vacuum cleaner...and I am in love. It doesn't talk back to me, it doesn't ask me where it left its shoes, it's my source of instant gratification. It floats behind me like a graceful ice skater, never tipping, never leaving my side...no more tangled or bent hoses, no more losing suction....no sir, my Rainbow could suck the the white off rice...So, me and my new BFF, Rainbow, headed to 126 Poplar Grove last night. She got the workout of her life! But, just as I knew she would, she pulled through and got the job done. So, here's the new living room, nice freshly vacuumed hardwood floors:

Also last night, Rob hung my new dining room light. I am totally loving it!

House Update!

Things have been moving right along at 126 Poplar Grove. The living room has been painted--I LOVE IT! Here's the before:

Here's the after : Hopefully this week, we'll get all that paper off the floor and get the room cleaned up and I will post a totally done pic. Things with the kitchen are progressing along, we should be seeing some base cabinets sometime soon. The tile for the bathroom has been ordered this week, so that will be here in about 2 weeks. The swing set hasn't progressed, much to Shane's sadness, anymore since the last post...This past weekend, Rob worked hard on getting the living room painting done, but he also painted the shutters. Here's the before: Here's the after: The guest bathroom was another project that I love the results of. I painted the vanity and LOVE how that turned out. I replaced the hardware on the cabinet doors with some fancy little starfish and seahorses. The vanity top was also replaced. Rob pulled up the tile that was there and replaced it since it appeared it had not been properly installed. He did a magnificent job. Love the way this turned out--we still need to install the white tile above the shower, that's why we didn't paint that part of the wall. Here's the before:

Here's the after:

Sandpiper & Swing Sets

Another weekend is gone--this one was a good one. Friday after work, I picked Shane up and we met up with Rob and went to dinner at Sandpiper Reef. It was really good! It's the first time we'd taken Shane there and he loved it. It was nice to sit down with my family with no TV, no phones and have a nice meal together. After we got home, Rob & I watched Breaking Dawn Part 1...I was so mad when it ended--I cannot believe they stopped the movie at that point and will now make me wait until November to feed my Twilight habit...Saturday morning, Shane had soccer. Rob, my Daddy, and Chris (he works with Rob) met up at the new house and started building Shane's new swing set. Apparently, building one of these things is much more complicated than erecting the Golden Gate Bridge....Six hours and a few hot dogs and beers later, the swing set is still not complete, but they got a good start on it.

After the swing set building session, Rob & Shane took DD over to Tappahannock to Minter's Golf Carts to help him pick out a new cart for Bavon....of course, Rob & Shane came home with a new one too---may I introduce, The Incredible Snake....

Shane picked it out because it has purple eyes and purple is my favorite color, so he thought I'd love it...

Things at the new house are moving along. The base cabinets in the kitchen should be ready in a couple of weeks. The sheet rock in the master bath is done, now waiting on tile for that room. Rob painted in the living this past week, LOVE THAT! I'll try to post some pics from the house this week.

Words I Need To Live By....

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.