Burkett Blessings

2011: What an amazing year!

2012-01-01T23:30:00.000-06:00

Hello friends and family,
What an amazing year 2011 was! I was definitely MIA from my blog this year! My bow business BOOMED and I had no time for anything but creating bows for 8 stores (wow!!!) and many custom orders. As I reflect back on 2011, all I can say is that God has blessed me above and beyond what I could have ever asked or imagined, just as Ephesians 3:20 says. Here's a recap of our year...

January brought some very welcomed SNOW!!!

Jack was a little unsure... but quickly learned to LOVE it!

We also sold our home on Elmridge and God blessed our socks off with our new house just 3 doors down from my parents!!!! An answer to a year and a half of prayers from Mallory!!! (and me!)

LOTS of boxes and lots of packing led to fun cardboard box houses...

February brought another SNOW!!!

Mallory lost her 1st tooth the day we moved into our new house! It was definitely a monumental day!!!

In March we took our annual trip to Austin for the State Basketball Tournament... our weekend of shopping and FUN!!!

We also made several trips to the local plant farm to get our new house ready for spring!

April was an especially busy month. We visited the Tyler Azalea Trails... beautiful as always!

Mallory lost her 2nd tooth!!!!

Mallory sang with her choir in the spring program. I worked with these 2 sweet ladies in her class.

Jack and I accompanied Mallory's class on a field trip to the zoo...

The Easter Bunny came!!!

We had Easter lunch at Nana and Papa's with all our cousins!!

Nana and Papa hosted an awesome Easter egg hunt!

And we got to plant and water our very own flowers while wearing special aprons made by Nana!

We colored Easter eggs!

In May, Mallory dressed up as a Mommy for career day...

We took a trip to Six Flags!

We had a blast with Nana, Papa, and all our aunts, uncles, and cousins in Dallas...

We went to the Aquarium...

Went to Legoland!!!

And we ate at our favorite restaurant!!!

Mallory had Splash Day at school...

And June brought the end to Mallory's 1st year of school. We said goodbye to Mrs. Frazier and our Kindergarten friends. :-(

Jack got a fun summer haircut!

We had lots of fun in our little blow-up backyard pool...

Mallory and Jack went to Vacation Bible School at our church for the first time.

Nana took us to the Tyler Public Library...

Mallory took swimming lessons at the ETMC Olympic Center...

Brad painted the family room...

We celebrated Father's Day with my amazing Daddy at Double Dave's...

And the very next day we waited for our newest cousin, Eden, to be born to my brother and sister-in-law (Josh & Amy)...

Jack got a BIG BOY BED!!!!

And his room was transformed from baby Noah's Ark into a transportation theme...

We went to the movies TWICE!!! (Mr. Popper's Penguins and Winnie the Pooh)

July was a special month... our baby boy turned 3!!!

And in August, our baby girl started 1st grade! Unbelievable!!

In September, we went to the REL/JT football game...

And my bow business exploded!!!!

The most exciting moment for me was seeing my bows showcased in a store window!

Mallory lost her 3rd tooth (the 1st upper, front tooth) at school!

In October, we welcomed yet another cousin to our family. This time it was Chad and Tennille's baby boy, Garrett.

We celebrated as Mallory turned 7 years old on October 17th!!!

And this was the year she got her 1st bicycle!!!

We also celebrated Daddy's birthday...

For Halloween our little Cinderella and our little Golfer had fun trick-or-treating with their cousins.

In November, I ended my 1st semester as a director of the 3 year old choir as Jack's 3 year old Kidz Praise choir presented their program called "The Praise Parade"...

He was absolutely PRECIOUS! And, he LOVED playing those cymbals!

We celebrated Jack's 1st performance with dinner at our favorite local restaurant... Whataburger! :-)

And Mallory lost ANOTHER tooth!!! This time on the bottom!

And finally in December, we made lots of wonderful memories...

My precious family... all 19 of us!

All 9 cousins...

(Gavin, Macy, Eden, Scarlett, Grant, Jack, Mallory, Garrett, Micah)

Mallory begged to get her ears pierced for Christmas!!!

My parents and I took the kids to Dallas for a shopping getaway and ventured over to the Gaylord Texan... stunningly beautiful this time of year...

And of course, we had a visit with Santa!!!!

We had a cookie making party at Uncle Chad & Aunt Tennille's house...

We ended the year with family at Chad & Tennille's house with pizza, Nana's yummy desserts, and Pictionary! FUN! FUN!! FUN!!!

It was truly a blessed year! Thank you, Lord, for all your many blessings... As my favorite song says,

"things so undeserved, yet You give to prove your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee...

To God Be The Glory".

Winner!!!!!

2011-09-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

We have a winner!!!!

Random.org selected entry #3!!!

Congrats to Cindy!!!!!

Cindy, I'll be emailing you soon.

Mabel's Labels Review & Giveaway!!!!

2011-09-20T17:09:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you, but BUSY has been my middle name lately. I have loved getting back into a routine since school started, but along with the start of school, activities and schedules can become very full and overwhelming sometimes. It seems like there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done. I'm very thankful for organizing products that help lessen the stresses that can come with our busy schedules.

Labels are one of those wonderful products that I love!!! As a member of Global Influence and as a Mabel's Labels Buzzmama, I was recently given the incredible opportunity to review the Mabel's Labels Ultimate Back-to-School Combo!!! This combo comes with everything you need for back to school!

50 tag mates - Washer/Dryer safe clothing labels

40 skinny-minis - Dishwasher and Microwave safe labels perfect to label pencils, water bottles, thermoses, school supplies, books, and SO much more!

16 round shoe labels - again... can be used SO many different ways!

2 teeny tags - small, metal, keychain-style tags perfect for zipper pouches, backpacks, ETC!

With MANY different color choices and designs, you can custom create your labels with your individual children in mind. Mallory chose the Colourful Look Color and the Butterfly Design. This is our Ultimate School Combo Pack...

Thanks to the awesome folks at Mabel's Labels, one Burkett Blessings reader is going to win their very own Back-to-School Combo Pack!!!!!! WOO-HOO!!! Here's all you have to do to enter the giveaway....

Disclaimer: I received this product for review purposes only. The opinions expressed are entirely my own and were not influenced in any way.

Babar DVD Reviews

2011-09-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

Have you seen him? Have you met this guy?!?! If not, then you MUST meet BABAR!!!

I was given the opportunity to review two brand new Babar DVD's...

These wonderful stories are based on the Jean and Laurent De Brunhoff childhood classic elephant king! Mallory and Jack have been watching these dvd's in our car, then beg to bring them in and watch them in the house. They are captivating and cleverly teach children lessons in patience, acceptance, honesty, cooperation, teamwork, and understanding. We give these DVD's two thumbs up!!! Here's the scoop on each DVD...

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER & SCHOOL DAYS
Street Date: September 6, 2011
DVD SRP: $14.98 each

First appearing in Histoire de Babar, Jean de Brunhoff’s 1931 storybook classic based on a tale that his wife Cecile had invented for their children, Babar the Elephant has, for 80 years, captivated millions around the globe. The story of the little elephant who leaves the jungle, visits a big city and returns to bring the benefits of civilization to his fellow elephants has been captured in a multitude of best-selling books (over 12 million sold worldwide, and more than 1000 titles in print) and several animated series. This Fall, the unforgettable, family favorite, BABAR: THE CLASSIC SERIES, comes to rich life with the first releases in the eOne DVD series. Hailing from the acclaimed, award-winning HBO Family series which ran from 1989-91, these wonderfully animated stories – perfect for the whole family – follow Babar, his family and friends undertaking many challenges and adventures. The series also teaches the most valuable lesson of all: despite life's challenges, great things are possible if one never gets discouraged. As Babar says, “Long live happiness!”

BABAR: THE CLASSIC SERIES: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

Featuring four episodes that focus on the bonds Babar shares with his pals and family, in each of the adventures on BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, the Elephant King discovers important lessons on love, friendship, teamwork and understanding. In “City Ways”, Babar, alone and confused in the big city, is befriended by the Old Lady who teaches him how to fit into the human world; in “Between Friends”, Babar remembers about the time his future wife Celeste and his friend Zephir had an accident and ended up in court; Cornelius and Pompadour have a major disagreement and vow to never speak again (although the most certainly do!) in “Friendly Agreement” and in “An Elephant’s Best Friend”, Babar excitedly finds a pet warthog in the jungle, but reluctantly returns it when he learns it belongs to Lady Rataxes. (#EOE-DV-7047; approx. 90 mins.)

BABAR: THE CLASSIC SERIES: SCHOOL DAYS
Babar The Classic Series: School Days features four episodes about Babar’s own school day adventures as well as those of his friends and family. In each tale Babar learns important lessons on acceptance, honesty and patience. In “School Days”, Babar reminisces about his early education, when he and his friends were picked on by the school bullies because they all looked “different”; however, he soon realizes everyone should be proud of themselves because differences are what makes everyone unique and special; “Kings of the Castle” in which Babar and the rhino lord, Rataxes, are convinced to trade places for the day and they learn it isn’t easy to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes; “Every Basket Has a Silver Lining”, in which Babar’s son Pom, a towel boy on the basketball team learns a valuable lesson about not lying about his playing status; and, “Peer Pressure”, in which King Babar recalls having to make a tough decision between loyalty to friendship and loyalty to the law. (#EOE-DV-7048; approx. 90 mins.)

For the latest breaking news on BABAR: THE CLASSIC SERIES and other releases, follow Entertainment One on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eOneHomeVideo

Many thanks to Entertainment One for allowing me the opportunity to review these dvds. The opinions expressed are my own. No compensation was given in exchange for this review.

1st Day of First Grade

2011-08-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

1st grade????!!!! Really?!??! How is already time for Mallory to be in first grade?!?!? She was SO excited and couldn't wait for today to get here. We had fun getting ready and anticipating this big day! We painted her nails and curled her hair. I had fun making her outfit and bow. She looked so beautiful carrying her Hello Kitty lunchbox Nana & Papa gave her... just beautiful!

Jack was very apprehensive and wanted to go to school with her. She was SO sweet to love and console him.

Ready for a great day...

Mallory and her teacher, Mrs. McIntosh

She walked right into her classroom and got right to work. Jack struggled with leaving her. He begged to stay! But a promised visit to the playground helped hurry him out without any significant melt downs. :-)

One last hug... this picture melts my heart!!!

I can't wait to pick her up this afternoon!!!!!

I know it's going to be a wonderful year!

Attention, Please....

2011-08-07T23:30:00.001-05:00

We interrupt this horrible attempt at blogging to bring you the reasons why this blog has been left unattended for so long.....

BOWS, BOWS, and more BOWS!!!

My bow business is BOOMING! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!! I have been making bows for 6 stores all across Texas!!! The orders have been pouring in and more are on the way! Plus, my online Etsy shop and Big Cartel site has seen lots of business, too. It's amazing and such an answer to prayer!

I'm in the process of making some NEW bows, too! I have some really funky, fun bows in the works that I can't wait to share!!

In the meantime, little Jack turned 3 years old. :-( I'll post pics soon. For now, I'm off to bed. These little fingers are tired! :-)

Family Fun in Dallas

2011-07-25T21:51:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we went with my family to Dallas. We had a blast! We tried 3 new things and LOVED them all!!! If you haven't been to the Indoor Safari Park in Southlake and you have little kids, you've got to go!!! Thanks to my blog friend, Debra, at A Frugal Friend, I was able to purchase $10 tickets for only $5! She posted a link to a "Juice in the City" deal and I snagged it!!! Thanks, Debra!!!

A little note.... Juice in the City is a COOL site!!! It's a site that offers daily deals in your area. If you sign up, you'll have a daily deal come into your email each morning. If you want to see what Juice in the City is all about, please click my link HERE.

Now, back to the trip.... We hit the Indoor Safari Park on Thursday after lunch. The kids played and played and played!!! Oh, what fun they had!!! Here are some snapshots from the Safari Park...

The first activity was riding a robotic safari animal!! Here they are waiting their turn to ride.

Macy, Jack, Mallory, Micah, and Gavin

Jack got to ride first and chose the elephant!!

Mallory chose the zebra...

Micah chose the Cheetah...

And Gavin rode the elephant...

Each animal made it's sound as it walked... it was hysterical to watch!!

Macy wasn't quite sure about it all, so she chose not to ride! :-(

After the robotic animal ride, the kids played limitless games of miniature golf...

Jack and Brad

There was even a special play area for the little ones to play... Gavin especially loved it!

There was a padded jungle gym with a trampoline, slide, and ball pit!!!!

And then they rode the train!!

Then more fun in the ball pit!!

There were tons of little playhouse towns and villages set up to play with. They explored all of these, too!

And another train ride... this time only Micah and Mallory chose to ride.

Sweet Macy!

It was SUPER FUN!!!! And with the crazy Texas heat we've had lately, it was WONDERFUL to be indoors!!!

That night we headed to Fuddrucker's for dinner and then swam in the hotel. Mallory did her 1st cannonball and was so proud!!!

Mommy's not the fastest finger on the camera trigger! HA!

Friday we went to the Sea Life Aquarium that just opened at the Grapevine Mills Mall. It was really neat!!! We stood in line for at least 30 minutes WITH our tickets ALREADY purchased!! It was crazy! There were so many people!!!! If you decide to go, I recommend you buy you tickets ahead of time, too.

I love this picture of the kids... finally one with both Jack and Mallory smiling! :-)

There was one area where you could walk out onto a glass floor that overlooked a big tank of fish. Macy laid down and watched them swim beneath her! :-)

Mallory was not all about the glass floor, but I did get her to smile for me...

There were several little bubble areas that the kids could crawl into and see the fish. Jack loved this!!

Isn't that cool?!?!

It was an amazing place... so many beautiful sea creatures!!!

This tunnel completely freaked Mallory out! It was completely surrounded by water and a glass floor. She was terrified of the sharks!

I love these next couple of pics of Jack. He's looking at himself in a mirror!

And this one is just adorable... so sweet!

That night we went to Pappadeaux's to eat. It's our favorite "out-of-town" spot!

Mallory stealing a kiss from brother..

After Pappadeaux's we went back to the hotel, got the kids their baths, and piled into Josh and Amy's room to watch the fireworks over the Gaylord Hotel. Their room had a perfect view!!! And, the fireworks were incredible!!! While we waited for the fireworks to start, we sang songs, watched for airplanes, and giggled a lot. The kids have so much fun together!

And then Saturday, we went to the new Legoland at the Grapevine Mills Mall.... and it was AMAZING!!!

It was probably my favorite activity of the whole trip.

We had our tickets pre-purchased, but still had to wait in line. They had tubs full of legos for kids to play with while we waited... genius!!

Getting ready to go inside...

In the holding room! :-)

Once inside, we were told how legos are made and the kids got to participate in the demonstration...

After the demonstration, we were invited to explore Legoland. After a fun Legoland ride, we headed to a 4D movie!!! It was cool!! During the movie we were sprayed with water, spit on by a monster, and snowed on!!!! It was so FUN! :-)

Then, we went into Lego's Miniland. WOW... it was incredible!!! Every landmark in Dallas was represented with a miniature lego version. Every so often, the lights in the room would dim and fireworks above the miniature Gaylord would appear and all the mini town landmarks would light up!!!

Arlington Stadium where the Rangers play

SO COOL!!! All made out of Legos!!!

Southfork Ranch... at night!

Mallory and Jack in front of the Gaylord Hotel replica...

Jack in front of the DFW Airport replica...

Cowboys Stadium... unbelievable!!!

American Airlines Center and Downtown Dallas...

Downtown Dallas...

Southfork Ranch in the daylight...

And finally, a life-size replica of Dirk Nowitzki!!!

The kids played in a play area and Mallory and I rode a ride before leaving Legoland.

It was an incredibly fun vacation!!! We made some wonderful memories!!!

Hope you enjoyed the pics!!!

Winnie the Pooh

2011-07-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my mom and I took the kids to the opening of Winnie the Pooh!!! It was a precious movie!!!

I used the camera on my phone to take these pictures, so they're dark. :-(

Jack and Mallory each took a blanket and stuffed animal for the show!

Fortunately, we were lucky enough to get on the very back row, so Jack stood for the majority of the movie. It was so cute to watch him giggle, point, laugh at loud, and shout "Look, Mama!!".

Such precious memories!!

Bedtime Snack Silliness

2011-07-11T23:19:00.000-05:00

The kids had waffles for their bedtime snack tonight. And they giggled non-stop! The sillies kicked in and so I snapped some pictures of their fun...

They enjoyed getting silly for the camera!

All right... let's try to have a serious one... :-)

My sweeties... oh how I love them!

My Little Superhero

2011-07-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

Check out my little superhero...

If he's not the cutest little thing you've ever seen, then you don't know cute! HA! :-)

Grrrrrrrr.... this is my tough guy look! LOL!

Playing Catch Up

2011-07-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

We are staying SUPER busy this summer. I've loved it and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. But, I've neglected my blogging, so here's a little catch up post! :-)

Here are a few things that have kept us busy lately...

Playing in the backyard pool

We celebrated Father's Day with my incredible Daddy at Double Dave's Pizza.

The very next day our beautiful niece, Eden, was born. Here are Macy, Jack, Mallory, and Micah in the waiting area.

Papa took Jack, Grant, Scarlett, and Mallory for a walk in the hospital.

Mallory started swimming lessons and is doing GREAT! We're so proud of our little fish!!

There she goes!!!

We had fun and acted silly in Fuddruckers!

We visited the public library for the first time. Mallory loves to read so this was so fun for her!!

Jack, Nana, and Mallory at the library...

We saw the Chick-fil-A cow at the mall!

We shook hands...

And gave high-fives!

We had coke floats and watched fireworks.

Here are Jack and Micah...

And, we ate snacks!!!

And all at the same time, I started making these "Toe Topper" bows along with my other bow orders.

CrAzY FuN!!! :-)

Last week, we got Jack a "big boy bed" and so I'm in the process of redecorating his room! It's turing out really cute!!! I'll post pics as soon as it's all done. Whew!!! :-)

JULY.... here we come!!!!

The Challenge... how are you doing?

2011-06-29T10:39:00.001-05:00

Back in January, I wrote this post and challenged you to join me on Swagbucks and see how much free $$$ you could earn by Christmas. Well, it's then end of June and our challenge is half way over. It's time to evaluate how we're doing. Last year I earned $75 in CASH! If you'll remember, this year instead of buying paypal cash, I'm spending my swagbucks to buy Amazon.com gift cards! As of today, I have $45 in Amazon.com gift cards!!!! WOO-HOO!!! Not too shabby for doing absolutely nothing but using the Swagbucks toolbar when I get on the internet each day!!!

I'd love to hear how you're doing. If I've learned one thing through this process, it's that you MUST use the swagbucks search engine or you won't earn the swagbucks!!! I've been lazy a few days and didn't use swagbucks to get online. Well, obviously I didn't earn any swagbucks those days. Keep using Swagbucks!!! The more you use it, the more swagbucks you'll earn and more often! And, download the toolbar! It's a wonderful reminder to use swagbucks when you launch your internet browser.

If you aren't sure what Swagbucks is all about and want to see for yourself how you can earn FREE $$$ just by using Swagbucks for internet searches, see my post HERE and get started today!!!

Cars 2!!!

2011-06-25T09:48:00.001-05:00

Although you're probably expecting this post to be about the new Cars 2 movie that just came out, it's not... not quite. We plan to see the movie soon and I can't wait! But what this post is all about is looking sharp while AT the movie Cars 2. I have created some new novelty bows over at Mandy Jane. And one of them is this precious CARS themed bow!!!

Isn't it adorable?!!? Mallory plans to wear hers with some little black shorts and a red shirt. But there are so many options!!!! Right now, this bow and ALL the bows at Mandy Jane are 25% off when you use the discount code SUMMER at checkout. That means this bow is only $6!!!

The other new novelty bows include Toy Story, Disney Princess, Minnie Mouse, and Texas Longhorns. I have a post about all of these at my Mandy Jane Blog. Get them while they're hot and while you can still apply the 25% off code!!!

My Painting Disaster

2011-06-21T20:20:00.005-05:00

It's been a long time since I posted a decorating post. It's always one of my favorites to blog about because I love decorating so much, but lately things have been busy and I haven't blogged much about anything at all. Well, last week I had some crazy events happen that definitely led to a decorating post.

When we moved into our new house 4 months ago, we weren't able to change anything. The carpet is original, the paint is original, and the wallpaper is original to the house that was built in 1997. That doesn't sound very old at all, but when you're talking paint... it's OLD.... VERY old!!!

The ladies in my Sunday school class were scheduled to come to my house this past Monday. So, all that prior week, I was working to get the final details on my decorating done. One thing I needed to do was touch-up the paint in several rooms. Thursday morning I decided it was time to get started. I went to the garage and got out the paint can that said "green" and took it into our family room. I began dabbing the small little places with the green paint. It was darker than the paint on the walls, but not significantly different. I figured it was just wet and would dry to the right color. Boy was I WRONG! The entire room looked polka-dotted!

When Brad got home at 5:00 and saw the room, he said, "Well, I guess I'm going to be repainting this room tonight." I was SO thankful his reponse was so pleasant... I expected to be grilled for the super-huge mess I had created. Fortunately, he is a master at painting and can cut-in like nobody's business. He changed his clothes and headed to Sherwin Williams for paint. We decided to use an entirely different paint color... one we had LOVED after seeing it at my mom and dad's house when they recently repainted. It's called "Macadamia".

Here's Brad and his lovely assistant! (Not sure why this picture is blurry. Ugh!)

I wish I had a better "before" picture with more of the polka dots showing. It was really awful!

Now before I show you the "After" photos, I have to tell you what happened next. While Brad was painting (he won't let me paint... I'm TERRIBLY messy!). Anyway, while he was painting, I decided I needed to make some curtains for that room. My mom and I had been looking for just the right fabric and trim for several days, but I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. After seeing a picture in one of my old Southern Lady Magazines, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I created my own pattern, Mama helped me with the fabric and trim, and I got busy! All while Brad painted. :-) It took him 5 hours to paint the room. It took me 3 afternoons and evenings to make the curtains. I have to say I am thrilled with the outcome!!!

This is my finished curtain valance! It's 15 feet long! And it covers all three windows in my family room.

Here's another view...

The fabrics are a black floral and leopard print. Here's a little closer look...

The hardest part was creating my own pattern for the ties and inset pieces.

I love how it all came together. My silly screw-up turned into a beautiful room. Here's a finished look with everything completed.

Now, I just had to finish up the decorating part... I needed something to go on the wall beside the game table. I searched everywhere!!!! I finally came upon these plates and plaques at Kirklands. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I love decorating with scripture! I love for my home to be filled with God's Word and reminders of His love for me and my family. The scriptures on these plates are especially meaningful to me, so they couldn't have been more perfect!

The next day while searching for curtain ring clips in Hancock fabrics, I discovered this lamp!!! Isn't that just gorgeous?!?! Would you believe it was under $10???? Really!!!! :-) I was SO excited!!! It found the perfect home on top of my buffet cabinet.

This is an upclose pic of my mantle. It didn't change, but I love the way the plates match the curtains and my new plates so well... squeal!!!! :-)

Here's those plates again...

And one more favorite decorating piece.... I got this cross collage candle sconce at Canton. I just love it!

And here's my completed room. I am so pleased that my painting disaster led to this! Now I've got the fever to repaint the whole house!!!! :-)

Got any suggestions for getting hubs to agree?!?! LOL!! :-)

I'll be linking up with:

I Heart Naptime Sundae Scoop

Under the Table & Dreaming The Sunday Showcase

Dittle Dattle Amaze Me Monday

Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

The DIY Showoff Mondays

Keeping It Simple Motivate Me

Elements Interiors - Whassup Wednesday ???

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Gorgeous Picture Frames!

2011-06-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

Kristen @ Kristen's Creations is having a giveaway for one of her beautiful custom picture frames! I'd just love to win one! Not only does she make beautiful frames, but her blog is lots of fun to read... check it out!

Vacation Bible School

2011-06-07T21:26:00.001-05:00

I've been working in Jack's class for Vacation Bible School this week. He's the youngest of his group at 2 years old. The other kids all turned 3 back in September! It's been amazing to see the difference 10 months can make. Little Jack won't be three until the end of July. He's having fun regardless. He doesn't know the difference. He's just made friends with all of them. :-)

He loves playing with the bubbles!!

Look at the height difference between him and this little girl... wow!

We've had a circus theme, so the worship time has been centered around that. Yesterday, Jack wasn't quite sure what to think of all this. He stood and watched with his hands behind his back and really didn't get into it. He's a kid who needs routine and doesn't handle changes very well. This was totally new to Jack!

But today, after he learned what all was going on, he warmed up to it all and really had a great time!!

Check him out!!

Memorial Day Fun

2011-06-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

This year my sister had all of us over for Memorial Day. She had a bounce house for the kiddos and lots of fun water activities.

Micah, Mallory, and Gavin in the bounce house...

Jack, Macy, and Gavin...

Scarlett, Jack, Grant, and Mallory...

Jack loved the wagon... He loves everything he can pull or push!

Brad helped grill the burgers...

All the kiddos ate together at the picnic table...

Except Jack preferred to play and not eat...

Fun in the sprinklers!!

And the pool....

Love this one of Micah and Jack...

All 7 kids in the pool...

Then, they added the slide... oh my!!!

Back porch spectators...

It's so much fun when we all get together...

Kristin, thank you for a great time!

Playing Catch Up!

2011-06-02T23:58:00.000-05:00

I'm here!! I'm here!!! I've just been BUSY!!!! The end of the school year has had us meeting each other coming and going! Is it like that for you, too? It's a wonderful time of year... filled with lots and lots of things that keep us busy. Here's a recap of many of the exciting things happening in the Burkett household.... :-)

Last week Mallory's kindergarten class participated in Splash Day! It began with a parade in front of the school led by a big firetruck! The kids waved their posters they had made and waved to the parents who had lined the street.

Splash Day was an all-day event filled with relay races, water slides, dunking booths, popsicles, and snow cones!

Mallory loved it all!!!

The kids were given a treat bag while waiting in line for lunch. These cute sunglasses were a big hit!

The limbo line! Have you ever tried to limbo while getting sprayed with water and carrying a popsicle?! :-)

The popsicles were a very welcomed treat for a hot day!

Mallory's class got to end the day with the big water slide! It was FUN!

Later in the week, we went with my parents to the local spray ground. This was Jack's first experience with it.

He loved it til he got cold. Then, it was Nana to the rescue! He LOVED that part! :-)

After splashing in the water, the kids played for awhile on the playground.

At home we've stayed busy, too. Mallory has always been a big helper to me, but lately, her help has included helping me in the kitchen. She loves to help me cook. This particular night I let her butter the tops of the rolls. She thought she was Paula Deen!

We also took a few trips to the grocery store. A brand new store in town has these WONDERFUL buggies!! The kids were in hog heaven when they discovered them!

Isn't that too cool?!?!?!?

And finally, today was Mallory's last day in kindergarten. Ya'll, I've cried all week just thinking about it! I'm SO ready for her to be home with me again, but knowing that she won't be in kindergarten anymore has just about done me in. Where has the time gone?!?! We have LOVED kindergarten. Mallory was blessed with an amazing teacher!!!

Today at the school party, Mrs. Frazier gave Mallory the "great author" award. She definitely loves to write and illustrate stories and she's so creative! She also received a "caring" award and that couldn't be more fitting for Mallory. I'm so proud of her!

Jack got a new haircut this morning. I decided to put a little gel in it and spike it up in the front. I think he looks adorable. :-) The picture has some terrible shadows, so it's hard to get the real look from the picture.

And finally, the kids rode the Mickey Mouse ride at Walmart today. I just love how they get along so well and love each other so much.

Time is just flying by! I'll try and do better with my blog posts now that summer is here. We have Vacation Bible School next week and we're really looking foward to that!

Here's to a GREAT summer!!!

Six Flags, Shopping, and a Weekend of Fun!

2011-05-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we (all 17 of us) headed to Dallas for our "summer" vacation. The guys all went to The Colonial Open while the girls and the kids shopped.

Mallory always enjoys trying on hats!

It's a hoot when all the "big" kids walk hand-in-hand through the stores! Here Kristin has Jack, Grant, Mallory, and Micah and she's pushing Gavin in the stroller.... needless to say, she got some interesting looks!! HA! The kids are always so good, so that is a HUGE blessing!

That night we me the guys for dinner at Pappadeaux's. Can you blame me for not taking out my camera??? I was too busy gobbling down the food!!! :-)

After a great night's sleep, the kids all swam at the hotel. That was a highlight for them, but unfortunately Jack erased all the pictures of it from my phone. I'll have to post some of my sister's pics later.

Later that afternoon, we took off for Fuddruckers and then SIX FLAGS!!!! This was definitely the highlight of the trip. We all had a blast! We all wore red Old Navy t-shirts. I'll post our group picture later - it's also on my sister's camera!

Mallory and Jack at the entrance. Mallory hadn't been here since she was Jack's age!

Cousin Grant and Mallory

Jack and Brad on the carousel.

This was Jack's FAVORITE ride!!! He loved driving the trucks!!!

There they go around the track!

The spinning cups were fun for Mallory, Micah, Grant, and Jack.

Everyone loved the ferris wheel. Here is Chad with Scarlett.

After much hesitation, Mallory and I rode the ferris wheel with Jack and Brad. Can you tell it was a humid day!?!?!

Jack and Brad on the ferris wheel

Mallory rode the "kiddie" roller coaster with Brad. He LOVES roller coasters...

She found out rather quickly that she DOESN'T!!! Here they are coming off the roller coaster. She's got a pretty firm grip on his arm!

The swings were a hit for almost all the kids...even baby Gavin and little Macy rode the swings!!!

Don't ya love our line up?!?! Jack HATED the swings! The pic above is BEFORE it started moving. He and I were BOTH crying after it started. I've never been so heartbroken! He was screaming and sobbing for me to get him off!!! "IT'S TOO FAST, MAMA!!! GET ME OFF!!!"

Here's Mallory getting ready to take-off in her airplane - another fun ride!

We all rode the big train around the park - Jack really enjoyed that! Then, we ended our day in the big chair.

SUPER FUN!!!! Needless to say, the kids slept great that night... well, we all did!!!

The guys played golf together on the way home and we girls got in a little more shopping.

My little sweetness had all he could take. :-)

We all had a wonderful weekend!!! Thank you, Nana and Papa, for an incredible time!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Night Night

2011-05-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

Hoping to win!

2011-05-17T19:01:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping to win a Silhouette from Between Naps on the Porch!!! Click here for your chance to win, too!

Win a bow!!!

2011-05-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

My blog friend, Gretta, over at The Johns Family blog has done an AMAZING review of my bows and is hosting a giveaway for one!!!!

Please check out her wonderful blog! And while you're there, enter to win a Mandy Jane bow of your choice!!! The giveaway ends on Friday! So click HERE to go there now! :-)

Great Giveaway

2011-05-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

Real Moms... Real Views is hosting a giveaway for a Silhoutte!! I WANT to win it!!!! :-) Click here for your chance to win, too.

When I Grow Up...

2011-05-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

This week is Career Week at Mallory's school. Today all the kids were supposed to dress up like what they want to be when they grow up. When we found out about this dress up day last week, Mallory immediately knew what she wanted to be... a Mommy!!! I couldn't have been more pleased and honored by her choice. She spent all afternoon yesterday picking out what she wanted to take with her... Of course every mommy needs her own purse filled with money, keys, lipstick, a cell phone, and coupons. And, she needs to have a diaper bag filled with a bottle, diapers, wipes, a pacifier, and rattle. Then, of course, you have to have a baby! She chose to wear her own clothes but added her monogrammed apron! Here's what Mallory looked like this morning...

Oh, and ya'll remember her pal Andy??? Just guess what he showed up looking like???

A PREACHER!!! With Bible in hand!!! :-)

I'm beginning to like that little guy a little more! HA!

Following Friday Blog Hop!!

2011-05-06T11:15:00.000-05:00

Today I decided to join a Blog Hop! It's a fun way to meet fellow bloggers and find some new fun blogs!!! It's also a great way to get more followers. So, join me and these other fabulous blogs for Following Friday!

Hosted by Let's Just Give It Away, And Then There Were 4,

and Buzzing The Day Away!

Here is how you can join:

1. Link up your blog URL on Mr Linky.

2. Follow the Hostesses ( and leave a comment so they can follow you back).

3. Grab the Following Friday button and paste it somewhere on your blog or in a post.

4. Follow as many blogs as you like and when they follow you, follow them back. (leave a comment on their blog so they can follow you back)

A Fun Giveaway

2011-05-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

There's a fun giveaway for a Little Tikes Cozy Truck over at Momma D and Da Boyz Blog! I've entered and hope I win!!!! :-)

New Bar Stools!!!

2011-05-04T17:14:00.000-05:00

Ya'll, I am so blessed!!! Let me just tell ya about something GREAT that I received. As a CSN Stores Preferred Blogger, I was given the opportunity to review a product of my choice. Well, that might sound easy, but with over 200+ stores to choose from and thousands of different products, it was TOUGH!!! I wanted it ALL! :-) I finally made my decision and it arrived TODAY!!!

I decided to try out these bar stools. That was one of the things I was lacking in our new home, but I worried about buying something like that without seeing them first and having the ability to test them out. OH MY! I LOVE THEM!!! They came as a set of two, already assembled... woo-hoo! I just pulled them out of the box and set them at the bar.

I couldn't be more pleased! They are the perfect height and perfect color! I couldn't believe how well they matched the stained wood in my kitchen. I wanted something very sturdy since I have two little ones that will be sitting on them often. I didn't want anything that could turn over easily. These are very nice quality wood and are very well made. I will feel comfortable with the kids sitting on them.

And they're comfortable! I love the tightly woven wicker seats. I should have known I would love them! EVERYTHING I've ever gotten from CSN Stores has been exceptional! And, their customer service and delivery speed is unmatched. Free shipping is available on most all of their products, too! :-) My bar stools shipped for FREE!!!

Thank you, CSN Stores!!!! I LOVE them!!!

Thanks for allowing me to work with you!

It's been a blessing!!!

If you want to get some bar stools like mine, click here. Or to search all the other wonderful products CSN Stores has to offer, click here. :-)

Happy shopping!!!

I'll be linking up here:

Elements Interiors - Whassup Wednesday ???

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Mandy Jane Bows Slideshow

2011-05-02T23:56:00.001-05:00

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this slideshow I created to showcase my bows at Mandy Jane Boutique! :-)

New Kitchen and Office Window Treatments plus accessories!!!

2011-05-01T11:19:00.004-05:00

When we moved into this house about 2 1/2 months ago, I had planned to leave the windows in the kitchen completely bare. They were beautifully framed out with stained wood and I loved the way they looked!!! But, last night, I was digging through my stash of old window treatments and tablecloths that I had custom made for homes we once lived in. I came across the balloon curtains my Nanny had made for my very first home 11 years ago. My Nanny was an incredible seamstress! I brought them out and couldn't believe how well they went with the wallpaper in this kitchen. If you remember, the wallpaper in my kitchen was original to the house and I wasn't a big fan of it. But, since it was going to cost WAY more than we could afford to have it taken down, textured, and painted, I decided to live with it ~ for now. :-) So, back to the window... I pulled the curtains out and did some measuring.... I started getting excited when I figured they would fit on these kitchen windows, too!!!

Here are some before and after photos....

Before

After

Here is an upclose view of one of the balloon panels. I am just amazed at how the colors and patterns match each other. And ya know what? I don't dislike that wallpaper near as much. ;-)

I was so pleased with the outcome and how warm those curtains made the kitchen, I decided to keep searching my stash to see what else I might find! When I found the curtains I had made for my master bedroom and bath for our first home, I knew they would be perfect in my office!!! The red toile was definitely in style and matched the wallcolor perfectly! Here are some before and after photos...

Before

After!!!

Red toile curtains lined with red check

My Nanny had made this chair cushion for my mom and it fit perfectly in my rocking chair!!!

I made this stool years ago and had been using it in my bathroom. It looks much better in here with the new toile theme!

I re-covered the seat of this desk chair in toile fabric.

And I added these toile plates and framed verse above my desk.

Here's a look at my computer desk and sewing area with their new accessories!

And a look from the door as you enter the room...

It really came together!!

Oh, and I got this lamp at Kirklands! It was on sale for $29.99, but I used a coupon and got 15% off!!! Woo-hoo!!!! With the little swivel light, it is perfect for my work area!!!

And finally, I brought in this clock that I was using in my bathroom. It's supposed to have photos in it, but I put some red toile fabric in the picture spots instead.

So, what do you think??? I just love re-using and re-purposing old things.

I'll be linking up with:

I Heart Naptime Sundae Scoop

Under the Table & Dreaming The Sunday Showcase

Dittle Dattle Amaze Me Monday

Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

The DIY Showoff Mondays

Keeping It Simple Motivate Me

Elements Interiors - Whassup Wednesday ???

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Kindergarten Artwork???

2011-04-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I found some artwork in Mallory's school folder. She had done the art back in the fall at the beginning of kindergarten, but the teacher was just now sending it home. I was shocked! I knew Mallory was a good little artist, especially for her age, but this blew me away! The assignment was to draw an airplane. Here's what she created...

Not only did she draw and paint an incredible airplane, but she included the sky color and the sun. It's a little hard to see from the photo, but she put a nose on the plane and drew all the windows. I'm very impressed with the way she drew the wings and tail, too. Ya'll, I think we've found a talent to develop! What do you think?!?! I'm pretty positive that my artwork in kindergarten did NOT look like this! I've never been able to draw. She gets her artistic ability from her Uncle Josh. :-)

An Honor!

2011-04-26T16:49:00.002-05:00

I have been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by two of my favorite blogs!!! Thank you Brooke Anna from Mommy Does and TJ from Measuring Flower!!! I am SO honored!!!!!

Award Rules

Thank the person who gave you this award and link back to their site in your original post.
Tell us 7 things about yourself.
Pass along the award to 15 newly discovered bloggers.
Contact these bloggers and let them know they got this award.

7 Things You Might Not Know About Me

I have lived in the same town all my life. I was born here, went to elementary, middle, and high school here, went to college here, met my husband here, had my children here, and love it here!
I got the nickname "Dorothy" from my highschool drill team because my motto is "there's no place like home." :-)
I have a terrible fear of uncontrollable speed. I am deathly afraid of roller coasters! Even driving down big hills can be scary to me. When I ride with others, I find myself "braking" the invisible brake in the floorboard if the driver drives too fast. It's awful and SO real!
I am a coke addict! Coca Cola is my drink of choice!!! :-) I love it! Not Diet Coke, not Coke Zero. I mean the real stuff... Coke! The one with all the sugar and caffeine! I think I could live on Coke, Chocolate, Whataburger, and Chick fil A Chicken Mini's. MMMMmmmm!!!
I love music! Mostly I love to sing!! I was blessed to sing with our pop group in highschool and then continued my love of music with a music scholarship to Tyler Junior College. It was there that I was selected to sing with their group Harmony and Understanding. We travelled and sang all over the place. Singing a solo at Sea World in San Antionio was a highlight of my college years.
My mother is my best friend! We are blessed to live 3 doors down from one another! We share a love of shopping, crafting, sewing, and decorating! She is my prayer warrior and my biggest encourager. I am so blessed!!!
I love to BLOG!!! I must say blogging has become quite addicting! I have loved meeting new friends through this blog. You all have such amazing ideas, stories, and are so willing to share! I just love that!!!! I've really enjoyed getting to know so many of you and hope to get to know many more of you!!!

Now to share this award with some of my favorites!!!!

Congratulation, ladies! I hope you'll accept your award and display it proudly.

A Fun Giveaway

2011-04-26T09:15:00.000-05:00

My friend, Leslie, from There's Mud and a Big Bow on my Monogrammed Apron, is having a fun giveaway for some monogrammed clogs! Check it out HERE!!

My Birthday and Easter Fun

2011-04-24T23:02:00.000-05:00

This year Easter was the day after my birthday. So this weekend we all did lots of celebrating! Brad invited all of my family to celebrate at Bruno's on Friday night. We dined sufficiently on amazing italian food and followed it with a cookie cake made just for me!

Grant, Chad, Scarlett, and Tennille

Josh, Macy, Amy, Gavin, Kristin, Jamy, and Micah

Brad, Mama, Daddy, and Mallory

The 2 two-year-olds and their iphones!!! HA!! I've never seen such! Get them playing a game or watching a cartoon and you never know they're there! They can nagivate that thing better than I can!

Papa and Gavin

Me and Brad

You see who the kids migrate to.... Papa!!! Here's Scarlett, Jack, and Macy

Nana with Macy and Gavin

Mallory, Grant, and Micah watching a cartoon.

To begin our Easter celebration this year, I let the kids dye easter eggs. I decided to do it on our back porch this year. I set out a plastic tablecloth with all the colors and I put the kids in grubby t-shirts.

Mallory had so much fun! :-)

Easter Sunday, the kids woke up to find that the Easter Bunny had visited our house during the night!!!

Every year, the Easter Bunny leaves each of the kids a "Peter Rabbit" hollow chocolate bunny! This has become Mallory's favorite easter treat! This year he also left some Raisinettes and Hersheys Chocolate Bunnies!!!

Jack and Mallory coming in to see what the bunny brought... I love how they're holding hands!!!

Excitement!!!

Mallory begged to eat just 1 thing before church!!

After a wonderful church service, we went to my mom and dad's for a fabulous Easter lunch filled with fun activities for the kids.

All 7 grandkids... Micah, Gavin, Jack, Mallory, Grant, Scarlett, and Macy

My sweet angels!

After a few pictures in their Easter clothes, they headed into the backyard for an Easter egg hunt!

Jack

Mallory and Jack

Micah and Mallory

Opening all their eggs!

I love this one!! It just says "Sweet" to me!

After the hunt, my daddy made homemade hamburgers!!! Mama fixed all the trimmings including baked beans, chips, dip and HOMEMADE ice cream and brownies for dessert!!!! MMMmmmmm!!! After we stuffed ourselves full, my mom and dad had another fun activity planned for the kids. Mama had made each child an apron with their initial on it...

Mallory and me

Jack

She gave each child a pot and stickers that spelled out their names in glitter letters!! They had fun putting their names on their pots and decorating them with all kinds of spring stickers.

After their pots were decorated, they got to pick a zinnia to plant in their pot. Papa helped with the soil and planting.

Mallory was so proud of hers!! Nana gave each child a watering can to water their flower with.

Papa helping Jack

Jack watering his orange zinnia.

Micah, Mallory, and Jack

Josh helping Macy pick her flower.

Nana helping Scarlett

Macy watering her pretty zinnia.

Grant watering his.

Scarlett especially loved the water!!!!!

Micah

Even Baby Gavin got in on the action!!! :-)

All in all it was a fantastic day!!!! Thank you, Nana and Papa for all you did to make this day so special for all of us!!! I love you!!!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter, too!

He is risen!!!

Field Trip to the Zoo

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-05:00

Today I enjoyed my first chaperone experience! I accompanied 21 kindergarteners to the ZOO! It was a perfect day for it.... cloudy, overcast, and warm temperatures. The kids were SO excited!!! For many of them, including Mallory, this was their 1st field trip and first bus ride! OH WHAT FUN!!!

We were blessed to have a total of 7 mom chaperones, so that made it a little easier to keep up with the kids. As we arrived the teacher divided us up and put me in charge of 3 little ones. I couldn't have been more pleased... my three were excellent!

Here are some pics from our fun day!

There was a small play area that the kids got to play in for a little while.

Posing for the camera!

Farmer Mallory

Can you tell how much they love the camera!?! HA!

Mrs. Frazier and several classmates

Mallory in the goat petting pen.

Washing up after petting the goats.

Isn't this sink area CUTE!?!?! I just love it!

Peeking at the ducks.

They thought it was HILARIOUS when the ducks dove down for food and stuck their bottoms in the air!

The otters were putting on a show and the kids LOVED it!

A beautiful bald eagle

And, sweet Jack went along, too! This is what he thought of the rhino cage!!! LOL!!

Our zoo has some amazing waterfalls!!!

Watching the giraffe eat

Jack got out of his stroller to see the elephants and giraffes. He told me the elephants were his favorite animal.

Special friends!

Watching the penguins

Jack loved the animals, but I think he enjoyed the attention of all the kindergarteners most. They all wanted to talk to him. :-)

Mallory and her "buddy"!

This just happens to be Andy... the first little boy to ever tell Mallory he loved her (during the 1st week of school!!!).

Is that not something! OH MY!

Mallory was afraid to go into the Reptile Exhibit, so Andy decided he wouldn't go in either!

The kids wrapped up the day with a snack of animal cookies (how appropriate!).

It was a fun day... one that I was so thankful to participate in!

Creating...

2011-04-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

... that's what I've been doing lately. My bow-making business has been blessing my socks off! Easter is upon us and I've had lots of custom orders for Easter bows. I did take some time and make Mallory a dress and bow to match. They're not for Easter... I talked my mom into making her Easter dress and man is it beautiful!!! I'll share pics of it soon!!

So, here's a peak at a few of the things I've been creating...

A ruffled dress for Mallory

With a matching bow!

A custom baseball bow! Don't you think that all little girl sluggers should be fashionable on the field?! I do, too! Or what about for those girls who choose to cheer on their brother's team!? This particular bow was made for a special little lady to wear to her brother's baseball-themed birthday party.

Side view of the baseball bow. This one turned out so fun!!!

Custom bows to match two sister's Easter dresses. The feathers and bling add so much pizazz!

Petite Size Bows

Petite Size "Precious Purple"

Petite Size "Pretty in Pink"

So, ya see, I've been busy creating! I'm a chaperone for Mallory's kindergarten class tomorrow! I'll post pics and give more details in my next post.

Blessings!!!

Drumroll please....

2011-04-15T21:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to

Linda Kish for winning

the Fluffy Bunny Pillow Pet

and

Emillie Rose for winning

the Bop It!!!!

Congratulations!!!!!

Ladies, be watching for an email from me.

In His Image

2011-04-14T21:04:00.000-05:00

I was reading a facebook post from a friend of mine who went to church with me back in college. It was a really neat thought that really touched me and I want to share it with you. Many of you who read my blog love to create just like I do. That's one of the similarities we share. My friend, Shaun, is also an artist. And he runs in circles with other artists. Here's what his facebook post said...

"At lunch yesterday my friend said something profound about artists and art making. The longing to create, he said, has been passed down to us by our Creator – part of His imprint on us is our innate desire to create and our capacity to enjoy creation."

Is that cool or what?! Did that strike a chord with anyone else but me? I just love that! I have the longing and desire to create because God passed that trait down to me! The very Creator of the universe has made me in His own image and therefore, my creativity comes from the way He designed me to be like Him. Wow! That made a statement to me. Shaun, thanks so much for sharing that!!!

I love to create and am most happy when I'm making something. It's no wonder that the small business God has given me to enjoy is one where I make something. The hairbows that I create are an extension of me and my personality, but they are a trademark of God himself. Wow! That's pretty incredible when you think about it.

Today I made a couple of new bows to share with you. These will be listed in my shop shortly.

This first one is one my all-time favorites! It's done in all white with tiny touches of silver. It is extremely elegant and dressy. It can be made with or without the crystal in the center. This bow can also be made using any one color besides white.

The next bow screams SUMMER FUN! It's bright and bold and would be a precious accessory to so many different variations of outfits. I envision a white top with cute red shorts or a little skirt. Or maybe a solid color top with white capri pants. The possibilities are endless.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. If you have a creative side, too, I hope you've been inspired and reminded where your creatvitiy comes from.

To Him be all the glory,

Jack's Adventure with Ink and Mallory's Lost Tooth

2011-04-11T23:30:00.000-05:00

What happens when you give a 2-year-old an ink pad, some stamps, and a piece of paper????

THIS....

Jack was SO happy with himself and his ink creation!

He looks so innocent, doesn't he?!

Mama was happy that the ink was WASHABLE!!!

I couldn't help but laugh. He was COVERED!!! I put him right in the bathtub and, to my amazement, it washed right off. Whew!

And big sister had NO PART in helping him get that way... yeah, right! :-)

Later tonight after we got our baths and got ready for bed... Mallory lost her 2nd tooth!!!

She was SO excited!! I guess the Tooth Fairy will be visiting our house tonight! :-)

Fun in the Flowers

2011-04-04T10:25:00.000-05:00

My mom and I took Mallory and Jack to the Azalea Trail and Spring Flower Show in our town this weekend. This is an annual event and it's simply GORGEOUS!!! Mallory has always looked forward to it, but this was Jack's first time to really experience it. Here are some pictures of their fun in the flowers...

The Pryon's home is always our favorite. Mrs. Pyron and I sing in our church choir together and she was also Jack and Mallory's Sunday school teacher when they were babies. Her yard is amazing!!! She has an old water pump area for all the kids to fill water buckets. They had so much fun walking around the yard and watering the flowers.

Jack filling his watering can.

He loved this!!!

Jack was much too busy watering to look at the camera.

But, Mallory is always ready to pose! :-)

Ah! There we go! A quick picture of both kids looking at the camera! YEA!

Back to watering.

More flowers... more watering.

There were several little benches and areas for some fun pictures.

THERE'S Jack's smile!!

The Azalea Belles were so pretty and Mallory loved their princess dresses!

I love this one!!! So sweet!!!

Aren't the flowers amazing!?!

We had such a good time!

More Azalea Belles

And MY little Azalea Beauty! :-)

I just love spring time!!!

Shopping Buddies

2011-03-31T16:32:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago after dropping Mallory off at school, Jack and I headed to Walmart to do some grocery shopping. On the way we went through the Chick fil A drive-thru for some breakfast. I LOVE breakfast at Chick fil A. Well, I just LOVE Chick fil A anytime! That place is so good! Well, back to Walmart... Jack rode in the buggy and ate his breakfast while I shopped.

It just doesn't get much better than that, does it?!

Yesterday, I waited until after I picked Mallory up from school to do my shopping. Mallory has always loved the "Customer In Training" shopping carts Brookshires has for little kids to push around. This was Jack's first time to have his own cart! He thought he was BIG STUFF! :-)

And Mallory loved being the leader and teaching Jack all about it!

It was hilarious to watch them push their buggies around the store. He did everything exactly like she did, following right behind her.

It made for a slower shopping experience, but it was fun and since we only needed a few items, it was worth it. Fun, fun memories!!

I have a new blog!!!

2011-03-30T09:35:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to announce the beginning of something NEW!!! I have just finished creating a blog for my Mandy Jane Boutique!!! Please check it out and become a follower! I'll be adding new things often and posting giveaways periodically. Let me know what you think!!!

Click here to go to my Mandy Jane Boutique Blog!!!

WINNERS!!!!

2011-03-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS

KELLY for winning the Groove Kid Nation CD

and

EMILLIE ROSE for winning the Debbie and Friends DVD

and

ASHLEY for winning a SURPRISE GIVEAWAY!!! - A Mandy Jane bow of her choice!!!!

Ladies, watch for an email from me. :-)

Plant Farm Fun

2011-03-27T21:52:00.001-05:00

Last week, we took the kids to the plant farm to "help" my mom and dad pick out some spring plants. The kids always look forward to it because they love to ride in and pull the wagons!

Mallory brought along her teeny tiny baby doll. Can you see it riding in the front corner of her wagon!?! HA!

Jack started out riding in the wagon, but when he saw how much fun Mallory was having, he quickly decided he needed to pull his wagon, too.

Until it got too heavy! :-) "Heh-bee" as it called it!

The weight didn't seem to bother Mallory. She was bound and determine to be a helper and pull her wagon all the way to the checkout. :-)

She was so proud of herself and having such a blast!

Jack abandoned his wagon and decided to check out the hydrangeas.

Thank you, God, for beautiful sunny days and spring time!!!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - New Doxology

2011-03-26T09:23:00.001-05:00

I just love this new arrangement of The Doxology. The 2nd verse, 3rd verse and chorus were written by Thomas Miller and are SO good! God has always blessed me abundantly, but lately I have received showers of blessings and I can't help but PRAISE HIM! Good health for my family, a new home, a fun business that is booming and providing a little extra income that allows me to be a stay-at-home-mom, wonderfully supportive parents, precious children, and His constant faithfulness are just a few of the blessings I am thankful for today. What are YOU thankful for today? Join me and praise Him for all His many blessings.

I'm linking up with Amy at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders for Then Sings My Soul Saturday.

Decorating with Floral Arrangements

2011-03-22T21:05:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things to decorate with is floral arrangements. I just love the warmth and elegance a beautiful floral arrangement brings to a room. But, if you've shopped for floral arrangements you know how pricey they can be! When Brad and I got married almost 13 years ago, there's no way we could afford those expensive arrangments and we still can't! So, I got busy teaching myself how to arrange flowers. It's not at all an easy process, but once you practice and give it a try, it's like anything else... the more you do it, the better you get. But, I have to admit, I understand why they are priced like they are!! Some of them are well worth it!

I decided to focus this post on floral arrangements because I have just finished making 4 of them!! They are fresh on my mind! :-) You'll notice that I use a lot of burgundy and red in my arrangements. Right now just about all of my decor is burgundy red and gold. You should have seen the mauve flowers I used in my arrangements when I first got married! OH MY! ;-)

This large arrangement is sitting on my dining room table. I actually bought a smaller arrangement in this pedestal container at Canton. I used it in my kitchen and loved it! But, when I got my dining room table, the pedestal base was just what I was looking for to put on it. I bought some new floral stems and added them to this arrangment for a significant height difference and to make it look more formal.

I made the two arrangements on the sconces from scratch. And one thing I know... it is VERY hard to make two identical arrangements. It's even harder to make two arrangements that mirror each other! Gracious!!!

Another view of the dining room table arrangement.

The wall sconce arrangements have feather trim at their base!

These were fun to make and I think they turned out great for this room.

I made this arrangement many years ago. It sits on my entry hall table.

This particular arrangement has been everywhere! Right now it is in my entry hall and is also visible from the window beside the door. I just love the versatility of floral arrangements! They look good just about anywhere!

I originally made this arrangement for my fireplace mantle. But, in this house, I've decided to put it on top of my piano. Do you see the red flowers trailing down the front?? Those are flowers made from crystal beads. I just love them!!!

I made this flower arrangement to sit in my gold trinket box and have it displayed on my bedroom coffee table.

This is another arrangement that I originally bought, but I have put it in a new rooster container and added many more stems, feathers, artichokes, and berries. It's home is my kitchen table.

And finally, this is a new arrangement I just made for my master bedroom. I used a lot of stems, sticks, and greenery for this one.

Now, I really need to focus on some runners and scarves for a few of the arrangements to sit on.

I made this topiary arrangement almost 7 years ago when I found out I was pregnant with Mallory. I made it for her room and it's still there today. It got a little messed up in our move and the ribbons I used really need a good fluffing.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'll be linking up with Savvy Southern Style, Elements Interiors, Tip Junkie, and DIY by Design.

My Office

2011-03-21T17:09:00.001-05:00

When we moved 4 weeks ago, I knew that the most important areas to set up first had to be the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. So, I quickly got those rooms done and began decorating all the other rooms - that's the FUN part! I decided to put my office off until last because I knew it was going to take the longest. I was using my office as the "catch all" room for things that didn't have a place yet, so it was FULL!

I finally got the room done and am very happy with it! It's my DREAM ROOM!!! I now have my very own room where I can blog, sew, craft, and CREATE!!! And there's plenty of extra space for the kids to do projects, too. It's such a blessing!!

Here are some pictures of MY CREATIVE space! :-)

As you walk into the room, you'll see my "new" rocking chair and my project table between the two windows. I love the natural light these windows provide! You can also get a pretty good idea how much floor space I have from the picture.

I have a collection of silver crosses that I hung above the table. I am working on a quilt and plan to display it on the arm of the rocking chair as soon as it's done.

On the left side of the room, I have a sewing workstation and a computer workstation. Remember how I told you about my love of dumpster trash? Well, the desk where the computer is was actually sitting beside the dumpster at my Nanny's apartment several years ago. It was in excellent condition and even has a glass top!!!!

This is my sewing area. I hung my scissors and measuring tape from the Blessings sign and used all black and silver accessories to decorate the black shelf.

This cross-topped jar goes along with the other silver crosses in the room and holds a few spools of ribbon.

Here's a close up of the accessories on the black shelf. My sister-in-law, Amy, made the frame on the left! I love it!!!

I have a small bulletin board and another small black shelf above the computer desk. And the treadmill is off to the left in the corner of the room. It's still holding some papers that need to be filed and things that need a home. ;-) Obviously it hasn't been used since we moved in, but I hope to get it cleared of this week and get back on it!

The project table or what I call my "cutting table" is between the windows. It's been in my family for many years! My daddy made it for my mom to use in her sewing room for a cutting table about 25 years ago. My Nanny also used it in her apartment and now I'm getting to use it, too. The drop down sides both come up to give more table-top space and it has a cute little drawer on one end. I especially love the spindles that go around the lower shelf. And, since my daddy made it, it's extra special to me!

Immediately as you enter the office, I have this lawyer's bookcase filled with most of my Disney collection. In our last house, I decorated my office area with all of my Disney stuff and had the entire room with the Disney theme. This time I decided to put my collection in this bookcase and not have a specific theme to my office. I kind of like this better for this house.

Would you believe this is only PART of my collection?!?!

Believe it or not, my FAVORITE part of the office is the walk-in closet!!!!! With this closet I have the ability to organize everything, but keep it out-of-sight!!

I even have space on the side for my central vacuum and all it's parts!

These plastic drawers hold all my ribbon and bow making supplies, sewing stuff, pens, pencils, markers, glue, gift wrap sacks, tissue paper, and MORE!! It's been SUCH a blessing to have this space and have it so organized!!! I just love things neat and nice.

Aahhhhhh!!!

Gotta go make some dinner. My family is getting hungry! I hope you have a wonderful week and have a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather we're having!!!

My Newest Trash to Treasure!

2011-03-20T16:51:00.001-05:00

Hi friends!
About one week before we moved, I was driving Mallory to school and it just so happened to be trash day. Now you have to know me to know that I am no stranger to curb trash or dumpster trash. While I have never been a "dumpster diver", I have been known to bring home a treasure that was left waiting beside the dumpster.

Well, like all trash days, I am well aware of my surroundings as I drive through the neighborhood and I always take special notice of what MIGHT just be waiting for me. As I rounded the corner about 1 block from the school, at the curb of one house, I noticed a rocking chair sitting beside the trash can. Well, it didn't take me long to whiz the car to the opposite side of the street and check out my FIND! I popped open the trunk and loaded that baby in a heartbeat!!! I knew if I waited and took Mallory to school first and picked it up on the way home, it wouldn't be there. It was TOO good of a find!!!

I was so excited to get home and get a good look at the chair up close and personal. I knew that there had to be something terribly wrong with it for someone to be throwing it away. I looked and looked, but couldn't find anything wrong with it! It was in need of a good cleaning, but that was an easy fix! It was also painted red and the paint was chipping, but paint can cover a multitude of problems!

Since I've been in the middle of our move, I have just now been able to take the time to clean it up and give it a fresh coat of paint. Here's a BEFORE picture...

Isn't it CUTE!?!?!?!?!

LOOK at those SPINDLES!!!! I LOVE it!!!

And the red wasn't that bad, but I decided I wanted to put it in my office where the walls are painted a burgundy red. It definitely clashed.

Here's the AFTER!!!!

Isn't it FABULOUS?!?!

I just love it and am so excited to have found it!! I plan to show you pictures of my office soon. I have ALMOST finished organizing and decorating it! And, the black rocking chair goes PERFECTLY!!!

I hope you've enjoyed my Trash to Treasure find, too!!

I'll be linking up with several blog parties to share my fun find!

Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

CraftOManiac Monday at Craft-O-Maniac

DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff

More Made-to-Match Creations

2011-03-18T11:07:00.001-05:00

While in Austin last weekend, I got Mallory a couple of outfits. And, of course, with every new outfit, you HAVE to have a new BOW! Here are the two bows I made to match these two new little outfits...

(all images enlarge when clicked)

Let me know if you have any outfits that need a bow to match. I'll custom make a bow just for you!

Check out Mandy Jane Boutique on Facebook to see some other examples of my bows or visit my online boutique.

New Bedding

2011-03-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

I told you in my last post that I had found some new bedding that I couldn't wait to show you. Well, you didn't have to wait long at all. I am SO super excited!! While in Austin, I found the most beautiful bedding for my master bedroom. Well, actually, I had seen the bedding here in Tyler, but it was too expensive and they sold out of the king size really fast! I had pretty much put it out of my mind until we stepped into the Stein Mart in Austin. Not only did I find the bedding, it was in a king size AND it was ON SALE!!! And not just on sale, it was on CLEARANCE which meant an additional 25% off for "Preferred Customers". YIPPEE!!! I couldn't believe it! Now, all I had to do was come up with a way to pay for it. ;-)

I starting calculating in my head to determine the cost of each piece. (Of course this wouldn't be one of those "bed-in-the-bags" where all the pieces come in a set. Nope, all the pieces were sold individually). Anyway, the final price of the quilt was what my siblings and their spouses usually spend on me for my birthday combined. My birthday is in April, so what do you think I did????? I grabbed up all the pieces and hustled to find Mama, Kristin, Amy, and Tennille. They loved it and within minutes we were checking out!!! The girls bought the quilt for me and my mom bought all the shams and dust ruffle!!!!! And they didn't make me wait until my birthday!!!! SCORE!!!
So, what do you think???? Here's a BEFORE picture with my old comforter...

And here's the AFTER with my new bedding...

I think the colors just make the room POP now! It seems so much more rich. I moved the rug from my bathroom and placed it at the foot of the bed. I think it adds so much warmth to the room.

For those of you who don't know, the quilt is called a Crazy Quilt. Years ago, ladies would hand piece quilts with all different shapes and sizes of fabric. Then, they would hand stitch decorative stitches to hold the pieces together. Mine happens to be a machine-made version, but it mimicks the hand-stitched design.

I just LOVE it! It's so cool how God works things out like this. It is no coincidence that the ones in Tyler sold out, but that I found the exact one I was looking for at a grand savings of 50% off!!!!! AND, I received it all as a GIFT!!! WOO-HOO!!! Thank you Kristin, Amy, Tennille, and Mama!!!!

I'm linking up with Elements Interiors for Whassup Wednesday

and Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday!

Spring Break Trip and CSN Review

2011-03-14T16:15:00.004-05:00

Hello sweet blog friends!!
I've been gone with my family for a Spring Break trip to Austin, Texas and just got home late yesterday. We had SO much fun!!! Picture this... 17 people including my parents, my husband, my two children, my two brothers, their spouses, and their 3 children, plus my sister, her husband, and her 2 children! It's 4 SUV's, 4 pack-n-plays, 2 double strollers, 2 regular strollers, and TONS of luggage FUN!!!! That's right... 10 adults and 7 children. Mallory is the oldest at 6 years old and all the rest are 3 and under!!! Whew! Craziness!!

The guys attend the UIL State Basketball Tournament and watch game after game from Thursday morning until Saturday night. The girls take all the kiddos and go shopping. It's totally crazy, but we love it and have so much fun together.

Our first stop was to eat, of course. We made it to Waco and had lunch at McAlister's Deli. This was the 1st time we let the oldest kids sit at their own "kid table". And, we were pleasantly surprised. They did great!

L to R - Micah, Jack, Mallory, and Grant

The girls (and baby Gavin)... Kristin, Macy, Amy, my mom, Tennille, and Scarlett

Our next stop is always one on my favorites... Salado, Texas.

Precious boutiques line Main Street and are filled with one-of-a-kind finds! I think I could spend all day just wandering in and out of all the little shops.

Jack, Mallory, and Micah played in the back of the suburban while we girls took turns running in and out of the stores. They were SO good!!

That night Mallory and Jack snuggled up on the sleeper sofa in our hotel room. They were pretty wiped out!

Although I didn't take any other pictures on our trip, I had to snap this picture of our state capital for Mallory to take back to school with her. She couldn't wait to show it to her classmates and tell them she had seen it!!!

We had so much fun. This year was the 20th year we've taken this trip and our family just gets bigger and bigger. Next year we'll have 2 more little ones going!!! Yep... my brother Josh, and his wife Amy, are expecting another little girl in June. And my brother Chad, and his wife Tennille, just found out they are expecting a baby in mid October. So, our 2012 trip to Austin will include 19... do they rent tour buses?!?! We may need to start considering something like that! HA! :-)

I'm excited to be back home for many reasons, but mostly to continue decorating and working in my house. I found some gorgeous new bedding and I can't wait to show it to you!!!! I also have some reviews to tell you about!!! As a preferred blogger with CSN Stores, I have received the opportunity to review several items from their 200+ online stores. Ya'll, if you haven't checked out CSN, you MUST!!! They have EVERYTHING under the sun! From baby items, home accessories, and home furnishings to recessed lighting, cookware, bakeware, and plumbing fixtures, CSN Stores has it!!!

Recently I was given this plastic 3-drawer cart to review.

I LOVE IT!!! I am storing the ribbon for my bow boutique in it and it couldn't be more perfect!

The drawers are just deep enough to hold my largest spools!

And they're plenty wide enough to allow for extra space for more ribbon!!!

Thanks to CSN Stores I will have another review coming very soon!!!! Just wait and see what I get to review THIS time!!!! I'm so excited!!!

Dog Tired

2011-03-07T21:13:00.000-06:00

Tonight I went in Jack's room to get him ready for bed and this is what I found...

This is what happens when you only get 3 minutes worth of an afternoon nap.

He was OUT!

Back to Business

2011-03-06T20:05:00.000-06:00

Well, the move is done and all the boxes have been unpacked. After only 3 weeks, almost all of the decorations have been put in place. My office still has lots of work to be done, but I'm waiting on a review item from CSN Stores to finalize the organization in there. So, now it's back to business - my bow making business!

I received an order for 5 custom bows THE VERY WEEK we were moving. Fortunately, the customer wasn't in a hurry and was willing to wait a little bit. I just hate it because my usual turn-around time is 2 days. I try very hard to get orders out quickly and timely. But, there are some things you just can't help and this was one of those. I enjoyed pulling the ribbon supplies out again and making these.

Here are a few of my most recent made-to-match custom bows....

This precious purple bow was made with all shades of light purple. It is so sweet and little girly!!! Mallory keeps watching me make all these bows and continues to ask if they're for HER! I've got to get busy making HER some things now. My sewing machine has been VERY quiet lately. Gotta get it humming again very soon. :-)

Front Door Fru-Fru!

2011-03-05T10:19:00.001-06:00

I have officially created my first project in my new home office!!! This first creation was a spring wreath for my mom's birthday. It's nothing like I've ever made before. I typically use a lot of greenery, flowers, and ribbons to create fairly traditional wreaths. This time I used giant mesh ribbon and a huge, metal, floppy-eared bunny and very little of anything else. It's big, fun, and definitely fru-fru!!!

Here's how it turned out...

I think that bunny is just the cutest thing! It was fun to make and even more fun to give to my incredible mother!!!

Happy Birthday, Mama!!! I love you so much!!!

We celebrated my mom's big day with dinner at Bruno's, one of our favorite italian restaurants. We had the back room reserved for just our family. All 17 of us had a great time! :-)

Mallory and Cousin Grant have SO much fun together!! It's just precious to watch them interact with each other.

We begin Spring Break this week!!! Woo-HOO!!!

The weather is supposed to be really nice, so I'm really looking forward to it! I just love this time of year!!!