only a few hours left...

...to donate and be a part of Jackie & Bender's One Big KISS for Seattle Children's Hospital!

I know times are tough and money doesn't grow on trees, but I can't help but mention this great hospital! Over the years, Children's Hospital has cared for both of my brothers and I truly believe they were blessed by the doctors, nurses, and the organization in general. In fact, our whole family was! Consider finding a way to help those families in need. Unfortunately, someone we know is bound to end up receiving services from Children's Hospital...it's my hope that we all do our part to share that burden now - instead of waiting.

Click here to help KISS reach their million dollar goal by 7pm tonight.

where would you go...

Laura and I are contemplating a small vacation next fall. However, we're still undecided as to where we should go. So, I'm asking all of my readers (thousands upon thousands) to offer their suggestions. Here's the criteria we've come up with so far...

• Within the US (we can only be gone for 5ish days, so we don't really want to eat up too much of our time traveling)
• Since Laura's in NY and I'm here in Seattle, it would be nice to meet up somewhere close to the middle...however, that's not a real deal-breaker
• We need to be able to do inexpensive and/or cheap things while we're there (site-seeing, relaxing at the beach, etc.)
• Decent weather would be nice, but it's not crucial
• Somewhat close to an airport...we don't want to be faced with a 6 hour drive once we arrive somewhere

So, what can you suggest? I'm looking forward to some great ideas!

happy...

...birthday Ben! :)

I love you!

when i wake up in the morning...

While cleaning out all of our closets - organizing and purging - I've come across something pretty special. We used to own a game called, Saved By the Bell. I know, some of you are soooooo jealous already. Anyways, my mom got ride of it a while ago and I remember grabbing the set of questions from it. I thought it would be fun to hold onto those and revisit some of the questions later on in life. Just recently, I stumbled upon those very questions...and now seems like a good time to test your knowledge of pop culture history. See how well you remember the years Bayside!

1. What is the name of the oil company Bayside uses after the discovery of oil? A) Britestar B) Rockstar C) Calstar


2. What is the name of the men’s story Kelly works for during the Christmas season? A) Mooney’s Clothes for Men B) Moody’s Clothes for Men C) Hunter’s Clothes for Men


3. What is the name of the school nurse that Zack falls in love with? A) Janice B) Joyce C) Jennifer


4. What country does Screech compete with in the chess finals? A) Japan B) Russia C) Germany


5. Who chases the gang at the mall? A) Louis & Frankie B) Frankie & Johnny C) Johnny & Louis


6. What is the name of the Princess Slater falls for? A) Stephanie B) Christina C) Joanna


7. Which Christmas carol does the gang sing while Laura’s father plays the piano? A) Jingle Bells B) White Christmas C) Silent Night


8. What is the name of the fashion school Lisa applies to? A) Design Institute of NY B) The Fashion Institute C) Art Institute of LA


9. Who does Jessie end up taking to the Date Auction Dance? A) Slater B) Zack C) Screech


10. Where does Belding take the gang on their annual class trip? A) Surfing in Hawaii B) Camping in Yosemite C) White-water rafting


11. Where does Screech hide his “Lucky Beret?” A) In his pocket B) In his locker C) Under his bed


12. Who is the 8th dork “Studly” in Bayside’s performance of “Snow White & the Seven Dorks?” A) Slater B) Screech C) Zack

I've decided to join in the fun...I'm paying it forward, just like Kel did on her blog. :)

Here's how it works...

I will be receiving an item from Kelly. In the mean time, the first three people to comment on this post that they want to participate, will receive a handmade item from me (I've got so many ideas...it will be tough to narrow it down). I have 365 days to complete it (if I wait that long, I'll forget...so expect it sooner). The gift is surprise and I will do my best to tailor it to you.

If you are interested, post in the comments here. If you are one of the first three people, then go ahead and post your "Pay it Forward" on your blog. The handmade items do not have to be extensive. Do not feel you need to spend days and days on them. Just do what you can.

Sounds fun to me. I'm hoping at least 3 of you are feeling the same way. :)

last weekend's adventure...

View of Closet Before

Top Portion of Closet Before

Bottom Portion of Closet Before

Our coat closet is rather large in size, but the space wasn't being utilized properly (it's been this way since I moved in). So, Ben and I went to work last weekend to make better use of the square footage. I measured things out and had an idea of what I wanted while my husband took care of all the manual labor. He did such a nice job. It's nothing fancy, but it makes a world of difference! I love it!


Top Portion of Closet After


Middle Section of Closet After


Bottom of Closet After

Side View of Closet After

My favorite part of the new closet...all of the extra storage! Who doesn't love empty shelves?!?!

P.S. I still hate blogger! Why is it so difficult to get the spacing between lines to work? Ah, frustrating. I think I'll get off the computer and go gaze at my closet. The spacing in there is just right! :)