Stay-cation..and another DIY :)

 Brett took some time off this week so we enjoyed a mini stay-cation.

What fun we had!
We decided to visit Crystal Bridges Art Museum.

It is phenomenal!
So unbelievable we have something this unique and inspiring in our area.

It's free to visit, so you should go!
We ate lunch there as well and thought the prices, service, and food were great too.

 This is just a glimpse at some of my favorites.
I wasn't familiar with most of the older artists' names,

but I did recognize Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.

And the Rosy the Riveter piece of course!

 I know how you feel lady...

somedays-don't we all! 

:)

 Favorite piece. EVER.
I just love it.

It was called "Studio in Paris".

 The museum is in such a natural, beautiful setting.

 Brett enjoyed being at home to play with Anna Ruth!

 Who says we don't have a garden?
We have a tomato garden at least,

thanks to my friend Naomi and her parents!
The deer have been in these a bit,

but so far they are looking pretty good!

 We are blessed to have such generous friends and family who share their garden goodies with us!

 One of Anna Ruth's all-time favorite foods is strawberries. As in, if you get the carton out you'd better plan on letting her eat some or she'll beg 'till you do!
She can easily eat 3 or 4..

probably more if I'd let her. I even give them to her whole and she takes great bites!

 We celebrated the 4th at our church event!
It was so fun spending time with our friends and family. 

They had grilled burgers and hotdogs,

a concert (by famous guitarist Doyle Dykes),

water inflatables for the kids,

and fireworks later that night!
(we missed out on that part this year)

 Happy Birthday to Caleb,

who turned 4 on the 4th!
I love this little boy.

He is so sweet to Anna Ruth

and always makes sure to include her. :)

 We were sitting next to some friends of ours and Anna Ruth climbed right into their camping chair.

I was so surprised she could do it on her own, considering we don't own a chair like this.

She knew just what to do!
Now we'll have to get her one. :)
She also helped herself to the leftover hotdogs from one of the little girls 

in this family too...  haha :)

 The two big questions I get over (and over) lately are:
"Is she walking yet?"

and "When are you due?"
Anna Ruth is doing a bear crawl,

but no walking yet. 

And I think I'm due November 27th. :)

We find out Tuesday if we're having a boy or girl.

 I had another set of shutters from Momma and Daddy (thanks again!!!!) I hadn't done anything with yet.

I decided to this week.

This is what they looked like before I started.

 I mixed up some additional paint colors with the aqua I used on the china cabinet...

(there's no science to this! I just squirt a bunch of colors in until I get what I like)

rubbed a candle on the shutters here and there (because I read this could help give them a shabby chic look),

painted them,

and then took the sandpaper to them to rub off some of the paint to make them look chippy.

 This is how they turned out.

I love them!
Brett probably thought I was nuts for rubbing the paint off...

that I had just put on.

I just adore chippy paint.

It is so expensive to buy things like this,

and this project only cost me the bit of paint that I used.

(which wasn't much!)

 Next they got hung in the dining room, with some thrifted bottles hung in the middle.

I'm planning on putting a flower in the vases...

and figure I can change it up with the changing seasons. :)

I like change.

Decorating and making things for my home is such a hobby.

If you don't think you have time or money-you do!
Money doesn't have to be an obstacle.
We live on one income...and live out in the country.

It's not convenient for me to run into a store to buy what I want.

This has been great for my creativity!
I'm always thinking-how can I use what I already have in a new way?
Plus, now that the plague (yes, it was THAT bad) of the first trimester is over,

I'm in full "Get it done!" mode so I can soak up Little One...

My next project is something for the middle of the dining room table.

A runner of sorts,

stay tuned!