I Couldn't Live Without . . . . Coffee bar

This is my new favorite spot in our house!  I've wanted a coffee bar in my dining room for awhile, but thought because I didn't have much space it wouldn't work.  We had a bulkier, taller cabinet piece there before that we got eight years ago and it was honestly just full of junk.  So it was good to condense it all to two little drawers.  Plus I love the storage space and bins underneath.  

I looked at a ton of places (mostly online) for a table that was short enough to fit but that was open at the bottom and finally found this one at Home Goods.  The straw basket was from the clearance section there for $9, and I just glued the chalkboard sign on it.  The other basket on the right is from TJMaxx.  

The EAT letters are from Target a few years ago, and I spray painted it yellow since we changed the colors in our dining room/living room area.  The chalkboard is from Hobby Lobby and came on a roll and just sticks on the wall, which is way easier than chalkboard paint and only cost $4.  I saw a lot of pins and looked around a lot for something to hang on the wall that could hold my K-cups and hang mugs from.  There was one I loved from Hobby Lobby but it was over $100 and way too big for my space.  This is a shower caddy thing I found at Home Goods for $15, and I bought little S hooks from Home Depot for $2.  

The candle is from Target, elephant creamer (holds my chalk right now) from Pier One, and the glass decoration is from Ross. 

Everything (minus the table) was cheap and I love how it turned out.  Coffee mugs make me happy and I love having my favorite ones hanging on here for me to see.  And coffee in the morning makes me even happier and I don't know what I'd do without it in the morning! 

I'm excited for another link up and look forward to reading what you can't live without this week! Thanks for linking up!

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A night away and a wonderful weekend

This last weekend was so good.  Quality time with our families, beautiful weather, three trips to the park, and I got away for a night with one of my closest friends.  

Friday night my sister and her family came over for dinner, after a run to Target with my sister and niece.  We made pizza and hung out, the kids played and Addi and Annie took a bath.  It was one of the nights that I still felt like I can't believe they really live here.  That we get to do stuff like this on a regular basis.  It just makes me so happy.   

Saturday morning Chris had to go to work and I met my sister, dad, Travis and Lena at the park.  Then we went and got donuts, which is Addilyn's favorite.  

Later Saturday afternoon my friend Meredith picked me up and we left for the night! We had talked about going for an overnight for awhile and I have felt too nervous to leave Addilyn, especially with her waking up at night.  But the last few weeks she's been sleeping great and I felt as ready as I think I'd be to go.  So last week we booked a hotel, and even though we were only an hour away and gone a little less than 24 hours it was wonderful.  We went shopping, walked around, ate a nice dinner, and then sat in the hot tub.  The next morning we sat in bed drinking coffee, took our time leaving, and then went to breakfast.  All with hours of uninterrupted conversations.

And Chris and Addilyn had a great time! They spent time at his parents Saturday night, and he took her to breakfast Sunday morning to eat apple pancakes and then to church.  Shambly hair and all.  

He told me he tried for five minutes to get a pony tail in her hair.  Which means we're in trouble for her looking put together in the future if they're on their own!  Also she was pretty much in pajama pants and this top, but I could care less what she looks like as long as she's alive and happy, right? 

Sunday after I got home we went to Chris' parents for a late lunch and went to the park again.  I am so happy the weather it getting nicer and we can be outside. 

And this last picture is just about too much for me to handle.  Why does she look like she's five? 

I don't get it

tee: be still clothing company   jeans: old navy   boots: target    blazer:  tjmaxx   How this was not even ten days ago, but last week it was 50 degrees and most of the snow has melted.  Praise the Lord.  May this be the last picture of snow for a very long time. 
How 40 degrees feels like Spring.  But gosh it feels so warm and wonderful.  I think I will be a much better mom when we can spend time outside.  
Toddlers.  Seriously they are bipolar.  Enough said. 
How I can watch Friends episodes one after the other, even though I've already seen each episode so many times.  It's helped me get over my Gilmore Girls mourning.  
Why I love the Bachelor so much.  It is such a weird and sick show.  But I love it.  Two bachelorettes? That I don't love. 
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

The 7th Lap

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I've shared multiple times that we have had our fair share of nursery struggles with Addilyn during church. Some weekends I start getting anxious Saturday night, thinking about the nursery worker prying Addilyn off of me and her screaming mama.  I have a hard time focusing during the service knowing she's crying and then picking her up with her blotchy face and big tears, and extra clingy self the rest of the day.  I struggle to not feel like the workers are wondering why after all this time she hasn't pulled herself together and learned to be okay in there.    We've been pretty consistent for the last five months with going, and leaving her in there even though she is crying.  A few weeks ago I came back to the service after the nursery worker had to pry her off of me and I left her screaming.  I was working hard to not cry myself, and my friend sitting in front of me texted me that I'm a great mom and am doing a good job.  When I texted back that it feels so hard and almost hopeless she responded with  this could be your 7th lap. 
She was reminding me of a talk we heard at the if gathering.  The speaker spoke about Joshua, who was called to take over the city of Jericho, but not in the way you'd expect.  God called him to take his men and march around the city walls for seven days.  And on the seventh day to shout and blow their trumpets and that then the walls would crash down.  They were obedient to what God was calling them to do, despite no results for the first six days.  It wasn't until the seventh day that the walls fell.   (Joshua 6) 
The men had no idea if it would happen.  If they would've quit on the sixth day, no progress would have been made.  They just had to stick it out one more day.  
One more day.  And the walls just fell down.  
What if I give up and that week is the week we'd turn a corner and Addilyn would tough it out without crying the entire service?  
I'm not a person that likes to give up.  Probably to a fault.  But there are certainly things in life that sometimes make me want to quit.  I wanted to quit multiple times while training for the marathon.  But I persevered and ran that seventh lap and finished the race.  No doubt I had points in our infertility battle where I did not want to do one more IVF treatment, but that seventh lap gave us Addilyn.  There's times I've wanted to give up on the same prayer request I've prayed for months after months, but I know that my seventh lap will come in that area too.  I'm going to continue to be consistent in those things that I know will be worth it.  Because maybe the next time it will be my seventh lap.  

I Can't Live Without . . . . . Scarves

 

scarf & sweater: target    jeans & boots: old navy 

I've probably worn a scarf 8 out of 10 times when I've left the house this winter.  I don't get dressed up often and rarely wear jewelry, so scarves are my only number one way to accessorize an outfit and feel a tiny bit more put together.  I think the one I wore the most was this grey chunky scarf my sister in law made me.  I need to figure out a way to organize all my scarves because my closet floor is filled with a huge pile of them, despite trying to hang them or fold them in baskets.  

Not like I needed any more scarves, but I loved the idea of having a scarf exchange party with a few of my friends.  We all bought a scarf, wrapped it and had a white elephant with them.  It was so fun! Next time were going to bring one of our older scarves that we don't wear and exchange them.  

I loved reading everyone's posts last week and I'm excited to read them this week!  Thank you to those that linked up with Lindsay and I!  Grab the button if you'd like and link up below: 

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