Empty Spaces

Now that we have finally painted and gotten the curtains hung in our bedroom, I am looking to fill a few of the "empty spaces." The main two spaces I want to fill are the little corner by our closet and above our bed.

I think that this little corner would be perfect for a little chair or a table and lamp - or something, but I just haven't found the right thing. It is going to have to be on the small side. Eventually we would like to install a collapsible door so that we can put something a little bigger here. I am keeping my eyes open for things at garage sales and on craigslist. I have some coordinating fabric that would be great for upholstering a chair. Any thoughts or suggestions?

The second area I need help with is our bed.

Right now we don't have a headboard. There wasn't one with our bedroom set when we got it (long story), and it has worked out great for us so far. My husband is 6'3" and just barely fits on our king size bed. So, we've moved the bed a little bit away from the wall and putting his pillow a little bit over the edge gives a few extra inches.

Anyway, we definitely need something here. Would a picture look funny without a headboard? Any ideas for making a headboard that would coordinate with our shiny black furniture? I am thinking of something that could be mounted on the wall so that Saul could still take advantage of a few extra inches.

I plan on making some pillows with leftover fabric from the curtains, but above the bed definitely needs some work.

I am so not a decorator, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!!!

Kathryne

A few interesting incidents

It was another busy weekend with lots going on. Just thought I would write about a few of the more interesting incidents from the weekend.

On Saturday we went to another wedding. This was a little different because the bride has a Jewish heritage. She and her family have accepted Christ as Messiah and Savior, but wanted to honor their heritage and incorporate Jewish traditions into the wedding ceremony. They were married under a canopy, the bride circled the groom seven times, they read a wedding covenant, and had a few other Jewish traditions. It was so interesting to see the various items that take place in a Jewish wedding ceremony. The program detailed what the different traditions meant and the man conducting the wedding ceremony explained things as well. It was so fascinating.

The reception brought a few more fun traditions - our favorite being traditional "bottle dancers" just like Fiddler on the Roof. They were amazing and so fun! This pictures wasn't the real thing, but it looked very much like this. Cool, huh?

We had a meeting for our church right after the wedding, but we had forgotten a few things at home. We hurried home and Saul dashed inside to get the stuff. I was driving and in my hurry, I backed out - a little too quickly. Someone was coming down our little lane and I didn't see them until it was too late. I didn't realize what happened until I heard the little crunch. Thankfully both cars were going less than ten miles per hour (the other car was turning into the driveway across from ours), but I was still pretty shaken. I've never been in an accident before and was so frustrated with myself. Everything worked out ok and there was barely any damage. The police took their time coming, so we were majorly late to our meeting. We are just so thankful that no one was hurt and that there was barely any damage at all. Praise the Lord!

After our church meeting, we headed over to my parents. My brother was the best man in the wedding and he and my sister-in-law stayed around until Sunday We all watched the Chicago Blackhawks game together, then played a rousing game of spoons. It was fun to be with family, as always.

On Memorial Day we relaxed at home for the first part of the day. Since Saturday had been so busy, it was nice to just relax at home. I did a little bit of couponing and deal searching (a few deals, but nothing major to report - yet!). We went over to my parents for dinner and had a feast - stuffed hamburgers, brats, corn on the cob, deviled  eggs, fruit salad, chips, veggies, baked beans, etc. It was wonderful. For dessert, my brother's girlfriend made a strawberry pie and a chocolate pie. My sister's friend also brought yummy brownies. So much for a healthy meal plan this weekend!

Wish I had pictures to share, but this was when my camera was still having issues. Bummer! Hope you all had a great weekend and Memorial Day. I am so thankful for all of those who have served our country - and for the sacrifices of their family and friends!

Kathryne

Our "New" Bedroom

At the end of last week, I posted about our bedroom decorating fail. It was pretty bad, if I do say so myself. I am so embarrassed that it stay so bad for so long, especially since we had the paint and curtains ready to go.

We finally broke up the painting into small chunks and did the two larger walls on separate days and the two smaller walls on the same day. Doing it this way made us not abhor painting by the time we were done and we didn't have to have an entire day set aside to do it. We would definitely recommend painting this way. We actually enjoyed painting. = )

My grandparents were all coming into town after my brother Christopher's wedding and were planning a visit to our place and that ended up "encouraging" us into getting it all done and put together.

One night we worked on getting the valance stapled onto the board and the other night we hung everything. We love how it turned out. What do you think??

We still aren't completely done, but we are so much closer than we were before. We love the beautiful but relaxing feel to our room. The paint still changes colors on us a bit (tan during the day and light green at night). Thankfully we like both colors. = )

I'll post later this week asking for suggestions for the "bare" spots that still occupy our room.

Kathryne 

P.S. Sorry to any of you who may have checked back yesterday for pictures. Our camera was having major issues, which is the reason for so few pictures and  the late update.

A Trip, A Tick, Some Treasures, and Terrible Temperatures!

This weekend was another full one!! Whew, what a weekend!

First, my oldest brother Christopher got married!! We are so excited for Chris and Jen! (More on this later.) So, on Thursday evening, we packed up our car - along with my dad, sister, and brother - and headed to Wisconsin. Chris and Jen live in northern Wisconsin near the Upper Peninsula. It wasn't too bad of a drive, but we were way more packed than we had originally though. It was good to catch up with my brother who has been at college and just spend time with some family. We didn't get into the place that we were staying until around midnight, but we made it safely.

Here is a sneak peak of the wedding. Like I said, more pictures to come!

On Friday while a bunch of the girls were decorating for the wedding, Saul, my dad, and some of the other guys worked on some stuff at my brother's house. Saul and my dad installed a closet door and then worked with some brush outside.

On Saturday morning Saul woke up and told me that he felt like something was eating at his leg. I took a look, and sure enough, a tick was buried in his leg - ICK!!! I was going to put a picture on here, but I think I'll spare you! = ) I got some peroxide to pour on it before taking it out and while that didn't kill it, I was able to get the entire thing out of him. Nasty!!

The next "T" on the list is treasures. It was such a treasure to be able to spend time with family. Other than my parents and my brother and sister (when they aren't at college), all of my family lives out of state. It was wonderful to see all of my siblings there (minus one sister-in-law), all four of my grandparents, some cousins and aunts and uncles!!! It was so great to see and spend time with some of them that I hadn't seen in awhile.  Here are a few pictures - again, I'll put more up later this week.

Three generations on my mom's side. (Can you tell it was so bright outside?)

Two more cousins from my mom's side.

With some of the guys in the family -

Kyle (my brother), Carlton (brother), Saul (handsome husband), Josh (cousin's husband), Joanna (cousin), and me

Our camera broke a few days before the wedding, so I am waiting for people to put pictures on facebook so that I can get a copy. I'll have to post more pictures of my dad's side of the family once I get my hands on them. = )

The final T's are for Terrible Temperatures! It has been pretty cool here in Chicago and we haven't needed to use our air conditioner yet because it has been cool. Because we had been out of town, we didn't realize that the forecast for Sunday included upper 80 temps. We had a busy, but great, day at church on Sunday and knew that we would turn the air on when we got home since it was so hot outside. Plus, my parents, grandparents, and sister were all coming over for dinner on their way back from Wisconsin and we wanted it comfortable in the house for our company. We ended up getting home from church about thirty minutes before everyone arrived and immediately turned the air on - only to find that our air conditioner wasn't working!!! Ugh!!

We purchased our home in December and there was no way to test the air conditioner at that point. Thankfully we were able to work out a deal to include the air conditioner on a home warranty paid for by the seller. Needless to say, that home warranty is going to be put to good use (for a second time) because although the fans were blowing, nothing cold was coming out of the vents.

So, here we were in a second level townhome with upper 80 temperatures and the oven on to make homemade pizza plus a house full of guests! I felt awful that it was so hot in there, but other than leaving, there was nothing we could do. We pulled out our one fan and had it going to at least circulate the air. Our townhome also has a "whole house fan" that helps circulate the air as well, but our thermostat still said 91 degrees while everyone was there! Everyone was so gracious about it and said it wasn't too bad. As a hostess though, I felt terrible. I was going to make some cookies, but decided against it so that we could just turn the oven off. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience.

Again, once I can get pictures from my parents from everyone's visit, I'll post them.

So, that was our weekend. It was a great one full of many memories. I love my family so much and was so thankful to spend time with them.

Kathryne

An Encouraging Evening

Tonight Saul and I went to visit a friend who is in the hospital for a medical "tune up" and we left the hospital encouraged and with a smile on our faces. We had a great time with Bethany and her mom Audrey. We laughed and just enjoyed the fellowship. Hopefully we "entertained" them for at least a little while. = )

I want to brag on Bethany and Audrey for a minute. They go to church with us and are such an encouragement. Bethany and her brother both have a serious illnesses. However, you would never know it from being with them. They are seriously some of the most upbeat and positive people you have ever met. Joy exudes them and they are such a blessing.

Their mom Audrey is such an encouragement too. She has a ton on her plate, but is also very joyful and encouraging. She is always loving on people and doing whatever she can to take care of those around her.

(I know this is blurry, but I wanted to get Audrey in here too!)

I am so thankful for this family. God's grace and love is so evident in their lives. Audrey and Bethany, thank you for your love for your God and your love for others. You are such a blessing! We are praying for you!!!

Kathryne

What We've Been Watching

This week, my sweet husband and I have been watching this:

AND then this:

While growing up, these were some of my favorite movies to watch. One of my best friends and I would watch these for hours on end. We couldn't get enough of them! Of course, I always pretended that I was Anne since I have always had "red" hair. = )

When I found out that Saul had never seen them, I knew we had to watch them together. So, we borrowed them from my parents. My sweet husband has been watching them faithfully with me. He laughed at how many lines I knew. He has enjoyed it though - and I have really enjoyed watching them again with my man at my side. I would dream about that day when I watched these movies years ago.

Watching these movies brought back so many memories from childhood. It has been fun to reminisce.

Do you have any favorite movies from childhood? I'd love to hear about them!

Kathryne

A Whirlwind Weekend!!

Whew!! What a fun, but crazy weekend! We hit the ground running on Thursday night and are now enjoying an evening of doing nothing after a whirlwind weekend!

Thursday night started with Prayer Gathering - which is always a great night of prayer, fellowship, and encouragement. We stayed so late and enjoyed the fellowship with all of our friends from church. I don't think we left until around 11:30!!

On Friday morning we got up bright and early (actually it wasn't even bright out when we got up!!). We met my parents and rode with them up to MBBC for my "little" brother's college graduation! We are so proud of you, Kirk!!

Thankfully the graduation was inside - because it was freezing cold and raining. Kirk graduated with a degree in physical education. He finished his student teaching in January and is happy to have school behind him.

My sister-in-law Kelly and brother Kirk

Kirk and Kelly with my parents

While we were taking pictures, I met up with this blogging friend!! We were actually best friends when we were in elementary school, but hadn't seen each other in ages. She actually found my blog through the Ultimate Blog Party!!! Crazy, huh? Anyway, it was great to see her again!! Wish I would have thought to take a picture!! (As you'll see, I didn't think of pulling out my camera very many times this weekend at all. Oops!)

After pictures we headed over to Kirk and Kelly's place and had a great "cook in" there. Thankfully they had enough room for everyone to eat inside since it was still raining - and freezing cold!! Kelly made a delicious fruit salad and we had tons of wonderful food! It was fun to spend time celebrating with a group of family and friends. We got home around 9:00 and I was exhausted. We tried watching a movie, but I lasted about ten minutes before crashing!


It was nice to be able to sleep in for a little bit on Saturday morning. I woke up early but stayed in bed and read while Saul slept for a little while longer. My grandparents gave me this book and this book  (from the Acts of Faith series by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke) awhile ago and I never had time to read them. I picked the first one up the other week to read while waiting for my aunt at the airport and now I'm on the second one. I am thoroughly enjoying them! I hadn't read a book in ages, but after finishing the first one, I immediately wanted to start the second!

Because we took our time in the morning, we ended up rushing to arrive on time for a friend's wedding in Indiana (about an hour and fifteen minute drive). The wedding was beautiful and the bride and groom were beaming! It was wonderful to celebrate with our friends. Again, I totally forgot to take pictures. Ughh. The reception was at the groom's parents home - a beautiful, Victorian home. There were planning on an outdoor reception, but it was again rainy and cold, so everyone squeezed inside - and it was a squeeze. Even though the house is large, it was wall-to-wall people! The groom's mom thinks that around 500 people came throughout the afternoon! Again it was delicious food and fun fellowship.

On our way back, we caravaned with our friends Phillip and Lydia from church. We ended up stopping at Starbucks when we were almost home just to chat. It was great to get to know them better and also see their sweet baby girl Elizabeth who is six weeks old! Unfortunately, about halfway through our time at Starbucks baby Elizabeth decided that she'd had enough partying and was ready to go home. = ) We had a great time with them and are looking forward to going out again! It was 9:45 by the time we got home, so we got things ready for Sunday and headed to bed.

Today was a great day at church with a special dedication to mothers and a message on resisting temptation. I'll try to write more on that later.

Right after church, we headed over to my parent's for lunch. My dad made lunch since we weren't there to help prepare. I felt terrible that I couldn't do more since it was Mother's Day! We had a yummy lunch with my parents and sister Carolyn who came home from college on Friday. It was fun to catch up with my mom and sit and chat while Dad and Saul played ping pong. It was a fun day.

So, we are home now, relaxing after a weekend full of travel, family, friends, and fellowship. The whirlwind of a weekend was well worth the memories and fun times.

How was your weekend?

Kathryne

Bathroom Makeover

Our bathroom was the only room that had color in it when we moved in - and it was a bright yellow. Someone helping us move in said that it would definitely wake you up in the morning! The bathroom also had this strange partition right above the shower rod that blocked any light from coming into the shower. Unless you used a clear shower curtain, it was pretty dark when you took a shower. Not good for shaving - at all!

So, we decided to do a little bathroom remodeling job. First, Saul knocked down the partition. It ended up being wood, so it was a little bit of a tough job. I think he enjoyed the destruction though. = )

Next, he had to patch the ceiling and make it smooth where the partition was. Don't worry, the pink stuff turns white when it dries. (Oh, and don't mind my husband's buzz cut. He had to because of the nasty haircut he'd paid for!)

We finally decided on a paint color - a pale green, and we started the painting.

Finally, Saul installed a curved shower rod!! Every time we have stayed in hotel that has had a curved shower rod we have had a hard time not coveting! They are so nice and make the shower feel huge. So, when we saw one on sale for $10 during a Black Friday sale, we snatched it right up even though we hadn't closed on our townhome yet. We knew that this was something that we wanted in the bathroom of our new home.

We LOVE it and would definitely recommend it!

Last, but not least, we added a little bit of wall art. This is a little picture that my parents got us as part of a shower gift. We had red and brown in our bathroom before, but this little picture has the perfect shades of green in it as well. We love having Scripture verses around our home.

 We definitely enjoy our calm look of our bathroom and the extra shower room!

Kathryne

Glad It Is the Weekend?

I sure am glad it is the weekend. It has been a very busy week and I am ready for a break. This weekend is our only "free" weekend in the month of May because of graduations and weddings, so we are going to try to relax and enjoy. A few home projects may creep in too = ), but we will definitely do what we can to relax before the crazy month of May hits us in full.

Last night we took time to relax, watch a movie, go for a run, and read before going to bed and it was glorious! It was wonderful to just relax and not have to worry about getting to bed by a certain time so that we wouldn't be exhausted in the morning.

The sun woke us up this morning (and my husband's crazy rooster alarm clock on his phone = ) and we both feel rested and ready for a great day!

What is it about weekends that revive us and give us the boost that we need for the next week? And it isn't even Sunday yet!!

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Kathryne

A Weekend of Catching Up. . . With Friends and Family

I have already written a post about Sunday, but I thought I would back up and also write one about our weekend.

My Aunt Sherry from AZ was in Chicago for the week for a conference and we had the privilege of having her spend the night with us on Friday night. She was the first overnight guest in our place. She was so sweet and treated us to a Chinese buffet on Friday night (so much for the diet that night!). We had a great time together and it was great for her to be able to get to know Saul better. We laughed so much over dinner, then came back home and talked for a few more hours. I don't get to see my aunt very much, so the time together was special. Just wish my uncle and cousins could have come as well. The picture from right before I dropped her off at her conference on Tuesday. Unfortunately I didn't get one when the three of us went out to eat on Friday evening.

I took my aunt to the airport pretty early on Saturday and when I got back Saul had the office blinds open watching the beautiful sunset. I tried to stay awake and get some things done, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I just had to get some more sleep. The late night and early morning caught up with me pretty quickly, so I took an early morning nap.

That afternoon we had a couples bridal shower for our friends Jonathan and Jessica who are getting married in June. We are so excited that God led them to each other. I think it was the first bridal shower that Saul had ever been too and we both had a great time catching up with friends and celebrating the upcoming marriage.

The Happy Couple!

We were able to get a good amount of things done Saturday evening and then just relaxed. All in all it was a great weekend of catching up with family and friends. It is always great to spend time with my sweet man!

Hope you had a great weekend as well!

Kathryne