Tuesday, January 4, 2011

My birthday...and a time to reflect

I came across something my husband gave me one day before my 39th birthday last year. He wrote me a letter. This is what it said:

So, you've got one more day before your 39th birthday. Here are a few questions to help you take inventory of the last year.

1. What was the most interesting book you read?
2. What was the more interesting movie you saw?
3. What was the most memorable place you visited?
4. What was the most memorable event?
5. What would you most like to forget?
6. What was the happiest moment?
7. What was the saddest moment?
8. What was the average price of gas?
9. What was the average price of a home?
10. Who was the president of the United States?
11. Who was a popular musical artist?
12. Who was a popular movie star?
13. How old were your kids?
14. What world events shaped/impacted society?
15. What was the newest technology unveiled?

(Still part of the letter) If you were to answer these questions each year and keep a record of it, you could look back on your life and get a really clear picture of the kind of life that you lived; and it would be an awesome record to pass on to your children. By the way, answering these questions usually works best if you give the first answer that pops into your head, rather than really trying to ponder them.

Happy almost-birthday!

What a thoughtful letter...way to go, babe. It's always encouraging (and entertaining) to look back on your life and see just how far you have come. And since I will be turning my blog into a book on a yearly basis, I figured blogging about it would be perfect. So, sit back and join me as I reflect on the past year of my life.

1. What was the most interesting book you read? Hmmm...tough one. I love to read. But if I had to pick one it would probably be Eat Pray Love. Even though I didn't agree with everything in this book, there were some pretty deep parts that really made me think about my beliefs, my relationship with God and where I'm at in my life. I enjoyed reading it.

I do have to give mention to another really good book I just remembered I read. The Path by Laurie Beth Jones. This book helped me decide what I want to do with my life and made me take a hard look at what my God-given gifts are and how I am or am not using them. Excellent book! I highly recommend it.
2. What was the more interesting movie you saw? Coincides with #1. Eat Pray Love. Made me think. Plus, it was just good a chick flick.
3. What was the most memorable place you visited? This past summer my husband's family had a family reunion in Tennessee. This was the first time I had ever been to those neck of the woods. It was beautiful. I also had a wonderful time with his family. They are so fun to be around.
4. What was the most memorable event? We bought our first house. I have been waiting so long for this to happen. My goal was to own my own home by the time I was 40. Check!
5. What would you most like to forget? Some pretty rocky times in my marriage, but God is faithful and works all things for good. Each year gets better. I am amazed how God uses the really tough stuff to make us stronger and more like Him.
6. What was the happiest moment? I could never just pick one, but my kids make me happy. They are amazing. Sometimes I wonder why God chose me to have such amazing children, but I'm so grateful He did. Don't get me wrong, this parenting thing is the hardest damn, eh hem, I mean darn thing a person will ever do. It comes with much heartache and sacrifice, but the rewards make it all worth it.
7. What was the saddest moment? Realizing how old my kids are getting. I wish I could stop time. Jarod is soon to be out of the house and Maleah is growing out of her little girl stage. Makes me sad, especially knowing that we are done having children-unless, of course, the Lord performs a miracle.
8. What was the average price of gas? $2.79
9. What was the average price of a home? This definitely depends on what part of the city you live in, but in my neighborhood it's around $220,ooo.
10. Who was the president of the United States? Obama.
11. Who was a popular musical artist? Well, the music I listen to consists of artists that have been around for awhile and have been popular for a long time. But for the younger generation, I will pick Justin Beiber.
12. Who was a popular movie star? Here again, the ones I know about and watch have been around for a long time. And can I say, I'm really bad with names anyway. Or maybe I'm just getting older and I'm not staying up on all the latest actors and actresses. Who knows. But the only names I can come up with are Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. STOP LAUGHING! I don't care if they have been around for a million years. They're still good actors!
13. How old were your kids? 18 and 5
14. What world events shaped/impacted society? We hit a pretty big recession. Lots of job losses and people losing their homes. I feel very blessed that my husband was able to keep his job and that the Lord provided for our needs.
15. What was the newest technology unveiled? The Ipad, although, I can say that I really have no interest in one. I have my laptop and that's all I need. I think the "technology world" is out of hand. There are so many things being made that are just not necessary or that are basically duplicating things that are already made and already "fitting the bill". Yep, I must be getting old.

In two more days I will be 40 years old. It's pretty hard for me to believe, and everyone assumes that this scares me or that I'm dreading it. Actually, quite the opposite. I'd like to think I'm not only getting older but I'm getting wiser. I have done some pretty stupid things back in my younger years and have come a loooooong way and learned a ton. I am excited to see what's in store for me in this new season of my life-what the upcoming chapters of my story hold for me. So, here's to many more trials, victories, memories and being the best me I was created to be. BRING IT ON 40!!!

Another Furniture Makeover

I friend of mine gave me this bookcase a while back. I love how it has that antique, distressed look. Unfortunately, when I put in my home something was not quite right. I left it like it was for a couple of months but every time I walked by it I kept envisioning how to make it better. I realized it was the color that was bothering me. It was too drab for my surroundings. So, I finally decided to paint it. (Notice the testing of colors on the side of the bookcase.)


I started out sanding it with a small block of hand sandpaper and then quickly realized this was too much darn work. My arm was sore after 2 minutes (of course, this is no indication that I need to get in better shape). So I decided to just slap on some primer.

After priming I gave it a very light sanding to make the paint adhere better. I picked out a turquoise color, Jamaican Sea, to match the colors in my living room. I applied two coats of paint. I wanted a distressed look so after the paint was thoroughly dry I sanded down parts of the bookcase to have a worn look, mostly on the edges.


I took Ralph Lauren's Faux Glaze Tint and added a bit of dark craft paint. I painted this mixture on the bookcase and then wiped most of it off. There were lots of grooves and crevices for the glaze to settle into, which made it look even more worn. Voila! This is the finished piece.

I apologize for the fuzzy pictures. I think it was because it was cold (more like friggin' freezing) in my garage and I don't think my camera liked that.