It's the Little Things- First Day of School Treats

I am so blessed to have some sweet friends.

On the first day of school two such friends blessed me in sweet ways.

As he left for work on Monday morning Tony walked outside and then came right back inside carrying this adorable and sweet treat left anonymously on our doorstep.

Madison's jar held some yummy sugar cookies (her favorite!) and mine held my favorite lifesavers! They were in the cutest little mason jar holder and each jar had a super cute pen attached- mine matching my new office perfectly. Through my great detective work I was able to figure out these treats were left by my friend Erin. So thoughtful and such a nice treat on the first day of school!

I was at our brand new elementary school on the first day of school and walked around taking pictures to put up on our webpage. As I returned to my office, I walked in to find a second surprise from a sweet friend. On my desk was a notecard with a wonderful Bible verse and a note from my sweet friend Jamee. Such great encouragement and it makes me smile each time I see it!

I am blessed with thoughtful friends and for that I am so very thankful!

It's the Little Things- A Gift

I got a package in the mail from Dory the other day.

I love getting "good" mail and this package was definitely GOOD.

It was the best kind of package.....a-just-because kind of package. While she was on a recent trip to Las Vegas she picked up a few goodies just for me- just because.

How sweet is that?

Inside were some Las Vegas dice, some teeny tiny little mints in a cute little tin with Shannon on it, some absolutely beautiful earrings she made, and some mint type thingies that are good for your teeth (because she knows how much I love mints and she is trying to keep me from ruining my teeth with them:).

Also inside the package was this beautiful Brighton bracelet. Isn't it gorgeous?

I absolutely love it.

For lots of reasons.

Because it's beautiful.

Because it matches my ring perfectly.

Because it was a just because kind of gift.

But mostly because it was given to me by my beautiful friend who is truly a gift from God.

I honestly don't think I've ever done anything to deserve an amazing friend like her- but I thank God daily for her.

Nobody knows me like she does.

Nobody makes me laugh like she does.

Nobody is as much fun as she is.

Nobody makes me be real like she does.

Nobody is as funny as she is.

Nobody is a best friend like she is.

Nobody.

It's the Little Things- Dinner Surprise

While at dinner the other night at Texas Roadhouse with

my dad, his girlfriend, and her entire family

(I went to high school with her sons and hadn't seen them in 20 years)

I ordered BBQ chicken (my usual).

When my dinner arrived, this is what was placed in front of me.

My chicken was in the shape of a perfect heart.

How cute is that?

It's the Little Things- Funny Texts

UPDATE: Just got a text from the friend whose wish list this is a pic of.

It read:

Nice blog. Payback. Its coming.

Ruh roh.

(But seriously, what is a 20 something year old good looking man doing reading MY blog?)

I got a text yesterday morning from my fun co-workers at my old school

that absolutely cracked me up!

Each year teachers post a list of wish list items outside of their classroom doors.

On small post it notes they write items they would like to have for their classroom

and parents pick them up as they come for Meet the Teacher night.

The text I received included a picture of a single (bald) male teacher friend's wish list.

It looked like perhaps he had some help with his list. :)

It's the Little Things- Hugs and Kisses

Love, love, love this sign outside of one of

my two elementary schools

in the car rider drop off/pick up line.

So sweet!

It's the Little Things- A Prayer for the New Week

I read this beautiful prayer on one of my favorite blogs

Heart to Heart with Holley a few weeks ago.

It absolutely sums up my heart on so many days and I hope it blesses you as it blessed me!

Prayer for a New Week

by Holley Gerth

Lord,
A new week is beginning...
already I feel the rush.

Slow me down, Lord.


Slow me to the beat of Your heart.


I think of Your words that say
those who wait on You
will run and not grow weary--
and I remember that rest
is not about lack of motion
but rather moving forward with You
so that activity is a blessing not a burden.


I will run this week--there is much to do
but help me do so in a way
that keeps me by Your side.


Waiting and working,
only You could tie those together.


Please do so for me today.


Amen.



PS If you would like a copy of this prayer to print out, I made one in Word that I would be happy to share with you.

It's the Little Things- New Shoes

I bought these cute new shoes while visit my sweetest friend Dory at the beginning of July.

I think they are super cute,

they were a great bargain,

and best of all they always make me think of her when I look down at them.

Such a little thing that makes me happy!

It's the Little Things- Signs

I'm a sign lover.

I heart signs.

I have many, many, many signs in my house.

(Probably too many.)

But recently I found this cute one at Hobby Lobby

(on sale half price- only $4.99!)

and it just begged for me to bring it home.

Such a wonderful reminder that each day truly is a gift from God!

It's the Little Things- Funny?

I'm in Fort Worth at a conference for a few days and

am having a ball learning and playing.

While looking at cards yesterday in a store,

I came across this card and it cracked me up.

The picture on the card was hysterical- as was what it said inside

(Can you call in grouchy to work?).

But what truly cracked me up was

the little category at the bottom of the card stand.

Instead of being labeled Birthday, Anniversary, Friend, or Humor,

it said ALMOST FUNNY.

How silly is that?

It's the Little Things- Soap

This adorable little soap was in our hotel room.

Isn't it cute?

In case you can't see it, it says "Smile Now".

PRECIOUS.

It's the Little Things- Treasures

I love love love looking through antique stores and yard sales to find old things to bring home with me. I love thinking about what the story behind each old treasures is and imagining ways to use them in our home. The items always have such character and I love that!

On my recent trip to visit my sweetest friend Dory , she and I managed to steal away for a bit and go visit some of her local antique stores. We had a ball looking through all the old things and I found a few to bring home with me.

My favorite purchase was a pair of wooden shutters. They were obviously very old and I loved thinking of how they must have looked on an old house once upon a time. I got them for a steal- $20 for the set of two pairs!

I brought them home with the intent to use them in my foyer. However, after I brought them home and set them up against the fireplace in our living room, I decided they were just the right size and height and would be a perfect for a fireplace screen.

I'm blessed that my sweet hubby is SUPER handy. So I asked him if he could make a frame for the shutters- so that they would cover the entire fireplace. Of course he did so - easily and quickly. After a few sprays of paint (I LOVE spray paint) he hinged the shutters on and fireplace screen was complete!

I absolutely love it and as an added bonus it keeps hot air from seeping into our house during the super stinkin' hot Texas summer!

It's the Little Things- Tea for Two

During the school year lunch is usually something that is eaten quickly (if at all) sitting in front of my computer while working. One of the joys of summer is the ability to go out to lunch with friends. It's a great treat to actually go out to eat and have time to visit and chat and I absolutely try to take advantage of it when I can.

Yesterday I had the joy of taking a sweet new friend to lunch at a tea room in a nearby town.

It was such a blessing to slow down and just visit- without the rush, rush, rush that seems to be such a part of daily life.

It was such a blessing to spend time chatting and getting to know a new friend.

It is a blessing to be simply be given the gift of a new friend.

Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life,

and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.

~Thomas Jefferson~

It's the Little Things- A Picture

I recently pulled out some old pictures of my mother and her sister (my Aunt Tootsie) and displayed them on an old screen on a precious little new to me old table

(that I found at an antique stores a few weeks ago and absolutely love).

The table sits right by the front door and each time I come home or leave

I am greeted by the smiling faces of my sweet mother and her sweet sister.

They were two amazing ladies who died within three months of each other 7 years ago.
I was so blessed to have them both as a part of my life.

Their sweet smiling faces always bring a smile to mine.

It's the Little Things- Scrabble Messages

Sitting on our old piano we have a Scrabble rack along with a jar full of Scrabble letters. I change the message every few days and usually it says something seasonal (HE IS RISEN) or some sort of statement (BLESSED).

Occasionally Madison will change the message. Right before Dory and her family came to Texas in June, I saw Madison standing over at the piano digging through the jar for letters. She said "Don't look!" so I thought she was putting some sort of fabulous message like WELCOME or their last name to welcome Dory's family to our home.

But obviously I had forgotten the silliness and randomness of my adorable 13 year old.

This was the message:

Madison is visiting her dad this week and I miss her like crazy. Each time I pass by that Scrabble rack, I smile thinking of how much I love that silly girl and how blessed I am to have her for a daughter. A little thing that reminds me of a HUGE blessing.

It's the Little Things- Toothbrush Tradition

As I came home last night from a wonderful evening with some sweet friends- both old and new- I was greeted by this sight on the bathroom counter that always makes me smile.

Since the day we were married over 7 years ago, Tony and I have had a toothbrush tradition.

It's simply that whoever gets ready for bed first puts toothpaste on the other's toothbrush.

This may seem like a silly thing to do but is something I absolutely love.

We put the toothpaste on the other's toothbrush first, before our own,

as a reminder to put their needs before our own.

If I'm out late it always seems like a big "I love you" sitting on the counter

and it's something I truly miss when we are apart.

(As an added bonus it's a great way to make sure not to go to bed angry

because it's hard to put toothpaste on a toothbrush when you are mad.

Well, without squeezing it all over the place :) )

go

It's the Little Things

It's so easy to become discontent in today's world. With the economy the way it is, with the unemployment rate sky high, and with money tighter than normal, it's hard to not worry and become anxious about the state of our finances.

But God reminds us in Philippians 4:16 to

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

So I've decided to work to consciously be happy and content in all that I have.

Because truly, I AM blessed!!

So for the next 30 days I'm going to take and post a picture of something that makes me happy each day. It could be some bargain I've purchased, it could be something I've made, it could be something I have been given, or it could just be something I see that makes me happy. It will just be a reminder to me to be thankful for everything- even the little things that God has blessed me with.

Day 1

This is a picture of what Belle looks like every evening as we eat dinner.

She sits on the bench at our table and lays her head down-

staring intently at each of us as we eat.

It is so stinkin' cute and so stinkin' pitiful!

(Of course this sweet face usually gets some sort of treat from the table before each meal is over! )