hanging laundry.

I came across this pin the other day, and thought to myself: Genius.
We just happened to have that same track holding up boards (to make a shelf...duh) in our laundry room!
The shelf was cluttered with half used bottles of cleaning stuff and dusting stuff and...well, actual dust...so I thought "what a perfect use of that space! and bonus- half the work is already done!" So I made a trip to BigLots for some baskets, came home and voila!

I had to move the tracks out just a tad to hold the baskets right, but that only took about 5 minutes.
My sister asked what the weight limit for the baskets is and my answer: I have no idea. Instead of just having 2 (one for me, one for hubby) I got 4: one for towels- which is the bottom one since towels get a little heavy, one for hubby's uniforms, one for his regular clothes and one for my clothes. I figure each basket should hold a load of laundry, so once one is full, it goes into the washer & dryer. That same basket is then used to carry the clean laundry to where it belongs! *fingers crossed, we have found a system that works for us!*

{"...where were you?"}

I was a senior in high school. After 1st period, I was walking through the halls and caught bits and pieces of conversations...something was happening. 
 I got settled at my desk for 2nd period English Lit. and that's when I found out. 
My friend, Brian, sat down at his desk next to me and asked "...did you hear? Isn't that crazy?"..."What?" I replied. He then told me that an airplane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings in New York. 
I remember feeling sad, and praying for everyone involved. 
The bell rang, class began. Only...it didn't. 
Brian, J.R. and Clay had managed to get the old tv plugged in and the antenna to pick up the news channels. We sat in shocked silence, watched as the second tower was hit. 
We lost our childhood that morning. 
The world we knew before second period would never be the same.

{giving thanks}

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!  ~Henry Ward Beecher

• for employment that more than pays the bills.
• for weekend getaways spent in the company of family.
• for waking to refreshing summer thunderstorms.
• for safe travels and good conversation.
• for delicious meals (and peach pie! and birthday cake!) prepared from scratch.
• for the sweet kisses of puppies excited to have you home.
• for these things I am so very thankful.

{a new mantra & some gratitude}

counting my blessings: week 1

• watching my big brother be so gentle while handling & feeding his 2 month old son. 
• coworkers that make me feel safe & protected when there are foul-mouthed-and-crazy people around.
• having a job where it is not only okay to laugh and have a good time- it's actually encouraged.
• unexpected "i love you" message written on the fridge before the husband went out-of-town.
• waking up to the husband home way earlier than expected from being out-of-town.
• waking up on a Sunday morning to some very much needed summer rain...and hearing it's supposed to continue all week!
• using the Starbucks gift card that was randomly given by a stranger.
• a bounty of homegrown veggies from a friend's garden.

...how were you blessed this week?

{On this, our Independence Day}

Back in May, David and I took a week-long vacation/ anniversary trip to visit family in Maryland. I would LOVE to share the hundreds of photos...but first I have to get a new adapter for this old computer. And every time I'm at a store that sells them, I forget.. Anyhoo, whilst we were there, we spent a couple of days perusing the sights of our nation's Capital. I may or may not have tried to sneak a photo of  The Star Spangled Banner, which may or may not have turned out almost completely black...and we also got to drive (on the aptly named Francis Scott Key Bridge) past the buoy that marks the exact spot where Mr. Key sat in that little boat and wrote our beautiful anthem. Since we were driving, and my husband was practically hanging out of the car window with my camera, those photos all look like completely random water with some maritime related stuff on the horizon :/ so here are some images from The Great Wizard of Google instead. Enjoy. And have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

   

{a bucket list.}

Last year, I made a "30 before 30 list". It was a pretty random list of things that I wanted to do before I turn 30. Honestly I just wrote down things as they popped into my head, there wasn't a whole lot of serious, heartfelt thought involved. Well, I have given up on that list (I have been able to mark a few things off) and will be focusing on a real list. I will only add things that tug at my heart, ideas that keep me awake at night.

• declutter and simplify our home
• become a volunteer
• build a home with Habitat for Humanity 
• form 3 new habits
• finish "kate" (a novel I'm working on)
• sponsor a child
• donate blood
• get involved at Harvest Church
• plant a garden 
• {alabama, alaska, arizona, arkansas, california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, florida, georgia, hawaii, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, louisiana, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, mississippi, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north carolina, north dakota, ohio, oklahoma, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south carolina, south dakota, tennessee, texas, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming, washington dc}
• explore the world around me 
• put my feet in the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf
• read through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John during Lent
• {genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, deuteronomy, joshua, judges, ruth, 1 samuel, 2 samuel, 1 kings, 2 kings, 1 chronicles, 2 chronicles, ezra, nehemiah, esther, job, psalms, proverbs, ecclesiastes, song of solomon, isaiah, jeremiah, lamentations, ezekiel, daniel, hosea, joel, amos, obadiah, jonah, micah, nahum, habakkuk, zephaniah, haggai, zechariah, malachi, matthew, mark, luke, john, acts, romans, 1 corinthians, 2 corinthians, galatians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, 1 thessalonians, 2 thessalonians, 1 timothy, 2 timothy, titus, philemon, hebrews, james, 1 peter, 2 peter, 1 john, 2 john, 3 john, jude, revelation.}
• go to the library (and read the classics)
• own a record player. use it daily.
• stop trying to change my husband. he already completes me.

{...home.}

I love our home. I do. I love the way it looks when it is covered in snow. I love it on nights like this when you can hear the rain pouring all around, but you know that you are safe. That you are protected. The glow and crackle of a warm fire, the smell of vanilla scented deliciousness filling the air. My heart aches to know that there are people in this world who will never get to experience comfort such as this. I pray that I will never again take a single moment in our home for granted.