Show Us Where You Live Friday!

I have been following Kelly since her sweet Harper was born. I prayed for Harper's healing and God blessed Kelly and her husband and Harper is whole and well! She does something called "Show Us Where You Live Friday" and I haven't participated by now, mostly because I can't figure out how to get pictures onto my Mac from my camera. I'm technologically slow, really, I am.

Today, I am participating for the first time, but there is a catch. Today, she is showcasing nurseries. Let's be clear, I have no children nor am I expecting to have any in the near future. However, I will be thrilled when that day comes and I have decided to share with you my top two picks for boy, girl, and unisex nurseries. Glenna Jean has such beautifully themed nurseries and I just could look at them for days. I would like to think that when we do have a baby, we will have unlimited funds (HA!), but for now, I will just dream about possibilities! I also love the personalized tiles from Polka Tot Designs. So darling. Look for those at the bottom of my post.

So, without further suspense, my top choices.

The Ashley design would be my top choice for a girl. I love toile and I love the soft colors. I am all about bright colors, but for some reason, I love softer tones for a baby room. I also adore that chandelier.
This design just makes me want to swoon. The Olivia room is so feminine and delicate and my word, wouldn't another chandelier look fabulous in here as well? Now, I do realize that babies are messy, but for now, please don't crush my vision. ;)

Could you not just die when you look at this? I about fell out of my chair when I came across this picture. Can you imagine going to get a sweet baby boy in that Central Park room? Maybe I actually want this to be my room. Hmmm... I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Again, how cute can this be? I actually love the crib (bed? Does it have a side? Do any of these cribs have sides?). That shelf at the end would come in nice and handy. I do love the color scheme in the Metro. All those blues and browns and creams just blend so nicely! And I do love that little fake TV on the end of the crib-- precious!

I love this Leap Frog room for either a boy or a girl. I am also a little partial to frogs in a nursery seeing as though Miss Malia has a frog room and I just adore the child. I love the brown damask in the bedding, pillows, and lamp. What a beautiful touch!

Well, this Green Acres theme just slays me. How darling can one nursery even get? This would be great for TWINS. I think the idea of having twin babies is maybe a bit easier than actually having twin babies, but whatever. I could also just eat up that little stuffed lamb on the bedside table. Lord, have mercy. Lambs and babies, two of my favorite things.

These may be my new favorite gift for friends who are expecting or who have just had a baby. I love this combination! I also love the name Emery... hmm. I have so many crafty friends who could probably just make these, but I am not one of those people. These are just darling.

I love the green and the brown and the bows and, well, everything about these. I would love some green bows on the "Emery" sign above as well. I am all about personalizing and monogramming, so these would be a good choice for me.

If any of you have ever purchased from either one of these design companies, I would love to know what your experience was like and if you are satisfied. I can't imagine you wouldn't be, but it never hurts to ask!

I hope that you enjoyed me being overly obsessive about what my child's nursery may look like someday. It was fun for me and hopefully, this will be helpful for me to look back on someday when I really need it.

Have a great weekend!

Favorites

Have any of you ever purchased or browsed on Etsy? I had heard of it, but really hadn't ventured onto the website much. Every time I did, I got a little overwhelmed. However, let me state that it doesn't take much to overwhelm me, so that's not saying much. Krysta and Jenni (both of whom I know from home) had Twittered (Tweeted?) about some purchases they had made, so one day, I decided to peruse the website a little further.

Big mistake.

The initial feeling of being overwhelmed turned into a full blown addiction. However, to my credit, I have only actually purchased two things, both of which I use frequently. I used this fabulous zebra striped tote by MaReRi in Florida and I use my adorable owl coupon holder from Austin Artisan almost everyday. I would highly recommend either of these sellers.

In true Rachel fashion, my wish-list grows longer everyday. I wish to the high heavens that I had unlimited funds because there are so many wonderful things and I really enjoy supporting independent sellers. Krysta wrote an awesome post on some of her favorite things from Etsy last week and I have been wanting to do the same ever since. What a GREAT idea. Sometimes I have a lot little bit of trouble being original, but I want to give credit where credit is due. So go over and check out the great things she showcased and then come back here and finish.

1. I love these canisters from Romy and Claire Designs. Not only are the bright, cheerful, and just so fun, but they match my proposed color scheme for my future kitchen. I hope they are around long enough for me to snatch them up. There are also other matching pieces... a girl could get in some serious trouble.

2. Now, let me state the obvious: I realize that I do not have a child. However, I have many friends who do have children and I love this tutu (for a girl, OF COURSE). It even comes with a matching headband. Oh. My. Cuteness. Trinity's Tutus are so stinking precious. Every time I look at that outfit, I think of what Malia might look like in it with a little monogrammed shirt. Oh, heavens, I can barely stand it. On another note, I don't think Small Fry is a fan of her tutu lately. But, sweet mercy, is that picture precious or what?

3. This pillow from be still is so serene and would be a great addition to any couch. Our current couches are black (we live in a fully furnished apartment) but whenever we get a house, I am hoping to get a very neutral colored couch. These would be such a lovely touch. I am one for bright colors, but the uniqueness of this pillow is just irresistible.

4. I am a sucker for pretty stationary. Heck, I'm a sucker for any stationary. I also love the color combination of soft pinks and a deep brown. This personalized stationary would make a great gift for me any girl! Whisker Graphics has a lot of beautiful stationary, note cards, and paper products. I could spend scads of money on paper, but we won't get into that.

What are some thing from Etsy that you love?

Sadness

Last night, the season premiere of Jon and Kate Plus Eight was on. I really don't have much to say other than I am so, so terribly sad for them. Watching this episode was actually painful. Bless their hearts. I know that they chose to do this reality show, but that does not take away from the fact that they are still people.

I read their book Multiple Blessings last year. After reading Kate's account firsthand, I truly do believe that they are Bible believing Christians. Do Christians make mistakes too? Absolutely. Do Christians have troubled marriages? Absolutely. The difference is that their lives are being taped for the entire world to see. We can't see what is going on behind closed doors of the people we sit next to at church. We can see what is going on with the Gosselins and I truly feel that as the body of Christ, we need to pray for them.

You may not agree with me, and that's fine, but that should not stop us from lifting them up in prayer during this difficult time that they are going through. They are a family in need and a family who is hurting. I hope that you take the time today to pray God's grace, peace, and mercy for Jon, Kate, Mady, Cara, Joel, Collin, Aaden, Hannah, Leah, and Alexis. I know I will.

Grace in Small Things: 5

1. Watching episodes of Unwrapped on the Food Network.
2. Snuggling with precious three month old Rosalind this morning in the nursery.
3. Ordering in City Barbeque with Ty, Zach and Libby and enjoying our three day weekend!
4. Feeding Malia an entire bowl of corn and noodles as well as a whole banana last night.
5. Having a clean apartment.

Eyebrows and a Kitchen.

I love my dad. He is the man. I grew up thinking (and still think) that man is the earth, moon, and stars. When he is in the country, he calls me on my way to school and it is one of the highlights of my day. I could write and write and sing and sing his praises, but that is truly for another day.

My daddy gave me lots of things like his sense of humor and his hair. And... his eyebrows. Dark, thick eyebrows. Great on a man, not so great on a lady. Thankfully, the good Lord created wax... or the ingredients in wax, but let's not get technical.

I have the greatest "brow designer" (really, that's what it says on her card!). Her name is Liz and I found her on a fluke. She works at the spa at my local Macy's. When I lived in Michigan, I got my brows done at the spa in Macy's at Somerset. When we moved here, I just decided to try someone at Macy's since I had been so happy. That's when I met Liz. We clicked right away and found out that we grew up within miles of each other and that we had vacationed up north at the same place. Anyone else hearing the "It's a Small World" theme song?

Anyway, I love her. She is fabulous and wonderful and keeps me from looking like Frida Kahlo. However, there is a little issue. In order to get to the spa, I have to walk through Macy's. And not just any part of Macy's... the Martha Stewart kitchen section.

It's like heaven on earth and do not think for a second that I am exaggerating. It is so hard for me to walk through that section and not start snatching up objects and screaming like Animal from the Muppets.

The only blessing is that we live in an apartment, so I am not too inclined to purchase decorative/permanent kitchen objects of color. However, whenever we do buy a house, I would love to decorate my kitchen in shades of red and robin's egg blue. This works out well with Martha's current collection.

I would now like to share with you indulgences that I wish I could bestow upon myself. Unfortunately, this is as close as I'm gonna get for now. That is unless one of you precious ones wants to bless me with a special gift. I don't want to box you in. Go where the Spirit leads you, that's what I always say.

I love this icing spatula. I don't frost a lot of cakes, but I bet I would if I had this baby.

Cupcakes are my favorite. I chose them in lieu of cake for the dessert reception at my wedding. I would really enjoy having one of these for entertainment purposes.

I just think these are darling. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but you could do so many things with kids and these cookie cutters. I'm also thinking that they would be fun to use to make cookies for wedding and baby showers. Wonderful.Thoughts from moms/teachers? Am I delusional?

Wouldn't these be great with my red/robin's egg blue color combination? I also happen to have a small obsession with mixing bowls. I have a multicolored set that I use for everything and these would be oh-so-useful to add to my collection.

These oven mitts and cutting boards would go perfectly with my proposed color scheme. I love to cook and love to do everything associated with cooking (like chopping and using the oven) and these cutting boards and oven mitts would just make my heart sing.I have a cutting board-colander combination that I just love. It is so fantastic to be able to rinse fruits and veggies and cut them up right there. Again, this would be great with my colors! I love matching.

Finally, these don't really "match", but I can't help just standing by the dish towel wall and drool stare every time I pass by. These are two of my favorites. I have a Macy's gift card and may just use it to supplement my dish towel collection. Wouldn't you?

Random Nuggets of Truth

I have so many blog posts floating around in my head. I just need to sit down and write. I have had a jam packed few weeks and with the impending end of school, I will have less time to write. Some of my most recent adventures include my little brother's graduation from college*, strep throat, and an overnight trip to the zoo with my 3rd graders.

On a side note, the zoo trip was two nights ago, so forgive me if I'm struggling to come up with coherent thoughts today. The brain is still a bit blurry from lack of sleep due to giggling girls and a warning from the zookeeper that they didn't use pesticides, so watch out for cockroaches. No, I am not kidding. I'm quite sure that a cockroach probably crawled into my mouth during the night (not that I sleep with my mouth open or anything) and laid it's eggs in my esophagus. Pretty soon, I bet I will open my mouth to bestow some wisdom on a child and the cockroach babies will all come scuttling out. Oh my word, I have chills. I need to write about something else.

Before I end this post, I would like to leave you with some random nuggets of truth from my life. Oh, and I keep spelling nuggets "nuggest". Spell check is going to zing me on that one.

If you know me at all, you know I am a huge animal lover. Animal Planet is one of my top favorite channels. In fact, when naming my "Top 5 Favorite Shows" on Facebook the other day (and I say I have a busy life-- ha!), I was pretty distressed about the fact that "Animal Cops" was not an option. Ugh. ANYWAY, when I pulled up to my house yesterday after work, a gift from God was sitting on my lawn-- a beautiful red golden retriever without a collar. He was so friendly and well trained. He knew how to sit, shake, and stay and by george, he followed me right into the house. I took him back outside and he followed me around while I knocked on all the neighbors doors. Either people weren't home or they didn't know to whom he belonged.

After playing with him for about a half hour, I thought that I should call the Humane Society. They hadn't had any calls, so they said they would come pick him up. For the next hour, Rudy (that is what I named him) laid his head on my lap and I fed him cheese while we watched the season finale of Desperate Housewives. It was pure bliss. I love dogs. The one negative was that Rudy shed like NOTHING I have ever experienced. For the hour and a half that he was mine, I literally followed him around with our dust buster. It. Was. Nasty. I was so glad that Ty came home to experience The Hair Disaster of 2009. I think I have finally convinced him that we do not want a dog that sheds. Give Him some praise.

Tyler and I took Rudy outside to use the facilities, and while we were out there, the people from across the street came outside and realized that we had their missing dog, Zack (what a dumb name for a dog). They were very nice and quite thankful that we had taken care of him. Apparently, he had received a bath and so that is why he didn't have his collar on. They have a fenced in backyard which is why I have never seen him before. I will miss Zack/Rudy. Maybe he will come to play again someday. Here was the only picture I was able to get of my new friend. Please excuse the poor cell phone picture quality.




In case you live in a holeIn other news, Kris Allen won American Idol. Here are my expert thoughts on the subject at hand:

1. Kris is BY FAR the cutest American Idol... ever. I mean, he's no Zac Efron, but he is darling. I just want to scoop him up and squeeze him which might be awkward considering we are the same age and he has a darling wife/ I have a darling husband.
   
   
2. Adam Lambert needs to get his heiny to Cincinnati to teach a girl how to wear her eyeliner. I could definitely benefit from his tips. Love it and love him!
   
   


3. I liked both guys and I would have been satisfied with whoever won, but I definitely think that the finale was much more geared for Adam and his fans. Let's be a little more fair next time, AI, don't you think?
   
4. Oh mercy. Did anyone else get a kick out of Adam's "wings"? I could have died. Also, Ryan's comment on Bikini Girl's-- ahem, new friends, was priceless. Touche, Ryan.
   
5. I was also blown away by how precious Kris was when he won. Totally shocked. THAT is how every American Ido should be when they win. Incredible.

In closing, I'd like to share with everyone that I am having a fantastic hair day. It's the first in a long time and I am so tickled. I would take a picture of myself but I don't really want to be one of those people left my camera at home. You'll just have to take my word on it.

Later, dudes.

*This requires an entire post within its self. Therefore, I will not be going into much detail on this grand subject today. Ahem. Thank you for your time.

Not Me! Monday.

Welcome back to Not Me! Monday. It's the best free therapy there is and it's also a great opportunity to "meet" other MckMama fans readers. So, in true MckMama fashion...

I did not stop and get a gas station cappuchino this morning. Ew. Those things are pure sugar and cream and highly fattening. I would never do that to my washboard abs stomach.

I did not weep for quite a while after watching my DVRed episode of Grey's Anatomy. I am not currently in love with Alex Karev for marrying Izzie. My heart belongs to Zac Efron Tyler.

I did not have a bad case of baby fever yesterday after working in the infant room at church. I did not snuggle the whole time with a precious baby boy and I did not contemplate how I could effectively bribe Tyler into having one sooner rather than later.

I did not get hungry at around 10:00 pm last night when Lisa sent me a text message that had this picture and message in it:

"I made quiche!"

I am also not the least bit sorry that I have ridiculed her in the past for being less than domestic. I did not have to eat my words after realizing that those two quiches might just have been the most delicious thing I'd seen all day. I also did not seriously consider how long it would take me to get to her house and eat an entire quiche. No way, man.

I also do not get excited when I see that I have a new comment on one of my blog posts. This is not a shameless plug for you to leave a comment. I do not love meeting new people through my blog. I am not a people person.

Have a great Monday!

Holy Delicious.

Last night, we attended a small celebration for our friend, Grant, who graduated from law school. Congratulations, Grant! He and his wife, Emily, are friends of ours from college and it is so wonderful to live in the same city now!

We had been out with them the night before for Tyler's birthday and Emily told me about a dessert that she was making for Grant's graduation. It is on the current cover of Better Homes and Gardens. She explained it as a peanut butter bar with strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries on top. It sounded good and Emily is a great cook and baker, so I was looking forward to it.

Looking forward to it? Had I known how delicious it was, I would have counted the hours until I had this treat. Lord have mercy, it made me want to slap my momma; it was that good. She served it with fresh whipped cream and I'll be darned if I've ever tasted anything so good.

Naturally, my mind starts racing to when I can make this treat for myself and justify it. Let's face it, making an entire pan of these just because isn't going to cut it right before bathing suit season. I have a feeling that they would mysteriously disappear in a matter of about 48 hours and the person who would make them disappear would have the initials of Rachel Haney. Someone else in this house has self control, but I'll tell you, it ain't me.

Well, lightening has struck and I have decided to make them for our dessert contribution to small group on Tuesday night. This way, I feel totally fine about making them seeing as though I won't gorge myself on the entire batch, praise the Lord. I'm actually putting it out here on the blog that I am making these for the accountability. Sally, if I show up to your house with a batch of store bought cookies, you'll know that I couldn't help myself and ate the entire pan myself. You have my permission in advance to shame me in front of the entire group if that happens.

Instead of going out and actually buying the magazine like a good consumer, I chose to do a Google search for the recipe instead. Lo and behold, I found the recipe (and pictures!) on Cupcakes and Crinoline. Go on over to her website and make these-- or don't, because I don't want to sound bossy. But if you do, cut me a piece, put some fresh whipped cream on top, and come on over for a cup of tea and we'll chat. Or you'll chat while I eat. One of the two.

Grace in Small Things: 4

1. Our sweet friends, Zach and Libby, are moving in down the street tomorrow!
2. Friendship and forgiveness.
3. Justin Timberlake was ABSOLUTELY hilarious on SNL.
4. A fabulous new author that I can't get enough of... Harlan Coben. Great mystery author... thanks, Chad & Meg!
5. Puffs with lotion for my sore, allergic nose. No Vicks necessary. :)

Grace in Small Things: 3

1. A new box of large paper clips. I love office supplies.
2. Having a student bring me 2 pieces of chocolate cake this week.
3. Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot OPI Nailpolish
4. Having only six students left over from Grandparent's Day today and watching Ratatouille and eating Oreos and popcorn with them.
5. Celebrating my hottie husband's 26th birthday tonight and working on a birthday post for him. :)

Happy Birthday, honey! I love you SO much!

Happy Birthday, sweet Sara!

Now friends, I completely realize that this is my second post in one day, but I can't help myself. Why, you ask? Well, I have committed myself to celebrating my best friend's birthdays here on the blog and today, we honor my dear and darling Sara!

Sara and I have been friends since our freshman year of high school. She sat behind me in freshman English with Mrs. Allen. We ran track together (for all of my ONE year of participation) and ended up deciding to room together for our freshman year of college.

I have never in my life made such a good choice. Besides marrying Tyler, you know.

Sara is one of the greatest examples of friendship I have ever experienced. This girl just knocks my socks off with her wisdom, love, and kindness. She and I have a special bond that I share with no one else. We had some great years as roomies and I have loved watching our friendship mature and grow into something that is more and more beautiful with time.

So in honor of my sweet Sar-bear, I would like to give you ten reasons why I love her. Make no mistake, there are far more than ten, but I think my husband would like to eat dinner tonight, so I must make this somewhat quick.

Sara's Top Ten

1. She was totally on board with finding off-beat nicknames for each other while in our freshman year of college. We came up with the infamous Roo (me) and Bun Bun (her-- and sometimes just shortened to Bun). I can't remember where Roo came from, but I gave her the nickname Bun Bun after my invisible pet rabbit that I had growing up (Yes, I am weird). For a long time, she would sign notes, emails, cards, etc. with the moniker: Love, Bun (Your most wished for pet). We still crack up when we hear our friend, Mike, call us "RooRoo and BunBun". I may just be laughing outloud right now.

2. The girl has an amazing sense of humor. Sara can be very quiet if you don't know her, but as soon as you do, the girl comes up with the most hilarious things. I am always so tickled by what she has to say.

3. She watched the entire first season of The OC in 48 hours with me. We then laid in our beds and cried about the fact that it was over. I will never forget when she said, "I feel like these characters are a part of my life!" She is so good at putting into words what I feel. Praise Him for someone who can.

4. She's got style. Not only is Sara my best dressed friend, she is also classy. She's got fashion style and she's got life-style.

5. She is an amazing teacher. Kids love Sara. She is so patient and good to them. Much more than I. When she had a practicum at a low income school, one of her students wanted a piece of her hair. She gave the child one strand of hair. Soon after that the student gave her a card. Inside was a piece of hair taped to the card with the inscription, "You gave me a piece of your hair. Now I am giving you one of mine." Oh. My. Word. If that isn't pee-your-pants hilarious and precious at the same time, I don't know what is.

6. Not only is she a great teacher, she is teachable. Sara is all about being open to what God wants for her and she is so good at listening to His voice. I admire that so much. That is not and easy skill.

7. She is an extraordinary friend. Sara has stuck by me through some of the hardest times of my life. She has cried and laughed with me and she has not been afraid to challenge me. Now that is a good friend. We have the kind of friendship where you can pick up right where we left off. It's so beautiful.

8. She loves to be goofy with me. During junior year of college, we decided to start calling one another Alien. Yes, another nickname. I still have Sara programmed into my phone as Alien and as far as I know, she still has me in hers as Alien. It just delights me to see a call or text from Alien. Hilarious. We also convinced Steph once that we made up a card game. If you're reading this, Stephy, we're so sorry. You were just so easy. :)

9. We share a history. There is something so rich about a friend you have had for many years. We are going on ten years of friendship and there is something so wonderful and precious about that. I can be so terribly honest and vulnerable with Sara and I know she will still love me despite all of my quirks.

10. She is totally and completely in love with Jesus. Sara has been a very wonderful influence on my spiritual walk. She has consistenly walked humbly with Jesus and in doing so, has used her actions more than her words to show me what a rich faith is. This girl is so blessed by God because she has been faithful to Him. Praise the Lord for amazing and Godly girlfriends.

Alien, I love you so much. You are truly one of my very bests. God knew what He was doing when He put us together and I will never stop thanking Him for you. You are a precious friend to me and I look forward to growing more with you.

Happy Birthday!!!

Not Me Monday is back!

Not Me Monday took quite the sabbatical while the world prayed for Stellan to heal. I am so thankful to say that Stellan is doing much better and now that MckMama is home, Not Me Monday has returned! I am excited for Not Me Monday, but I am far more excited that sweet Stellan is home with his MckSiblings.

And now... on with the fun!

I did not purchase this brand new Vera Bradley Large Tic Tac Tote bag on Friday for only $15. It does not retail in stores for $69. No way.
I did not run a half marathon yesterday. I did not have a complete and total blast. And I did not see these cutie pies and their brother cheering me on during my last stretch. Oh, and I am not already looking forward to next year!

I am not hobbling around today because I feel as if someone has beat me with a large wooden bat. Not me. I never feel a thing after running 13.1 miles. Never.

I am not looking forward to going home today and making dinner and resting. It does not thrill me that I don't have to plan my days around 2 hour runs until next January.

I did not absolutely crack up laughing at the first picture on Jenni's blog. It is not absolutely hysterical and precious.

I am not totally stoked about the fact that my hottie husband is turning 26 on Friday. I absolutely do not love celebrating the birthdays of the ones I love.

I did not love the text messaging party between my three best friends and I this morning on the way to work. I did not laugh out loud several times because of certain text messages. I do not miss them terribly and I am not looking forward to our girls weekend this summer. Not at all.

That is it for today, folks. I'm off to see if I can get myself down to the staff bathroom. With the way my legs are feeling, I'm pretty confident that I won't make it. Wish me luck.

Grace in Small Things: 2

1. Going Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne with my momma & mother-in-law
2. Pink Gatorade
3. The ability to run a 1/2 marathon on Sunday! (Pray for me; I seriously might die.)
4. White t-shirts

5. A husband who does a fantastic job helping me clean