Dining Room Update - Part 2

My dining room furniture is complete.  I honestly don't think I could love our updated dining room set more.

My friend, Emily, painted my dining room table, chairs and china cabinet about a year ago.

I recently acquired the matching server from my parents' set and immediately called Emily to ask her to paint it.  Here is the before:

I thought the room needed some color so Emily painted some options on the back of the buffet:

We went with the color on the right, General Finishes Persian Blue. After applying two coats of paint, Emily distressed it and then applied a cocoa wash.  She also stained the top of the buffet to match the stain on the top of the dining room table.  We left the hardware as-is - I love keeping a bit of the original piece in tact.  Here is the finished product!

My grandma passed away this summer and I inherited a beautiful mirror that we hung over the server.

Thank you Emily!

thirty seven

Having your birthday fall on the weekend is the BEST.  You are given the green light to go ahead and celebrate all weekend long.  So that's what we did.

On Friday, my actual birthday, my parents took Clara and I out to lunch.  We had the most beautiful weather on Friday and got sit and eat outside.

Lunch was followed by a trip to the mall to ride the carousel and the train.  This was more for Clara.  I nearly threw up riding the teacup on the carousel with her.

My sister-in-law came over with my niece and nephew after Clara and I picked up big sisters after school.  Living in the same neighborhood with my brother and sister-in-law is such a blessing and having our kids growing up near each other is irreplaceable. 

Tim came home from work with these beautiful flowers too :) 

On Saturday, I got to FaceTime my niece who just went away to college.  She's the first grandchild to go away to college (and 1/2 of my dynamic babysit duo).  We are all having a hard time letting her go.  I can't even imagine how hard it will be when my own kids leave for college...

Saturday afternoon, my mother-in-law and father-in-law came over to celebrate my birthday as well as my father-in-law's birthday.  My in-laws live near Ted Drewes and always offer to bring over a truck load for special occasions.  My #1 favorite treat!

Saturday night, Ava had her first ever sleepover!  

All of the calls, texts, emails, FB messages from family and friends made me feel like the luckiest lady on earth. Aside from almost visiting the ER and my dishwasher breaking for the gazillionth time, I couldn't have asked for more.  Thirty seven is going to be a great year, I can feel it!

Meet the Teacher Gifts & the Leukemia Lymphoma Society

It's Back to School time!!  So much preparation goes into the start of school. Not just for us parents and our kids, but for teachers too. My oldest is starting 2nd grade and my middle one is starting kindergarten.  The teachers at our school have been so good to us and have so much care and concern for my girls. They really try hard to make the kids feel important. They even give them little "welcome" gifts that the kids LOVE and each year I think to myself "I wish I had thought to give the teachers a little gift." 

This year I remembered!  My cousin, Cindy, is the BEST baker I know. She could honestly open a bakery she's that good. She is also a fantastic IT Consultant and has her own IT staffing solutions company so she doesn't have time to open a bakery. 

Cindy's claim to fame are these fabulous sugar cookies that she bakes and decorates. She takes orders from friends and family and friends of friends, etc. I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to order cookies from her and the time has come!!  Here are the "Meet the Teacher" cookies that Cindy made (and packaged!) for us.

Aside from these cookies being beautiful and delicious, Cindy does not ask for payment for her time and materials and talent. Did you hear that???  She does it for FREE.  All she asks is that you make a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. How amazing is that??!!??!!

If you're looking for gifts that "give back" you can Google "Shop with a Purpose" for more ideas.  I can't wait to give these cookies to the girls' teachers.  And I need to get them out of my house soon or I'll eat them all myself!!