Almost A Year in Review

Hi friends,
Thanks for joining me today. How is your week going? I've been getting ready for a business trip that I have coming up next week: working on powerpoints, getting copies made of handouts, getting the Brew Crew household in order so I can leave, planning my outfits for my trip (this is important stuff here friends!), and normal life (driving kids to and from school, going on my walks, laundry, taking care of pets, normal household stuff, blah blah blah...).


I'm starting to get in the reflection mood. We have lived in our new house in North Carolina now for almost a year (we moved mid-April last year).

I felt in the mood to reflect on what we've done so far and what we have left to do. I love making lists!

What we have done:

• Replaced eat-in kitchen light

Before:

After:

• Replaced my  home office light (supposed to be dining room)

Before:

After:

• Replaced living room light

Before:

After:

• Painted master bedroom

Before:

After:

• Painted master bathroom

Before:

After:

Okay, it seems like I have an obsession about light fixtures (it's true) and my husband likes to paint (also true).

Stop back by my blog tomorrow and I'll share with you my ideas of what I want to work on next.

Thanks again for joining me today. I hope you are doing well and having a good week.

Happy decorating & living,

Megan

megan@cottagebluedesigns.com

The beach is calling.....

Hi friends,
How are you this week? Did you watch the Oscars? What did you think? I have to admit I only saw four of the movies nonimated for anything (Bridesmaids, The Muppets, Rio, and The Help). How about you? How many of the films did you see? Which ones did you like?

I have to share with you that I broke down and pulled the Easter decorations out of the attic yesterday. The Easter tree is up with it's ornaments on it. The bunnies, eggs, wreath, Easter children's books, and other springtime decor is around the Brewer household. How about you? Do you have special decorations that you put out for Easter?

We've been thinking a lot about the beach lately in our household. Honestly, one of the major bonuses for us moving from Northern Virginia to North Carolina (it's about a 4 1/2 hour car ride) is that we can now travel to beach in half the time that it used to take us. Now, the idea of jumping in the car on a Friday afternoon and heading to the shore for the weekend is very doable. And we're going to do it a lot! My husband and I have pulled out our calendars for the next couple of months and marked off some time for the beach.

I love going to the beach!!!! I am very fortunate that I've been able to go to the beach just about every year of my life, usually a couple of times a year. My family has always chosen to go to the beach over other vacations. That might explain why I didn't make it to Disney World until I was in my thirties!

Here is what I love to do at the beach:

• take long walks or runs on the beach or on the bike paths or through the neighborhoods
• hang out in the beach house and play games, cards, or do puzzles
• read on the beach
• nap in the afternoon
• go out on the beach at night with flashlights looking for crabs
• go out for ice cream
• cook together
• fly kites
• watch the kids play in the sand digging big holes, building sand castles, or jumping in the waves
• eating some yummy seafood
• taking outside showers
• watching the coastline for dolphins
• smelling the warm, salty air
• hearing the seagulls and pelicans
• feeling the warmth of the sun
• putt putt

How about you? Do you like to go to the beach? If so, what are some of the things that you like to do there?

Here are some beach images to remind us that we can hold on a little longer, spring is just around the corner......the beach is calling.

Happy decorating & living,

Megan

megan@cottagebluedesigns.com

Trying to Hold Off Easter

Hi friends,
How was your weekend?

I am trying to hold off decorating for Easter. Every holiday I decorate our house entirely too early and then by the actual holiday I am sick and tired of the decorations. I am trying to learn to be patient. This is a skill that I do NOT have. I am trying to learn this lesson. And I believe Easter is really the last holiday that I have any decorations for until Halloween (unless you count a flag or two for July 4th). We do have all of our birthdays during the down time so we'll have some type of decorations in our home this spring and summer (balloons, streamers, etc.).

Easter is such a special time. My spirit comes alive with the warmer days filled with sunshine and warm breezes. I love all of the flowers that are popping up everywhere. We love going to the beach in the springtime to fly kites and build sandcastles (no playing in the water yet, it's still too cold). I actually thought my son was going to be born on Easter. My water broke late on a Saturday night (around 2am) four years ago on Easter. Unfortunately, my labor stopped shortly after we arrived at the hospital and since my son was 4 weeks early the doctors would not help me along so I had to hang out at the hospital for two more days until they decided yes, they'd give me some drugs to help me along. So my hopes of having an Easter baby were shot. Yes, it is a myth, you do not have to have a baby immediately after your water breaks. Of course, they will not let you go home so you have to hang out at the hospital. I hope that I didn't just share too much information with you!

Since I'm holding off on decorating for Easter yet I thought I'd appease myself by sharing some Easter inspired images:

My daughter on her first Easter:

I can't believe I am sharing with you this picture of myself- I am as big as a whale here- I think my son was born right after this picture. This was my daughter's second Easter (back in Virginia):

Getting ready for our little Buddy to arrive in his new room 4 years ago:

Here are my babies today:

Happy decorating & living,
Megan
megan@cottagebluedesigns.com