| Pallet Art // A Christmas Gift |

For Christmas the Mr. and I are supposed to only do $100 stockings {or something that may not fit in the stocking but within the $100 range}.  

 I don't often obey this rule, especially since this year my SIL found me an amazing steal of a deal on a paddle board for $550.  There are exceptions to every rule especially when it's going to be a "family" activity. 

My Mr. did in fact stay rather close to the $100 limit.  But he did something that warms my heart more than anything purchased.  He made me a monogram pallet.   

Now let me say this, he LOVES pallets.  Maybe as much as he loves me {okay, maybe he loves me a little more}.  When he sees a pallet behind his office with cool distressing or markings, he throws it in the back of his little white BMW, all whilst wearing a suite and comes home to proudly show me his *ahem* kill per say. 

I seriously dislike "stuff" however I married a man who sees something out of nothing {does this say something about me!?!}, especially when it comes to pallets.  We've done a huge pallet wall in the boys bedroom as well as pallet book shelves for them, he's made me a gas fire pit in the back yard out of pallets and now the monogram {I have a very unhealthy love for all things monogrammed}.  

I love the art that comes out of the pallets but hate the process of them being stacked at the side of the house to be "seasoned".  LOL! 

At any rate, this beauty has found the perfect home in our main hall from the main entrance {to the left of the pallet} to the mudroom {to the right of the pallet} as well as visible from the kitchen {past the staircase straight ahead of the pallet}.  I have to say other than the flowers that he gave me on Christmas morning, I couldn't love any gift more!

Happy Monday...anybody need any pallets ;-) 

XoXo

| New Year // New Ideas |

Happy New Year!  

It's over a week into the New Year and the dust from the holiday's isn't quite settled yet.  However we are moving swiftly into 2015 with hope and joy of what it will bring. 

* * *

In the midst of the dust and trying to put away the things of the past and tidy up for 2015 I find myself dealing with all the beautiful cards we received over the Christmas season.  

SO much love and care is put into those cards that it's a shame to get rid of them!  So I'm sharing with you a new idea {which I don't remember where I saw it but it wasn't my own} for those beautiful cards. 

First I always post all the photo cards onto a door in our home {usually the basement door as everyone frequents past it} and then from there I move them to a post board in our mud room, somewhere that's tucked away but close enough so we see them on a daily basis and remember to pray for those near and far that we may not see often --- I love seeing them but I heard this new idea and thought it was BRILLIANT!!! 

Here's the most brilliant idea: 

- With your smart phone {mine is an iphone 4s} take a photo of the card {mainly the photo on the card}

- Go through your contacts to "edit" and you'll see a spot for a photo, click on that and it will give you an option to choose existing photo.  

- Simply choose the contacts photo, crop it to the size desired and save...see told ya, BRILLIANT! 

Every time you text or call your contact you see their lovely photo!  So simple and so fun!

I took some time with a latte and spa music playing on the tv and did it with all my photo cards this afternoon.  Took me all of 1 hour to take photos {doing this in daylight is best}, upload them to each contact then deleting each photo off my phone as it would just take up memory I don't have :-) 

Hope you've had a great first ten days of 2015 and praying this year is better than the last! 

XoXo