ALL WITH A CAN OF SPRAY PAINT....

We had been searching for an ottoman or table to go into our GAME/TV room. There is this great consignment shop in St. George, Urban Renewal, they carry furniture, clothing and many more great things. While browsing there I discovered this  MASSIVE (60 X 60) coffee table. Just the thing I was looking for at a great price. It just needed some fun put into it! So what says more fun than RED ? Shawn spray painted it with a few cans of red  and... WHAA LAA! A total transformation! I think it looks marvelous! Who knew spray paint worked so well?

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

JUST ONE OF MY MANY QUIRKS...

Yes, there are several quirks to choose from but this is one that I will tell you about for now.  I confess that I believe  it is disgusting to drink out of a plastic cup. I have always thought this. The sort of plastic that I am talking about is the "tupperwarish" cups. I think I got this quirk from my grandma Leona. She hated drinking from anything other than a glass container because "it just tastes better out of real glass" and I believe she is right on. Growing up I loved going to her house and drinking out of these classic cups (she had this whole set that made water extra cold):

Needless to say, I have never liked using the plastic nasty water bottles. When Sigg came out with their fashionable and functional water bottles they were tolerable, much better than nasty plastic. They reminded me of my grandma's aluminum cups. The water seemed extra cold with a bearable "tinny" taste. 

Then I discovered a water bottle that I adore! No plastic taste and no metal taste, just pure and clean taste! This bottle is the BEST!! It comes in a variety of colors, totally washable and functional. It is made by Lifefactory. I highly recommend this. They also make "sippy cap"  bottles for toddlers and baby bottles.  I think I have even been drinking more water having this bottle! Try it, see if you like it!     

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THEIR AMAZING PRODUCTS!

EUPHORIC...

That is the word that filled every face in the new Peeps package on Easter morning when they saw these babies. They are practically an Easter bonnet for my feet, no wonder those Peeps looked so joyful!!!

PONDERING PEEPS

So it is that time of year again! Peeps abound everywhere I go, so of course I had to buy a package (or two). As you can see, I opened the package to get the perfect staleness that I love (yes, I had to eat one fresh one, I could not resist that sugary goodness). As I watched these Peeps everyday on my counter, I got feeling rather depressed. Their affect was flat. They were lifeless, there was no joy in life for them. Everyday I would see their dour expression and it would make me sad. It was almost as if they knew that they were either loved or loathed. They felt ordinary, like they were one in a million with the same depressing look on their countenance. This whole thing made me feel gloomy. So, I thought to myself "what would make me feel better if I were feeling down?" Of course the answer is usually  a pair of new shoes! (note: please don't believe that all of the shoes in my closet reflect my depression, it is more of an obsession), but I knew what my Peeps needed. I was going to do an experiment that would forever change  my thinking about Peeps. So I hunted for the shoes that said: "HAPPY" "FUN" "SPRING" "LIFE IS GOOD".  After much searching for such shoe, I think you can see that my experiment worked. I swear to you, as soon as I put this little Peep by these glorious silvery clogs, his/her entire face changed! It was obviously sheer Peep bliss! I think their colors enhance each other. You can feel the happiness radiating in this picture can't you?  So if your Peeps are looking a little down, you know what to do, for the good of the Peeps of course!!

Ahhhhhhh, ZION....

Megan (my niece), Hannah, Parker, myself and Chandler @ Zion Overlook

Me and My boyfriend

Chandler and Megan.  I have no doubt that Chandler made a 2 mile hike into a 10 miles hike, exploring every rock and running back and forth on the trail!

Shawn and the Princess

Is Parker just adorable in this picture? He is getting to be so handsome!

I wonder. . . .

If the monkey on your back has a monkey on its back what does it mean?

A BENEFIT OF AGE IS WISDOM

Not that I am all that wise, but I really do believe life's experiences give us wisdom and a greater capacity for charity. Maybe it comes with the realization in interacting with people that no one is immune from trials and the dings that life can throw your way. I am convinced that we all have "stuff" that we have to muddle through, some big stuff, some small stuff. I am amazed hearing about the various trials that friends and acquaintances have endured.  I am certain that when we see someone that seems to have the "perfect life", they may very well have things that they are dealing with that we could not imagine. I hope to gain more wisdom, greater love and increased understanding of others as I go through life. I love this saying by Plato (a very wise man, he was a philosopher after all) his words were wise in 428 B.C. and still hold true.  If we took this mantra into our daily lives, life would be a bit easier all the way around!

"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle"

P.S. Right after I posted this, I was listening to "Music and the spoken word" and they put exactly what was in my heart into these beautiful words:

Some problems are more obvious than others. When someone is clearly struggling, we are usually quite empathetic. We see them limp through life, and most of us readily help in any way we can. We may even make great personal sacrifice to ease their burdens.

            Other times, however, the afflictions people endure might be completely invisible to the eye. Some struggles are silent; some burdens are carried privately. It may be an unhealthy relationship, a personal financial crisis, or a physical or emotional pain. Whatever the ailments, these silent sufferers may smile and seem to be all right, but inside they are barely holding on-and doing so alone.

            Perhaps we could be more observant. Maybe we should notice when hands clench with pain, when eyes glaze over with disappointment, or when cheeks are flush with embarrassment. Along with such subtle signs, we could pay attention to those quiet feelings in our heart urging us to help, even when others haven’t asked for help.

            One woman recalls how a friend noticed that she had started hanging laundry on the banister inside her home. She never told her friend that her clothes dryer was broken; she did not want to explain that she did not have enough money to repair or replace it. But this observant and kind-hearted friend paid for a repairman to fix her dryer. As much as the woman was grateful to have a dryer, she was more grateful to have a friend who cared enough to look beneath the surface of her life.

            Opportunities to help surround us, but they rarely come with engraved invitations. More often, they come with a gentle nudging in the heart, an intangible sense that we can help. As Saint-Exupery’s little prince wisely observed: “The eyes are blind. One must look with the heart."

Perfect thoughts to live by and act on in this crazy world we live in!