Sisters

I don't know what it is like to have a sister. As a matter of fact, the only way I know what sisterhood is like, is through the eyes of family and friends who have a sister. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love my Wesbro. But I guess we all wonder from time to time what it would have been like to grow up with different siblings.

That's why when Rockstar (eldest) told me, one night as I was tucking her in, "Livvy, you're my family, you know...you're my sister!", I didn't really know how to take it. At first I was thinking, "A sister?? Me?? C'mon, give me a little credit, let me be an aunt or someone with a little more authority." Believe me I don't feel like just a sister. But, alas it stuck. She has been calling me this off and on now for a few weeks.

One night, I was thinking over all of this when I stumbled upon a conclusion. She LOVES her younger sister, Princess. I know the bond they share is very strong. So for her to say I am like a sister to her, is something very special.

I have never known this bond before in my life, and God puts people in front of you for unique reasons. I hope that these girls will look up to me like a sister, be open and honest with me like a sister. I hope they continue to share their lives with me and teach me things every day as they grow older. And I hope I can be a good influence in their lives as well.

So although it's a bit of a bummer that I'm having to work this Thanksgiving holiday, I am SO thankful for them. It is amazing these girls have so much love to give. And I am so glad they chose to give it to me.

Livvy, Princess, and Miss Rockstar-Thanksgiving 2010

What, you thought there wouldn't be a silly picture?

On another note...

Around this time of year we usually go to Crossville, for a family gathering. So last weekend, we headed up for great food, lots of family fun and, the best part, the farm. Well, it was a farm at one point. A dairy farm (right dad?). The Homestead is where my grandmother was born and grew up, where my father spent his childhood, and where we have visited on occasion. It has been a long time since we have spent any time on this land. It was so cool to hear stories about my grandmother and all her siblings and memories here.

I couldn't bear to wait any longer to share these pictures. Because even though I didn't grow up there, for some reason I feel very strong bonds to it. The rich history, smells, sights, stories... well, I just love it all. It was also a perfect photo op for a great Christmas card picture, which I obviously want to be a surprise. So I'll just show these:

This barn was built in the 40's and is where my dad used to play as a child.

Weston. I love my brother!

Can you imagine it filled with cows? I think this image captures the serenity that surrounds this place now.

I absolutely loved spending time up there. Being somewhere like this makes all the nonsense in your life just fade away. Just looking at these pictures makes me realize how much I am truly thankful for. God has blessed me insurmountably.

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Liv

On To Thanksgiving!

First of all, I would like to send my sweet Mommy a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! She is truly an amazing woman in so many ways. Her creativeness, wit, faithfulness, and class are few of the attributes that inspire me every day. The older I get, people tell me that I am more and more like my mother. I can only hope I become even more like her in years to come! I love you Mom and hope your day is great!

Now, I'll backtrack a little bit. Unfortunately Daniel and I weren't home together long enough to carve our pumpkins. Thats okay, at least they'll last longer. One thing I did do, was spray chalkboard paint on one little pumpkin for the entryway. This is another idea from the blogging world. I found these great chalkboard markers at the Hob Lob that allowed me to have more control over what I wrote; more so than regular chalk which took off the paint more than wrote on it. Chalk+Markers??? Who thought of this? The markers are great and wipe off easily with a wet paper towel, so I was able to change my message from Halloween, to Thanksgiving.

My mom and I had talked about a cute arrangement we saw in PB not long ago. That was my inspiration for this easy peasy little centerpiece. I don't have a formal dining room/dining table, so I can't have a huge beautiful centerpiece that would overtake the room. I used what I had at home: wide vase, pine cones, and pictures. It's a fall inspired way to display what I'm thankful for!

I also wanted to share a little project I did for a Halloween gift last week.

I needed something more than the typical candy, and thought I would try this out. It was really easy and super fun to do. I love projects like this because the possibilities are endless. You could do one in any color to match any outfit for that extra umph!

At a country fair this year, my aunt bought a bucket just like this and had it personalized for her daughter to send as a care package, as she is in college out of town. Great idea right? I thought I could recreate it.

We don't live in a neighborhood with lots of children, but our next door neighbors have a little girl who was definitely planning on dressing up for Halloween. We told her we would love her to come trick or treat at our house, because we weren't planning on anyone coming at all and hated for the holiday to pass us up. Although I had a backup candy stash in case any other kids came, I knew for sure we would have one special tick or treater. Well, thats all the incentive I needed to start this guy...
This was a learning experience for me because I was painting on a different texture and it wasn't flat. But I think after I got the hang of it, it was a fun little project. Although it was a little more time consuming then expected, (that stinkin' little candy corn) it turned out pretty well. Oh, and I was so surprised to have a few more trick-or-treaters than expected. One, to Daniel's excitement, said we were to coolest house they had been to...score!

My mom shared these SUPER YUMMY Halloween cupcakes with us this year. They are made with butternut squash but taste a lot like carrot cake! Topped with cream cheese icing, these little puppies were to DIE for!

Oh, and one more thing! My sweet friends Gerry and Jananna welcomed the newest member of their family, Catherine Grace, on November 1st. I was lucky enough to be at the hospital along with other friends and family to see this little miracle come into the world! At risk of stealing their thunder, I will only share a few of the pictures I took.

Hello, world!

Look at those sweet little piggies!!

Proud Daddy, what a sweetheart!

She doesn't like changing clothes yet, but she'll learn. :)

In mommy's hands, a beautiful thing.

Congratulations, Cornett's. She is gorgeous and absolutely perfect! I am actually kindof obsessed with her. Love you guys!

Okay, now I think I can safely progress toward Thanksgiving. Is it bad that every time I hear or see anything Christmas I get butterflies? ....EXCITED! I'm even planning on taking the final for my online class two weeks early so I can enjoy the holiday season THAT much more.

Is anyone as excited as I am?

Liv

girl with a paintbrush

So, I have never been a big painter. But lately I have found it extremely fun! I think I have actually gone crazy just thinking of all the things I can paint for my house or presents for other people. It's been perfect as my hands have been craving to create something, well lots of things, for fall. This is the first I've made for me to keep :D.

BOO Y'ALL! Haha, I saw a little sign similar to this on etsy, and I thought "I can do that!" Plus, since we're living in Soddy, I thought I needed a little something that said "y'all" on it.

I put it on my wreath to color it up a bit for Halloween. Don't know if I love it there, but it will do until the 31st. I can't reveal any other of the projects I have been doing yet and it's been hard because I've been having so much fun doing it!

Loving my mums and pumpkins! Hopefully I can post when we carve/paint them because I have great plans for these guys.

Stay tuned for more!

Liv

LOVING Lately

I have seen a few blogs do a weekly entry about what they have been loving. I thought it was a great idea, although I probably will not get around to doing one every single week. I am excited about taking some time to focus on what I'm loving, instead of worrying about the little mundane day to day things that you don't necessarily love in life. As you probably know, those thoughts can really drag you down, so it's nice to focus on the positive.

1. Personalized Canvases.

I couldn't wait to show everyone this canvas that I did for a family member who is having a baby next month. I stole borrowed this idea from a friend who, after asking to buy one from her, said it was easy and I could do it myself! And it really was. I taped everything off to paint the boarder and just made sure to measure accurately. For the dots, I used a pouncer and then went back over them with a paint brush. The hardest part was free-handing the words and making sure the spacing was ok.

I have always loved this little quote and wanted to use it somewhere. So, this was a perfect opportunity. All in all I was really happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to start my next one!

2. Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I think I've already had 3 of them and it just got cold this weekend.

Who doesn't love these???

3. My sweet Daddy was inducted as an elder at his church today.

When I first heard he was being considered I thought, "my dad isn't old..." haha. There were other men, including my uncle, who were inducted along with him that are around his age as well. Of course, I know there isn't a "too young to ride" sign anywhere. I am so happy for him and the church that he will be shepherding. Love him!

Congratulations Daddy!!!

Oh, and did I mention my sweet hubbs?? I'm loving him too...

That's all for now! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Liv

September is almost over, really?

Oh, wow! And I thought August went fast!

For the past few years, when the weather begins to change and fall comes knocking on summer's door, I get to feeling super crafty. Especially now that I have a house to decorate; this year is no exception. Last year I made a little wreath with floral picks of berries and leaves from the Hob Lob. This year, I added some pinecones and acorns in as well. The great thing I decided to do is use the basic twig wreath form over and over again by not attaching anything with hot glue. I used the form in the spring to make a dotty wreath with fabric circles and a fabric covered "P." I don't know how, but I managed to not get a picture of it the entire time I had it up. But fall is calling my name again.

I just used floral wire to attach everything so I can take it right off! Then I store it in the off season. The pinecones hid the wire quite nicely. Everything else is flexible so you can tuck and move to hide or expose wherever you need.

Not too bad for a little homemade wreath. It took no time at all. I think I want a bigger one next year!

I was lucky to be a part of my good friend Jananna's baby shower this past weekend. I think Jananna and her husband Gerry are going to be great parents, and I was glad to help out! Look at this super cute owl cake, it was exactly like the invitations.

I helped Amber, of Southern Comforts with the Gardners, and Megan do the food and drinks for the shower. It turned out beautifully, and was quite yummy if I do say so myself.

Look at these cutie patootie favors that one of Jananna's friends made! They are Rice Krispie treat balls on sticks, dipped in chocolate!

Love these girls!

And no, Mom and Nanny, as much fun as it was to give a baby shower and buy cute little baby things, I think it won't go any farther than that for Daniel and I...at least for a few more years. :)

Happy fall! Are you feeling crafty as well?

Liv

Busy Bees

Wow, I haven't written on here in a loooong time! Daniel and I have been very busy, between summer activities, starting the school semester and of course, work.

We started this month by painting our kitchen! There was definitely WAY to much brown in our house, and I thought grey would be a nice change. Now, I wonder if I could talk Daniel into new countertops and adding french doors? hmmmm...

We used the new Valspar paint from Lowes. For anyone who is thinking about using this paint: you must work quickly with it. It is very thick! But, it did cover very well. Here is the product:

Well, sort of. The only pictures I have are of everything still a mess.

Daniel's birthday was the 11th. Since I was woking that day, we decided to have a nice picnic together by the river the day before. Also the day after, we celebrated with family.

I made a yummy summer desert and we also had a doughnut cake!

This is such an easy and SCRUMPTIOUS strawberry piece of heaven. All it takes is strawberries, angel food cake, vanilla pudding and whipped cream. It would also help to have one of these on hand to lick the spoon:

We ended the night by riding my cousin's go-cart and opening presents.

I love my little family!

I also love my other little family. I saw Alana off to her first day of pre-k a few weeks ago. I can't believe Camilla was ever that small! What a big girl!

Oh, and here is a little project I have started! Can't wait to show everyone the final product!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful end to their Summer! We are really looking forward to all the excitement that Fall brings! I can't wait for festivals, pumpkin carving and early Christmas shopping!

Much love,

Liv

our mini vacay

A few pictures that Daniel and I took in Paris, TN

the eiffel tower was about as tall as a two story house, on a platform

those bales of hay were tall!

Hope your weekends were great!

Liv

how does your garden grow?

This spring I asked Daniel if we could start a small pot garden. Since I have never had a garden before, I wanted to start small. Something I couldn't kill.

Well,

when we got to Lowes to get the supplies, Mr. Pippin got a bit carried away. We (he) ended up digging two plots beside our porch, which we planted the minimum in. You know, just some onion, cucumbers, jalapenos, and (brace yourself) NINE tomato plants!!

Now be aware that we were forewarned by the sweet woman that helped us at Lowes, I just thought that I would probably kill half of them. But, guess what? I didn't! And now look at it...

The tomato plants are as tall as I am!

I got to harvest the first fruits of my labor this past weekend, and boy was it rewarding. There are probably going to be 300 more so I guess I shouldn't get too excited.

But, fruits and veggies aren't the only thing growing in our lives. We are so lucky to have wonderful friends and family surrounding us. Here we are at my aunts house on the 4th of July. I love our little family!

Weston with my sweet Nanny

After a fun cookout with family, we headed downtown to meet up with Jess and Andy for Pops in the Park.

Monday night we had some old friends over. This is a series of pictures that Rusty took. Haha, love Meg's faces! We so enjoyed hearing about Gerry and Jananna's new adventure, their baby on the way, Catie Grace!

Oh, and I have picked up a new hobby! I received a hand-me-down bike from a sweet couple at the SB and boy, have we been puttin' that baby to use! I really love going to spin class, but being outside is totally different. I am learning how to motivate myself to go a little harder and a little longer. I was so proud that our first time out, we biked over 10 miles! Daniel is super pumped that I have picked up a new outdoor activity (bless it).

Lovin' life as Mrs. Pippin! Who ever said your first years are the hardest?! Make it an adventure!

Liv

the house that built me

Recently I had a huge complement come from one of Daniel's employees. Well, actually it was about my brother, who is working at the SB for the summer. This sweet woman came up to me and told me how much she had loved meeting Weston for the first time. She told me how she felt he and I were alike in the fact that "we get it." She continued to explain, she meant that Weston and I know what life is all about. What is important and what isn't in the great scheme of things. But what she said next was the kicker..."you must have had great parents..."

Yes, you're absolutely right.

Have you heard that Miranda Lambert song, The House That Built Me? (country I know...) Well, I cried. CRIED when I first heard it, thank goodness for big sunglasses. This song talks about a girl going back to her roots to try to find herself again. Maybe it's because I grew up in the same home for pretty much my whole life, but this song really touched me. I am so blessed to have the parents I did. The experiences they gave me and how much they gave up for me will be something I am forever grateful for.

Do you ever wish you could just go back to being that little 6 year old girl that walked with your daddy on top of his shoes? Or bake cookies in the kitchen with your mom for the first time?

...I so do...

It makes me think of what kind of house Daniel and I will build for our family. I want it to be happy, full of love and laughter. I want to have slumber parties like my brother and I did. Bedrooms facing one another with our sleeping bags in the doorways, laughing at something our dad said at dinner. I want to have the family vacations, the christmas memories, I want it ALL. But most of all, I want to make my parents proud. I want them to look at my life and know that they raised a good person.

I wish I could go back and make those memories, knowing what I know now. I would tell myself that everything will be okay. The bumps and bruises will heal. The knotted Barbie hair won't matter. Your brother will actually be cool one day. Your first broken heart can always be mended by your daddy. And always always remember to feed you hamsters so they will not eat one another.

if I could walk around I swear I'll leave

won't take nothing but a memory

from the house that built me

Liv

when i'm alone with my fancies

I've always wanted to start a blog since we were married last year. I've always enjoyed writing, but i didn't know if I would have anything to say, or if anyone would want to read it. Recently I have had lots of time on my hands and wanted to pick up a new hobby, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to begin.

One thing that most people know about me is that I love old movies and music. I have always considered myself an "old soul" of sorts and really appreciate the 40's era of entertainment. I love the way Audrey Hepburn moves with grace through the scenes of Breakfast at Tiffany's, how Frank Sinatra sings beautiful ballads aligned with jazzy beats, the way Ella Fitzgerald pours out her heart with deep, soulful notes. I love the feeling of that classy Hollywood style of the 30's and 40's. There seemed to be so much possibility in those times, as if the sky were the limits. You never heard of a scandal about a movie star's scram bracelet going off, or of cheating husbands with 10 mistresses. Things were...simple. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems as if people had values.

Even the music in our wedding, in May 2009, was "big band" inspired. One of my favorites, was played before I walked down the isle: Louis Armstrong's, "A Kiss To build A Dream On." One part goes like this:

"give me your lips for just a moment

and my imagination will make that moment live,

give me what you can only give

a kiss to build a dream on"

I happened to think of this song when I was trying to decide on a blog name. It fit perfectly into what I want for this blog. My goal is to simply reflect on things that are going on in our lives, how far we have come in a year, and where we plan on going in the future.

I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband that cares for me in a way I never could have imagined. I often think of our first kiss as husband and wife. Well, actually we had two, but that's another story. That moment was everything my dreams as I was growing up told me it would be. The excitement and anticipation of planning for the past year, well the past 24 years if you are like me, culminated to that moment. I felt like all was right in the world. I felt that God was truly shining on us. I felt that THIS KISS was what we could build OUR dreams on!

liv