Live the Life You've Imagined, Part 38

These photos provide a quick peek into my life from the past seven days. I am continuing to work on living my imagined life and appreciating all of the small things. If you would like to follow my photos, my username on Instagram is mrsmoon, I will happily follow you back!

The best smoothie…spinach, strawberries, and fresh pineapple.

Asparagus for dinner, picked out of my parents garden.

Aunt Lorraine and I spent some quality time together over the weekend baking German chocolate cupcakes. 

 Aunt Lorraine’s lily of the valley.

Mom made the trip to Lafayette on Monday to pick out some new light fixtures. We also checked out Bennett’s greenhouses. 

 Potting house plants on the kitchen floor.

On Tuesday I received a phone call asking if they could show our house in an hour. I turned into a vacuuming-dusting machine. While I was kicked out of the house, I visited the neighborhood Goodwill and found this treasure, a four quart vintage Pyrex bowl. The bowl is more pink than this photo suggests.

I was at Trader Joe’s yesterday and thought this would be an adventurous snack. It was peculiarly spicy and fishy at the same time. It is not likely that I will go on this adventure again…

I finally visited the Container Store in Indianapolis. All of the storage and organizations solutions were fun to check out…plus I have a fondness for boxes.

Propagating Mums

First off, let me note that I have never attempted to propagate mums, so I am not sure if this endeavor will be successful. I did receive two beautiful potted mums from a coworker who assured me that this process is quite easy.

There are a few reasons why I prune mums:

1. The plant is already huge and if I continue to let it grow unchecked, it will flower long before fall.

2. Pruning keeps the plant looking full and bushy.

3. I can use the clippings to grow new plants! 

I have pruned my mums over the last few years and I haven’t had any problems. Since the plant is already huge, I will probably have to trim it a few more times this summer. 

The hacked up mum.

After making a fresh cut, I soaked some of the plants in water. 

(I will let you know if this makes a difference.)

I planted the mum branches an inch deep in potting soil and topped it all off with fertilizer. Finally I soaked everything with water in hopes of growing sturdy roots.

In May I am going to try to propagate rose bushes from a single branch. I will keep you posted on my success. 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Its So Cheri ~ thegingerbreadblog

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~  A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims   ~ itsoverflowing ~ theletter4

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ oneartmama ~  fivedaysfiveways ~ amynjesse

Sarah G's Senior Photos

I had the opportunity to take Sarah’s senior photos a couple of weeks ago at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.  Sarah is a senior at Griffith High School with a very promising future. She will be heading to Indiana University in the fall. The storm clouds held off and we were able to capture some great shots. 

Which one is your favorite?

Live the Life You've Imagined, Part 37

These photos provide a quick peek into my life from the past seven days. I am continuing to work on living my imagined life and appreciating all of the small things. If you would like to follow my photos, my username on Instagram is mrsmoon, I will happily follow you back!

 I was sad to say goodbye to Picnik this week. Hopefully I will soon find a comparable program that can make collages. Any suggestions?

Last Friday Josh and I dined on ahi tuna and steaks while strangers perused our home. Hopefully we can sell it soon. We went house hunting last night and I am excited to start working on our next house in Indianapolis!

On Saturday we drove to Northwest Indiana to take some senior photos. (I plan on sharing a few with you soon) We went out to dinner with my parents at the Lighthouse. The food was outstanding as usual and I loved dinning lakeside.

On Sunday I spent some quality time baking with my sister. We made lemon  crinkle cookies.

I found this 1944 edition of The Wizard of Oz at Goodwill. The book has several quirky illustrations and it makes a nice addition to our at home library. 

Lilacs picked form our yard. 

 An evening stroll.

They may not be palm trees, but the view from our front porch is still pretty. 

 Homemade sweet and sour chicken.

Attempting to be creative at work. 

linked: liferearranged, agoodlifeblog, lifeonleroy

DIY Chalk Painted Flower Pots

I have been whining ever since we put our house up for sale that I do not want to leave behind my plants. Although it is against the rules to dig up all of the landscaping before we leave, I decided to transplant some starters for our new house.

To go along with my garden contraband, I needed new pretty pots. I have used No Minimalist Here's recipe for homemade chalk paint once before and it is pretty easy to whip up. I used two parts latex paint and one part Plaster of Paris. 

I bought this intense blue-teal color from the oops section at Menards. The paint only cost a dollar!

After eyeballing the paint to plaster ratio, I added some white acrylic paint to tone down the blue.

I mixed the paint in a leftover airtight container so I can use my mixture again.

 After the chalk paint dried it was brighter than I expected.

I used a sanding block to distress the paint. I focused on the edges where the paint would naturally wear down. 

I like the finished texture and color, but I am not sure how well the paint will hold up with repeated watering. I will have to wait and see. 

My garden contraband: Sedum, Chinese Sedum and two varieties of hens and 

chicks. 

A few other flowers may end up making the journey with us too! 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Its So Cheri ~ thegingerbreadblog

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~  A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims   ~ itsoverflowing ~ theletter4

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ oneartmama ~  fivedaysfiveways ~ amynjesse

Live the Life You've Imagined, Part 36

These photos provide a quick peek into my life from the past seven days. I am continuing to work on living my imagined life and appreciating all of the small things. If you would like to follow my photos, my username on Instagram is mrsmoon. 

1. Easter lily from Josh’s mom. She, like many family members, supports my flower habit.  

2. Easter egg dying round two. I found out that you can use lemon juice as a vinegar substitute in the dyeing process. (disclaimer: the colors will not be as vibrant)

3. My first attempt at deviled eggs, garnished with chives picked from our garden.  My mom and dad hosted a fantastic Easter lunch with an exorbitant amount of food. 

4. Alyssa and I perused three Goodwill locations on half off Saturday. I bought this citrus juicer. Now when recipes call for lemon juice, I no longer have to squeeze lemons with my fingers.

5. This week I learned how to make tiny flower arrangements in tea cups, yet another use for that stockpile of teacups I have.

6. Turquoise vintage Pyrex has been on my thrift hunt list for awhile now. I finally found a reasonable-ish priced dish and it matches our kitchen perfectly.

7. We have been kicked out of our house several times around dinner over the last couple weeks for showings. On Wednesday we walked over to Igloo Frozen Custard to have some burgers and fries while strangers roamed our home. Tonight we have two showings, so Outback is calling our name.

8. Coincidentally, both book clubs that I participate in picked nonfiction stories relating to WWII. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, is the best book I have read in a long time. Louis Zamperini’s story is incredibly inspiring and I am motivated to learn more about WWII and the greatest generation.

9. Last weekend Josh and I went to see the Hunger Games. I liked the movie, but still recommend reading the book before seeing it. 

linked: liferearranged, agoodlifeblog, lifeonleroy

Alison & Shawn's Maternity Photos

I am not a professional photographer, but I love to take photos and I feel so privileged when friends and family members invite me to capture important milestones in their lives. Alison has been my friend since birth. She lived next door to me when I was born. Although our families are no longer neighbors, they have managed to stay very close friends over the last three decades.

Alison and Shawn are expecting their first child, a baby boy, in May. 

Congrats Alison and Shawn and I look forward to meeting “Baby D” at our next photo shoot!