July 11th, 1995 just after midnight....Maris Lee Ridenour arrived in our lives at just shy of 10 pounds.
 It was one of the best days of my life. 


{that's a lightning bug she caught with her nose}



Maris, you have never sat still....not for a minute. You have wanted to grab every single 
piece of zest out of life. And what accomplishments that zest has provided you! 



You are dramatic, funny, intelligent and creative. 



You are an amazingly supportive super hero of a big sister. Without a shadow of a doubt,
Jack has always known that if any one were ever to 'mess' with him, they would first have
 to deal with you.   
 


I admire your joy, your constant smile, your incredible happiness. I am so amazed at even at 
such a young age, you have always been at such peace in your own skin.  So admirable.



No one laughs harder at themself than you. I love this so much! 





Whether you are on the court, the track, or in the classroom, you always give 110% to your
coaches, your teammates, and your teachers.
 




You are an incredibly loyal and faithful friend and you are so fortunate to also be surrounded
by so many wonderful girlfriends.  



Life hasn't always been fair to you and yet your priorities have never faltered. 



What makes me the most proud of you, is that your outside can't even touch the
 beauty that lies within your heart..

The last 16 years of my life have never had a dull moment because of you, my beautiful
daughter. You have inspired me, encouraged me and made me incredibly proud. The Lord
has blessed you beyond belief. I am in awe of your values, and your willingness to be there
 for others. You deserve every wonderful thing in the world.

Happy Sweet 16, my sweet, sweet girl! I love you,
mom  

I hope you get some good cuddle time this weekend!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
xoxo

I have been slow to embrace the 'blue' trend in home interiors. Maybe it's because I live in the 
mountains and we are surrounded by rich greens and earthy browns and blue has always felt
like it lives happier at the lake or beach. But, I must say, I am opening myself up a lot more to
Mr. Blue. Especially when you see it in bedrooms rooms like these.


{houzz.com}


 
{myhomeideas.com}



{cottages&gardens.com}

{nuevo estilo via la dolce vita}



{houzz.com}



{pinterest}

What about you, are you a blue fan?

Wow, with a title like that I know you are all just dying to keep reading...

For those of you that are kind enough to continue on, bless you.
{I am running on little 3 hour 'naps' so catchy prose is simply failing me. apologies... }

I'm working on a renovation project and the master bedroom is now ready for furniture. The bed
the home owners owned had good lines and was a perfect candidate for a little update.
Here's the footboard before:



And here is the headboard:



Here's the after:



I used Benjamin Moore's Hampshire Gray which I also used on the adjoining master bathroom vanities.
 I distressed it, and then used Light Brown Briwax. 







I am waiting on a few more pieces to be delivered and then I can do the install. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a little slow on blogging this week. I celebrated the 4th by bringing my mom home from the hospital.
I will be taking care of her this week, so posts may be a little intermittent.  Bear with me!