tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83534094163650301452024-03-18T03:03:05.566-04:00Words on WendhurstJenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-46622917454559905052010-08-30T07:51:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.972-05:00Laptop Bling<img class="aligncenter" title="laptop back" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d611b3127ccefaa87e24942100000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/><strong><font size="12">D</font size="12"></strong>oes anyone else think that laptops, while incredibly convenient and useful, can be quite boring? I definitely thought so, so I dressed mine up with some bling. :-) I saw these vinyl decals at my local Michaels, and liked them immediately.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="vinyl decal" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d611b3127ccefaa993d2f47500000040O10ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D1/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>While in the store, I couldn't think of any way to use them, so I left without purchasing them. But, happily, a few days later I came up with the idea of putting them on my laptop cover. I hadn't wanted to purchase a skin for my laptop, but was put off by the price and the overwhelming amount of options. That's why these little flowers were perfect. They're easily removable, so they don't damage the computer at all, and they add a little pop of color to the otherwise boring case. The only catch was, when I went back to Michaels they were no where to be found. I had half expected that, as they were clearanced out on my last trip, but I tooled around the store, looking at other fun stuff and hoping I might find them in some forgotten corner. I may or may not have spent copious amounts of time in the art aisles, admiring all of the oil paints, canvases and brushes. Brushes are my weakness. :-) Anyways, I took one last trip around the store, and voila! There they were, hiding in a dark corner of the scrapbooking section.<br/><br/>Putting them on the computer was easy peasy. I simply cut out around the shapes, and positioned them on the back of the screen.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d611b3127ccefaa84d4fd4cb00000030O10ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D1/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d611b3127ccefaa950cfb49100000030O10ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D1/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>The decals included a little plastic piece the size of a credit card that worked very well to smooth out any stray bubbles. Now my 'puter has a little bit of sizzle to it. Isn't it pretty?<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d611b3127ccefaa8e7ef550e00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><a href="http://www.etsy.com">Etsy</a> has tons of vinyl decal options, and most of the sellers are willing to customize something for you. Think of the possibilities! :-)<br/><br/>Centsational Girl is having a "<a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/08/where-do-you-blog-party/">Where I Blog</a>" party. Because we travel so much, I don't really have a stable spot that I blog from, which is why I love my super portable laptop with its long battery power. So now the "where I blog" is a little prettier! Go see all of the fabulous spaces that these girls have! <br/><br/>Also linked to the <a href="http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/09/sunday-showcase-party-w-uprinting.html">Sunday Showcase</a> @ Under the Table and Dreaming:-), the<a href="http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/09/diy-project-parade.html"> DIY Project Parade</a> @ The DIY Showoff and <a href="http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/09/welcome-to-86th-metamorphosis-monday.html">Metamorphosis Monday </a>@ Between Naps on the PorchJenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-22715746949448723052010-08-27T06:44:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.951-05:00Friday Fav: One Night with the King<img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.parentpreviews.com/legacy-pics/one_night_with_the_king.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="250" /><br/><br/>I know that this movie is not a recent release by any means, but I just watched it again last night, and I was reminded of what a great film this is. This is the original Cinderella story. :-) I have always loved the story of Esther, so there was a good chance I would like this movie. But, on top of my love for this ancient love story, there are so many other things to like about this movie. The sets, the costumes, the tender interaction between the king and Esther, did I mention the costumes? :-) The film is made in the style of the old Hollywood epic films, which I grew up loving. Esther is played by a relatively unknown, Tiffany DuPont. She does a great job transforming from humble innocent Hadassah to the royal and regal Esther. I'd love to see her headlining another good movie.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="tiffany dupont" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:nH3J2ZqYZ7epiM:http://i40.tinypic.com/2jflhzn.jpg&t=1" alt="" width="303" height="166" />King Xerxes is played by Luke Goss. The story, according to the movie's website, is that he auditioned for the part of Xerxes, and was told "thanks but no thanks" They told him he didn't really have the look they were trying to find. So he asked his agent to help him get into the character, and flew up from South Africa to audition for the part again, despite being miserably sick. Happily, he convinced the producers, and the role was his. I think he did an excellent job portraying a king who was bound by protocol, but wished for love.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="luke goss" src="http://www.deebeedee.com/blog/images/xerxes_1night.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="240" />There are a bunch of well known actors who play the other key roles in this film. John Rhys Davies plays Mordecai, each time I see this actor, I am just in awe of all of the different roles he has played. Although he does an excellent job here, I think his favorite role of mine is Gimli the dwarf in Lord of the Rings.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="john rhys davies" src="http://www.firouzanfilms.com/images/HollywoodAndIran/OneNightWithTheKing/OneNightWithTheKing_008.jpg" alt="" width="490" height="270" />Omar Sharif plays Memucan, the voice of reason to the king.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="omar sharif" src="http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/photo/movie_pix/gener8xion/one_night_with_the_king/omar_sharif/king.jpg" alt="" width="319" height="400" />John Noble plays the evil Prince Admantha, who plots against the king in any way he can. Up until Fringe, I had only seen John Noble play tortured, mostly creepy roles where he is definitely the villain. Do you watch Fringe? As Walter, he is still tortured, and sometimes a bit creepy, but mostly he is sweet and endearing.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="john noble" src="http://www.noble-steward.net/john/coppermine1.3.0/albums/userpics/10003/thumb_JohnOneNightwiththeKing.jpg" alt="" width="205" height="100" />Tommy Lister plays the harem eunuch, Hegai. He says that this movie was an opportunity for him to show off a softer side that his size and looks have never allowed him to play before, having always been typecast as the scary huge giant. :-) Softie, or not, I still wouldn't want to cross him!<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="tommy lister" src="http://www.blackwebportal.com/medi_images/Tommy%20Tiny%20Lister%20(9).jpg" alt="" width="321" height="400" />Oh, and I mentioned the costumes before, here are some of the awesome outfits that Tiffany DuPont and Luke Goss got to wear for this film.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="one night with the king" src="http://www.jewishjournal.com/images/photos/art_tt_esther1_101306.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="301" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="one night with the king" src="http://us.ent3.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/gener8xion/one_night_with_the_king/tiffany_dupont/king.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="400" /><img class="aligncenter" title="one night with the king" src="http://www.onenight.co.nz/images/assets/King_1280.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1024" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.8x.com/onenight/images/making_02.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="900" />Stunning no? Do you think I could pull this look off? :-) In conclusion, if you haven't seen this movie, run, don't walk to your nearest video store or kiosk and rent it to watch tonight. Trust me, you'll thank me tomorrow. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.8x.com/onenight/images/making_11.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" />Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-3108754355728478052010-08-22T13:28:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.819-05:00Deck Makeover<strong><span>L</span></strong>ast summer our focus was on the front of the house. We figured that we had ignored the outside for long enough, and that our neighbors would appreciate us improving the curb appeal a bit. So we slaved and toiled all summer long, and into the fall to take the front of our house from drab to fab. All of our efforts paid off, when we ended up with the front looking like this:<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="stucco house" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9cf27b3127ccef8d98e58210a00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />But the back of the house received zero attention. :-) We've tried really hard to balance out our life with our renovations, and not allow them to take over completely. With that in mind, last summer we decided to only work on the front. Which meant that the back of the house still looked like this:<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="stucco exterior" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d603b3127ccefab8a0112c3400000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />Not quite as pleasant, right? So this summer we thought we would tackle at least part of this mess in the back, and at the same time spruce up a fun little deck area that we could enjoy throughout the summer. My other two goals were to mostly tackle projects I could do myself, and to not spend huge amounts of money or time by changing anything. We would simply work with what we had, using paint, new light fixtures and simple accessories to make everything liveable. And here's what we accomplished:<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="deck makeover" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabef1b6056600000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />Quite a difference, right? I need to mention here that we ignored the left side of the house entirely. Its time will come, but we need to kill some weeds, get rid of some garbage and take out some planters before we can even think of "sprucing up." So this is two thirds of the back fixed up. :-) We continued with the yellow and green color scheme we started with in the front, and then added in some fun shots of red, blue and colored glass to make it very festive. As you can see, the difference is drastic.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabfedd8254a00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />Painting all of the exposed wood, and caring for the neglected deck wood really changed the overall look. For all of the wood that I painted, I simply sprayed off any dirt, then followed with a coat of Kilz primer, and finally with outdoor paint. I love how sunny and warm the yellow is, with the bright pops of green. Caring for the wood of the deck floor was a little more tedious. It took me several hours to sand it all smooth, then I sprayed a deck cleaning solution on, and scrubbed that off. Finally, after everything was clean and dry, we spent a Saturday afternoon applying an outdoor deck stain to the freshly scrubbed boards.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="deck stain" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabefb0a84ef00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>The color is super similar to the concrete paint color we used on the front porch floor. Although not intended, I love that there is such a continuity from front to back now. The other thing that made a huge difference was painting the storm door that leads into the house and swapping out the old handle for a new black one. It's just a simple plastic door, so it looks much better painted.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabe32a2c4bb00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>The deck isn't large, just 10x11 feet, so there was just enough room to add two chairs by the door, and a table and chairs on the opposite side. We made the table from a table base found on Craigslist, and an old cabinet door screwed on as a top. Eventually, I'd like to make a nicer top, but for now, covered with a red and white gingham cloth, it looks sweet and allows us to eat out here in the summertime.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="deck dinner table for two" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabf6d31a4d300000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />See how rich the wood looks now? And it is splinter free, which encourages bare feet. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="deck table" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabf1762a4bd00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />The plants, other than the silk poppies on the table, are mostly clearance finds at the garden centers. Next year I hope to grow some healthy geraniums and petunias to fill up all the pots, but for now, these bargain babies provide some much needed splashes of color.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabe05fd846700000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabf042c655200000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><img class="aligncenter" title="marigolds" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabe5c04451a00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><img class="aligncenter" title="begonias" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabf6a6ce41500000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><img class="aligncenter" title="petunias" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabffe30e40300000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />These last ones, the red petunias, are my favorites. We found the little red pails at Target for $1.00 a piece, and I filled them with a six pack of red petunias from Walmart. They are the perfect scale for the corners of the deep windowsills, and they make me smile every time I see them.<br/><br/>I ordered a new light from Overstock for the funky pole in the middle of the deck. The halogen spotlight that was previously there was broken, and had way too much wattage for the small area. This little wall mount lantern was a much better fit. We purchased a decorative halogen bulb at Lowes for inside, and I love how it looks through the glass of the light.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="outdoor lantern" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabfb126259a00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />The aqua colored votive holders on either side were clearanced out to $2.57 at Pier 1. I used some floral wire to string them from the ironwork above, and they are so pretty with the sun shining through them, or with tealights inside at night.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="glass votive" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabe510e058e00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />I wanted this area to be slightly reminiscent of the balconies in Spain, so I hunted down some pretty plates to hang on the wall, as they so often do there. Beneath them are some colored glass jars and bottles I thought were cool, and a metal smiling sunflower from Christmas Tree Shops.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabfff08a4a300000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />Lover also made up a bunch of glass tiki torches. We simply collected some little bottles we liked, and filled them with tiki fluid. The wick is a length of sisal rope, threaded through a hole made in a bottle cap. Once the sisal is saturated, these torches burn super clean and work wonders at keeping the bugs away from the deck. The green torches below were made from cooking wine bottles, and we repurposed their tops to hold the "wick" in place.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="homemade tiki torches" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabe895005bc00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />We also painted the front of the entryway, and it looks tons better. I'm slowly building up a pretty flower garden for this planter, and already it looks tons better than it did before. My beautiful morning glories from last year naturalized, and I love how they look climbing up either side of the window.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabff9dba47300000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />So that's how we transformed our less then stellar deck into a fun, relaxing retreat. I can't decide if my favorite part is the yellow wall color, the happy red geraniums or those cool plates on the wall. What about you?<br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d600b3127ccefabf2b4aa48b00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Linked to <a href="http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/08/sunday-showcase-party-w-three-scoops-of.html">Sunday Showcase</a> @ By Stephanie Lynn, <a href="http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/08/welcome-to-84th-metamorphosis-monday.html">Metamorphosis Monday</a> @ BNOTP,<a href="http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/08/diy-project-parade_22.html"> DIY Parade</a> @ DIY ShowoffJenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-39604487386962551122010-08-20T08:54:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.796-05:00Friday Fav: Keeper of the Stars<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="stars" src="http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/universe/stars.jpg" alt="" width="50%" /></p><br/><strong><font size="12">I</font size="12"></strong> know you may not love country music as much as I do, but I hope you'll take the time to listen to this song. I consider it one of the greatest love songs ever, and so appropriate for our love story. It literally brings tears to my eyes each time I hear it, when I stop to think about how God orchestrated our lives to give us a beautiful friendship that slowly matured into a deep, longlasting love. I love the romanticism and lyricism of this song. Don't you just love the idea of thinking about God, the creator of the universe as the keeper of the stars? And that keeper orchestrating the deepest relationship you can ever have with another person?<br/><br/><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wngb5Mq1SQY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wngb5Mq1SQY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br/><br/>Here are the lyrics, if you don't know them already<br/><p style="text-align: center;">It was no accident me finding you</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Someone had a hand in it long before we ever knew</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Now I just can't believe You're in my life</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Heaven smiling down on me as I look at you tonight</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I tip my hat, to the Keeper of the Stars</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>He sure knew what he was doing</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>when he joined these two hearts</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I hold everything when I hold you in my arms</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I've got all I'll ever need</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Thanks to the Keeper of the Stars</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Soft moonlight on your face Oh how you shine</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">It takes my breath away just to look into your eyes</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">I know I don't deserve a treasure like you</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">There really are no words to show my gratitude</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I tip my hat, to the Keeper of the Stars</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>HE sure knew what he was doing</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>when he joined these two hearts</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I hold everything when I hold you in my arms</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I've got all I'll ever need</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Thanks to the Keeper of the Stars</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Thank you, Keeper of the Stars, for my wonderful husband, and our life together.</p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-55589748450415412112010-08-18T06:23:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.744-05:00Cuteness Award<strong><font size="12">E</strong></font size="12">very couple of months, Lover and I get that age-old, super annoying question; when are you having kids? While I try not to get irritated about it, after four years I have come up with some snotty little comebacks for the people that just won't back off. :-) That said, I do try to be civil, and I patiently explain, over and over again, that it's not that we don't <em>want </em>kids, it's just that we're <em>not ready</em> for kids. This goes over much better in Spain, where couples typically get married in their mid twenties, and wait to have kids until their thirties. But, we live in America, and Americans love to "do it now!" (Did anyone watch 24, back when it was good and Jack Bauer was constantly yelling "DO IT NOW!"?) so we have to put up with the constant questioning.<br/><br/>Anyways, one of the reasons that we are in no hurry to have our own kids is because we have a whole passle of adorable nieces and nephews. Whenever we need some serious silly time with a bunch of soft skinned toddlers, or some snuggle time with a little baby, we just hit up the brothers and sisters who have so kindly provided for this need. ;-) There are a lot of not-so-cute kids out there in the world, but none of them are among our nieces and nephews.<br/><br/>Just a little while ago, we spent a great evening with four of our little family members, hanging out a fun kid's play place, and snapping some cute shots of them in the gorgeous light of the setting sun.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidyMwTG-I/AAAAAAAADc8/idSYTXHGpJQ/s512/img034.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />This guy is the oldest. He makes sure to keep everyone in line, and he has the privilege of being the <em>very first grandchild</em> so you can imagine how great that was. He just started losing his baby teeth, as you can see here.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidzXlj1vI/AAAAAAAADdA/16egax3fVjg/s512/img035.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />Next up is the little brother, this guy is a barrel of laughs. He is the goofiest kid I know, but most likely the sweetest as well. For a while his favorite thing to do was rhymes. You'd ask him, "what rhymes with window?" His answer "finnow". Hilarious.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidtbtGpkI/AAAAAAAADcw/Mo2RX_xp4UU/s512/img031.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" /><br/><br/>Getting a nice calm smile like that is a rarity. More often than not, these are the faces he's making:<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidwIv56FI/AAAAAAAADc4/2Q1S5B6pSRM/s512/img033.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />Then, we have their little sister, who looks exactly like her mom did growing up. She's sneaky like her too. (JK :-) Is she not the most adorable little girl?<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEido9nxk8I/AAAAAAAADcg/sTTNexbNAnw/s512/img027.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />I love her little flowery dress. It made her look like such a little lady.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidnQcAtgI/AAAAAAAADcc/CchDri9Unpg/s512/img026.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />Sweet girl. The baby of the family is another pretty little girl, who I photographed last fall with mixed results. She was cranky last year, but this time she was in a perfect mood!<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidbJ0zG-I/AAAAAAAADb4/n5HJd35yGkc/s720/img017.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="480" />She is so cute. They call her the little bean, and I always think she looks like a baby elf. Either way, she is so sweet and adorable.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEiddtZeQKI/AAAAAAAADcA/ooiAo_fO9qU/s512/img019.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />Munching on some clover.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidk9-ncQI/AAAAAAAADcU/Hg776JWty5E/s512/img024.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />And then she found a pretty flower. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidl41PpHI/AAAAAAAADcY/oaW1Rz7ehhY/s512/img025.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />The two sisters together. I hope these girls grow up to be best friends.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidHbkPaYI/AAAAAAAADbY/f8ehCGBFm58/s720/img010.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="480" />And the brothers - they're both in school this year! When did they get so big?<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEic4JrQ1bI/AAAAAAAADa4/sFx3Z66Yirc/s512/img002.jpg" alt="" width="341" height="512" />And then a few of the four of them all together. As you can imagine, this part was mayhem. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEidTCSEXvI/AAAAAAAADbo/cqvpnuAx9po/s720/img014.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="480" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEieAryd2gI/AAAAAAAADdY/soyz6SiOxMo/s800/img041.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="506" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TEieKGdZNfI/AAAAAAAADdo/Nt-RPXlkMm8/s720/img045.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="480" />So there you go. Adorable cuteness, available whenever we need a baby fix. :-)Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-43270032314665559892010-08-16T08:37:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.692-05:00Mirror, mirror, on the wall<img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab53874f78700000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/><strong><font size="12">F</font size="12"></strong>rom time to time we find some great little treasures on Craigslist. Now, don't get me wrong, you can find some really hideous stuff on there, but if you are patient and are willing to wait a while, you may uncover some hidden gems. It's very similar to going to garage sales or thrift stores. For every hundred links you click on, ten will be something you are interested in. And of those ten, one or two will be in your price range. We've really utilized Craigslist since we bought our house, as we suddenly had a bunch of rooms to furnish and decorate!<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab4b63856f000000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>One of our most recent finds was this fun and funky mirror. We already have a very similar one in our master bedroom, and as I am slowly collecting stuff for the very far-off date when we will be decorating the basement, I knew that this mirror would look great anywhere we put it. My initial idea is to use it in the basement bathroom, but we will see. :-) My decorating ADD might kick in before that. :-) Anyways, what I love about this mirror is the intricate scroll and detail in the frame. It makes it more like a work of art than a mirror.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab50654768800000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Just for kicks, I put it up on my mantel to see what it would look like. It looks pretty nice there, and it is always good to know that I have lots of options. :-) I liked how it filled that whole space of the little jut out part.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab5a064f7db00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>I picked up this mirror a few months back, I think there was still snow on the ground. I had to go into the city to get it, and when I went to meet the seller, she lived up in the third story of a house so she had to come all the way downstairs to let me in the main door. As we were walking up the stairs, she mentioned something about her dog. Then, when we finally reached the third floor she yells "Oh no! She did!" and I was like, um what? Turns out her dog loves to play with the door, and had locked her out of the apartment on multiple occasions, this being one of them. So, I went and bought a hot chai while I waited for the girl's boyfriend to come over and let her back in. So funny. Anyways, just a little bunny trail there. :-)<br/><br/>So, considering that this mirror might end up in the basement, and definitely needs a paint job, I had some fun in Photoshop envisioning what colors might look best. I could always go the safe route, and paint it black. I know it looks good, because my <a href="http://wordsonwendhurst.com/2009/02/19/its-glamorous-and-romantic/">bedroom mirror</a> is black.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab55905366e00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Or, I could update that dingy gold color with a fresh coat of white, which would also be nice, albeit a bit predictable.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab53d18b77100000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>I could let down my hair and paint it red, which could be really fun,<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab45856d7d900000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Or, I could really go wild and paint it green,<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab4b932975500000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>yellow,<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab4f73e164e00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>or my very favorite color, turquoise. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d637b3127ccefab50681f76d00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>What do you think? Without regards to where this mirror will end up, or what color scheme it will need to fit in with, do you have a favorite option?Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-88860656697403110722010-08-14T07:57:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.657-05:00New Look for de Blog :-)<strong><font size="14">M</font size="14"></strong>y decorating ADD has set in once again, and I've changed things up all over again. I like the simpler look of this template, and it is way easier to use. :-) This is actually the same template that my friend (real life <em>and</em> bloggy!) <a href="http://jennaseverythingblog.wordpress.com/">Jenna </a>uses. I'm obviously tweaking this a bit to fit my needs, but I like the simple clean lines of this template. Much less cluttered. What do you think?Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-37252391142239568682010-08-06T05:09:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.583-05:00Our WeddingYesterday we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary, so I figured that today would be a great day to show you some pictures of our wedding. I won't go into a lot of detail, but I wanted to show you some of my favorites from the our special day.<br/><br/>Wedding planning is so stressful, but it was all worth it once I was walking down the aisle, about to marry my best friend!<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="bride walking down aisle" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa98e255df9f00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>During the ceremony, our pastor asked us to take a moment and look around at all of our friends and family, gathered there to celebrate us. That is one of my favorite memories of the whole day!<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa99eb83bf9900000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Some shots from the ceremony...<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa98f4175ee600000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />Heidi sang From This Moment On, so beautiful. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa9983e7bfc900000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>We exited the church under a canopy of beads, so pretty and fun.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa980878dfc700000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Aren't my girls pretty? They carried Spanish fans, and all four of us were barefoot for the ceremony. Between bare feet and their little flower hair wreaths, they looked like little fairies going down the aisle. :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa98c2945e7e00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>I bet you can guess which of these guys I think is the most handsome. (The one second from the right :-)<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa993c3effd700000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>I loved, loved, LOVED my dress. It was spectacular, and I felt absolutely gorgeous in it.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa9982727ef400000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>We had a quick, sweet little reception, and then Lover gave me the best surprise. I wanted to go somewhere pretty for pictures, and he had booked a private garden for our wedding pictures. It was just Lover and I and the photographers, and it was incredibly romantic and relaxing. The perfect end to our perfect day.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa9873479f5d00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>It was like a perfect little secret garden, hidden away from everyone.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa98b3539f2900000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />They don't normally allow bridal parties in, but they made an exception for us. So our pictures are one of a kind!<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa99f4297e9400000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />Man, I really love this guy. Kind of ridiculous how much. :-) This next one is one of my absolute favorites of the whole day.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa98e2825e7800000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Oh, and this is the picture that inspired my birthday gift painting. So pretty.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d627b3127ccefa99d6947e3800000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" />I know you are all now jealous of my awesome husband and our wonderful life together. ;-) What can I say, I am blessed beyond measure. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-76266187424619547302010-08-04T08:53:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.566-05:00Day 4 in the month of creativity<a href="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Fullscreen-capture-842010-14921-PM.bmp.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1164" title="Fullscreen capture 842010 14921 PM.bmp" src="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Fullscreen-capture-842010-14921-PM.bmp-300x186.jpg" alt="" width="65%" height="65%" /></a>Heard of <a href="http://www.wordle.net/">Wordle</a>? I spent a ridiculous amount of time today making word clouds and getting them to look just like I wanted them to. :-) It was very fun. ;-)Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-38823800648843850482010-08-02T05:56:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.523-05:00One of a Kind, Original, Singular ArtBack when we moved into Wendhurst Castle, Lover and I made an agreement that we would not display anything other than original art in our castle. Well, <em>art, </em>and photographs of course. Which I guess are a type of art. So, yeah, only original art. :-) We entered this agreement knowing that it would take a while to find stuff we agreed on, and it would take even longer to be able to <em>afford</em> our own original art. But, we made the agreement, and it has thus far stood the test of time, like many of our other agreements. Some other time, ask me about the day I agreed to never bring anything Muppets related into the house, in exchange for being able to watch It's a Wonderful Life every Christmas. :-) Okay, now back to art. For quite a while, the only painting displayed in our home was the one over our mantel, that you've seen before.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="original oil painting" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa9018953cc000000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>I found it for five dollars at a garage sale the first summer in our castle, and I snatched it up faster than you can say "original oil painting" :-) I loved the fact that it was from another couple that had owned it for decades, and that it went perfectly with our color scheme while reminding me of my beloved Spain. And, so, there it sat, for nearly a year, holding the singular, lonely position of original painting in our home.<br/><br/>But then, Lover's mother took a trip to Bolivia, which is <em>her</em> beloved homeland, and she gifted us with this beautiful watercolor that she found there.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="watercolor" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa90cc7cbd7300000030O30ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D3/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>I absolutely adore watercolors, especially because I can paint something somewhat pretty if I am using watercolors. And I love the way that all the colors blend together into one cohesive picture. I also love the translucent quality that all watercolors have. So that made Original Art Piece Numero Dos.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa9140111c2400000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Then, while trolling for large frames at Goodwill, I stumbled upon this little beauty. I'm always looking for larger scale pieces for the mantel, because it is so freaking ginormous that it needs bigger pieces to fill it up. I thought this little painting would look pretty in the corner.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa900ee23cbc00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Again, it has a somewhat ethereal quality, like a watercolor, but it is oil. It signed simply, just "hugo". And I love the soft colors that it brings to that corner of the mantel.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa9048db3ca600000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Then, for our dating anniversary in May, I made over a store bought canvas from Target to create this little canvas to display one of Lover's poems. He had mentioned months ago that he wanted this poem up somewhere in our house, and I had been saving this as an anniversary gift for a while.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa90704ebd1f00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>Shortly after we started dating we came across the saying "Friends Yesterday, Lovers Today, Soulmates Forever" and loved it, because it summed up our decades long relationship perfectly. We met when we were toddlers, and had been friends for about twenty years before we started dating. :-) We even used the saying on our wedding invitations. So when Lover wrote this poem centered around "our" saying, well you can imagine I was delighted.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa91b95f5c8e00000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /><br/><br/>In case you can't read the writing, the poem reads:<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Friends Yesterday</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Friendship is that depth of familiarity that sustains us through life.</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Lovers Today</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Love is that blessed fairy that when softly landed in our hearts breathes the inspiration of poetry.</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Soulmates Forever</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Soulmates share that singular blend of friendship and love that does not merely sustain and inspire but truly gives both life and poetry their only free expression. </em></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">And yes, I know that I am incredibly blessed to have such a wonderfully romantic husband who writes me poetry. :-) But, because Lover is constantly raising the bar, the following week on my birthday he gave me something even more spectacular.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter" title="original oil painting kiss" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa90b2423c4200000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">He commissioned an artist to do a painting of my favorite photo from our wedding. The painting is so beautiful, and I love how it captured the mood of the picture, but has a definite artistic quality to it that was not in the original photo. Is that not the best birthday present ever?</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter" title="kiss" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0d623b3127ccefa914baddd3500000030O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="550" height="400" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">So that's our current lineup of original art. Obviously there are no one of a kind Goyas or Monets in the collection, but they are so much more meaningful to us. Which one is your favorite?</p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-43038458023248563862010-07-30T05:53:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.473-05:00The Month of Creativity<img class="aligncenter" title="colored pencils" src="http://pamdora.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/colored-pencils.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="377" /><br/><br/>I'm really excited about August. Like, super excited. :-) I have voluntarily declared a moratorium on all things work related on the house, like demolition, painting, laying floors, taking out planters, etc. Instead, I am going to CREATE for a solid month. I have a million and one creative projects that have been sitting on the back burner for forever, and I am going to use the month of August to get some of them done. Oh, and some reading. And some sitting in the sun. :-) Lover thinks I am crazy, because he tells me all the time that if I want to spend the afternoon just reading a book, I should just do it. I shouldn't need to schedule it into my time. :-) But that's me. I blame it on overachiever-first child syndrome, and all that other baloney. :-)<br/><br/>I want to make some jewelry, maybe even some of the inspirational stuff I posted about a million years ago. I also want to maybe, <em>maybe</em> do some more watercolors. Oh, and I want to print out some new pictures for our dining room. And alter a few shirts and dresses. And catch up on some scrapbooking. And.... hee hee. I am going to have a blast. I may blog about it, but then again, let's be real, the blog has suffered over the last few months. I'll try to at least post a few times a week. We'll see. :-)<br/><br/>Hope you're having a fun summer too!Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-30180367004076472172010-07-26T03:59:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.447-05:00Pearl Buck in China<img class="aligncenter" title="Pearl Buck" src="http://www.oasisaudio.com/covers/9781598597714.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="208" /><br/><br/>I recently signed up for a review program for audio books, and the first one I received was <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pearl Buck in China.</span> I have to say, I really enjoyed listening to this biography of an early 20th century missionary daughter who became a famous fiction writer later on in life. Although I came to understand that Pearl Buck's life is quite famous, I had never heard of her, nor had I read any of her books. So I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about her life, and the events that shaped her vision of life and ultimately led to her writing some of the most influential books about China of the early 20th century, including <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Good Earth.</span><br/><br/>I think that one of the reasons I enjoyed this book was because I too grew up on the mission field, although not in Asia! I found Pearl's life very interesting, as she dealt with the strangeness of being American in China, and being not quite American in America. She struggled all her life with fitting in, with only a brief period in her teen years where she was popular and content. Later in life, once her books made her famous, she was in high demand, but always struggled with relating to the society she was writing for. She experienced so much sadness and loss in her life, but all of these things shaped her into the writer she was destined to become, and her books have touched people for decades.<br/><br/>The audio book itself is very well done. It is broken into chapters, each averaging about an hour to and hour and a half. The author, Hilary Spurling, does an excellent job reading the book, speaking in a very clear, unhurried manner that makes it easy to understand. At times her British accent is a bit distracting, as the pronunciation of a few words is so completely different from American pronunciations, but overall I had no trouble understanding her. The biography is well written and well researched, and was a very interesting "read!"<br/><br/><em>Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this audiobook free from Oasis Audio as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising</em>.Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-25345093399533631862010-07-23T04:00:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.433-05:00Friday Fav: Brian ReganThis week for Friday Fav I am promoting yet another comedian, that Lover and I just can't get enough of, Brian Regan. This guy is the master of funny, and his one liners have become a part of our daily speech, the way you quote Friends or your favorite movie. :-)<br/><br/><a href="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/brianregan.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1144" title="brianregan" src="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/brianregan-214x300.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="300" /></a>We've watched just about everything of his that we can get our hands on, but our favorite has got to be the "I Walked on the Moon/Me Monster" bit. He talks about that annoying person at a party that thinks it is all about them, and constantly cuts you off in order to one up you. And he fantasizes about being one of the twelve men to have walked on the moon, as the ultimate come-uppance. Here's the skit:<br/><br/><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="640" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5QvSoRQrVJg&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5QvSoRQrVJg&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br/><br/>Take some time to browse through his videos on Youtube, the guy is seriously Funny with a capital F. :-) His DVD's make great gifts, especially if you have hard-to-buy-for brothers like I do! Here's his site: <a href="www.brianregan.com"><strong>www.brianregan.com</strong></a> Now all that's left to do is make it to a live performance, which is definitely on our bucket list!Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-73781282065281704662010-07-16T04:00:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.367-05:00Friday Favs: Anjelah JohnsonI don't know about you, but one of my favorite ways to entertain myself is by watching good clean comedy. Lover and I have been traveling alot lately, and one of the perks of that is being able to watch Comedy Central and find some new comedians to follow. One of our new favorite comedians is Anjelah Johnson.<br/><br/><a href="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/AnjelahJohnson.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1125" title="AnjelahJohnson" src="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/AnjelahJohnson-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a><br/><br/>Anjelah is a former professional cheerleader who is now an up and coming comedian. Her jokes mainly revolve around ethnicities, and the impressions that she can do of them, which are spot on. By far her most popular skit currently is "The Nail Salon" in which she nails an impression of all of the Asian women you've encountered when getting a manicure. She jokes about getting talked into upsales, and arguing to get your nails done the right way, and... well, why don't you just watch it?<br/><br/><center><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/baDJ-ZIvYy0&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/baDJ-ZIvYy0&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><center><br/><br/>She's got a bunch more skits on her website, <strong><a title="anjelah johnson website" href="http://anjelahnicolejohnson.com">www.anjelahnicolejohnson.com</a> </strong>as well as her tour schedule. Go check it out! Now that I've told you all about her, all that's left is to convince her to come up to New England!Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-55464211063881980862010-07-14T04:00:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.382-05:00Wildflowers and Little Girls<p style="text-align: center;">This is shaping up to be a busy summer for my photography! Between all of the shoots, and our normal busy life, and my family being home from overseas, we have a bit of a hectic schedule. But I wouldn't have it any other way! The day before my brother's wedding I went over to a friend's house to take some pictures of their girls for a surprise Father's Day present. We did a few at the house, but then walked down a couple of blocks to an open field that was filled with wildflowers. I've been itching to do a shoot in a field of wildflowers for over a year now, and I finally got my wish! I loved the little outfits that the girls were wearing, and the way that they were so distinctly different, and suited to each girl! :-) They were good sports about the pictures too, in spite of the heat and not being fans of having their pictures taken!<br/><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="rochester ny photographer" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XAJEO96I/AAAAAAAACyo/as_abp2PpTg/img007.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="rochester ny photographer" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XG3xspfI/AAAAAAAACzA/UPCvA-oZz4g/s512/img013.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="rochester ny photographer" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XNfuk4bI/AAAAAAAACzQ/tIRh4BrfnjQ/img017.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="rochester ny photographer" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XOLarkAI/AAAAAAAACzU/yY4vSle9ubE/img018.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="rochester ny portrait photographer" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XSNOIXlI/AAAAAAAACzg/f-pG-lKTU6I/img021.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="rochester ny photographer" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XTNxi0wI/AAAAAAAACzk/6cyvDNs2dzU/s512/img022.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="girl in wildflowers" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-XZq8ZNvI/AAAAAAAACzw/_fdZqAFljIU/img025.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;" title="rochester ny photographer" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TC-Xf3MFSBI/AAAAAAAAC0E/sppsqvALlTA/img030.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" />I had so much fun on this photoshoot, and the best part is that I got to go back and see them again, as they just added a little baby boy to the family! Congratulations, and I cant wait to meet little Jude!</p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-28615936797245699852010-07-12T03:30:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.415-05:00Clean House, er, GarageOn my sidebar there on the right, you'll see that I keep a running tally of things that are currently on my project radar. Of course, these are only a sampling of my mega to do list, but I have fun trying to check them all off. My most recent cross off was the long overdue garage cleaning and straightening.<br/><br/>Not exactly a fun task, but one that was long overdue. As you'll be able to see by the pictures below, the garage was a chaotic mess that has never really been dealt with. The previous owners left a bunch of stuff in the garage when we bought the house, and we were pretty excited about some of it. they left lawn tools and a lawnmower, which was a godsend for two broke first time homeowners like us. Unfortunately, they also left a bunch of random junk, plastic plant trays, firewood and other garbage. And then, as we settled in and began renovations, cleaning the garage never even showed up on the radar. :-)<br/><br/>Someday, I'd like to thoroughly clean and sort out the garage, paint over the orange paint and install some more organizational items. But for now, a major toss of all garbage, straightening of equipment and a thorough sweeping will have to do! Here are all the fun before and afters:<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="clean garage" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7E0zTko2XbdqN_776rJtQJP8r7HZu5TENWQv2L1Q7qKBLe-I-icf6zVEwyQkiCuN2vSSH6OpiLkGpszMDGUWAe0Ya65kuGi0v40LIfevfy3SSP0SYNCd36CMv55lMoh-kBsF9xRmlXc/s640/SONY.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="457" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iO3kgi8bKxrBwTlobX1tagvmITtDafLy6pk2JsVsoBAmgOTjrXSTRT7cdZHWRHa7ee5TZTl-79R5rgU9DoMjVcJ_brW2LhLhjFaOCBcR4KXUtxsjoVoBL_jI3zdbtgL4P-4uo1Szlvs/s640/SONY1.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="457" /><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" title="clean garage" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iO3kgi8bKxrBwTlobX1tagvmITtDafLy6pk2JsVsoBAmgOTjrXSTRT7cdZHWRHa7ee5TZTl-79R5rgU9DoMjVcJ_brW2LhLhjFaOCBcR4KXUtxsjoVoBL_jI3zdbtgL4P-4uo1Szlvs/s640/SONY1.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="457" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjQ8qVwlHZN3vRX0W5QbfXQ-IaABA7fetBy9-87XEa6jPfkP8sdlCDAnowLCZTqboND9PiDob76xePZX6w-1BPGPXeqgVltMhG6VriadzXzanGawwI4L-gFFGNYlP-39Q4VIX2cP1gUw/s640/SONY3.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="457" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 15px solid white;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-SYGwUDAZLJZunBwRQ-pJKCsSDTAylaicz3G3QN4bDh5Fk59NFMM_Xba2g04gMExviHWCfK0WWgtbsTmpriyiuS7-kzAIWuuuKcPuI5HGasmcbwUukSBBqhHhigZsUWUfk6QcN-9yKA/s640/SONY4.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="457" />The plan is to use up that wood throughout the summer and fall in our little chimenea, and then evaluate what else needs to be edited and cleaned up. So, for now, it's not perfect or particularly pretty to look at, but it is neat and clean!</p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-59408301365392895112010-07-09T04:00:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.331-05:00Can't get on boardAs much as I love decorating, and I try to keep abreast of the current trends, there are a few that I just cannot get on board with. There are definitely a few current trends that make me go -" oh my goodness, what are they THINKING?" And while I am sure that some people might say the same thing about some of my choices, this is my blog, so I get to pick on them for a day. :-) So here goes...<br/><h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Burlap</strong></h1><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://blondiensc.typepad.com/.a/6a0105349db84f970c011168b17d83970c-350wi" alt="" width="45%" /><br/><br/>No offense to all my bloggy friends out there with burlap ribbon, and burlap table runners and burlap bedskirts. Burlap is greatly loved because of its amazing texture, and I am in total agreement about that. Burlap has awesome texture. But, that visual texture is linked to a tactile texture that feels like something akin to sandpaper to me. Why, I ask, would you want a burlap pillow on your bed? I don't know about you, but when I lay <em>this</em> head down to sleep, I want it to be on something soft. I don't relish the idea of a nightly facial from my pillow.<br/><h1 style="text-align: center;">Owls</h1><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWFViXJHpRvaQk9Sc2ApD9sVzTbd0k_v7uFAKhooThaAKlznIqI5P1vDOQathdtsvYvl2wN98R5P_bWzy1CxseD8J0Pv59PlYAyOqFxl5804cWBJMuNcKYdsnJK16ZLvMmR-THJJMkcui/s640/Owl2.JPG" alt="" width="45%" /><br/><br/>OK, I canNOT be the only person who is creeped out by owls. Seriously. I constantly read about someone who found an old metal sculpture of an owl, refreshed it with spray paint, and oh-my-goodness-would-you-look-at-how-cute-it-is-now! Sorry friends, but when I see these pretty painted owls, all I can picture is this:<br/><br/><a href="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/hand-painted-owl.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1117" title="hand-painted-owl" src="http://WordsOnWendhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/hand-painted-owl-210x300.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="300" /></a><br/><br/>And from someone who, at the tender age of seven, couldn't sleep for a week after watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, you can imagine how I feel about having creepy owls staring at me from my living room. No thanks!<br/><h1 style="text-align: center;">Tassels</h1><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPrJd7UkVji9T5bf_2enQ35IrH3WDFYNGEfjZu6AbmwWu-0268RCqlgpLlBwLUOtA9mGYYh5_-asTpbP6ju1eNRdN6nyImHBh-3i43ai5y2x5D9WZsgkQkEIH5Ck2YMgsKGypQNmNsNJM/s1600/eggtassel2.jpg" alt="" width="45%" /><br/><br/>I don't have a lot to say about this one. I love a tasseled fringe as much as the next girl. Heck, my dining room curtains are held back with tassels. So I am not a tassel hater, when used appropriately. But these decorative tassels that everyone is hanging from their lamps, and hutches and doorknobs? I just don't get it. They remind me of something I heard someone say about a platypus once. "God made all the animals in the world, and then he made the platypus out of the leftover pieces."<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="http://biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/bio106/platypus.JPG" alt="" width="30%" /><br/><br/>Wouldn't it be great if I could find a tassel that features an owl as the ornamentation, with some burlap to really set it off? :-D<br/><h1 style="text-align: center;">Plates on a Wall</h1><br/><img class="aligncenter" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCsrLfJbxAmOrMbSsU1X4aO6lZpP7CEJj-POz5Vbgv5YPJ_UnoQlFZmMhzdcNHtCqFhyy4c2mFj8o5wuhaSriqELbCr9QAvkdsj6HKdntp_FMkZUeDLMbGGTEJJUscRvJMo2dIFNX234/s400/plates.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="350" /><br/><br/>Now, don't get me wrong, I've seen this done right. In fact, in an upcoming project, I plan on using a few plates as decoration on my wall. And, when done in a kitchen, or a dining room, it makes sense to me. Of course, most times you can't ever use those plates, they're strictly there for decoration, but I am okay with that. But in a bedroom? Or a bathroom? It just makes no sense to me. Hey, while I am taking a nice bath, I will gaze at these lovely china plates. Wait, why am I starting to feel a little hungry? ;-) And wouldn't you be worried about them falling down on your head in the middle of the night? What if there is an earthquake? Hey mom, I survived the earthquake, but I needed fifty stichtes from the pottery shards that got stuck in my head. :-)Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-12627014668197575102010-07-07T04:12:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.290-05:00Jon and Steph's Engagement PicturesTwo of my favorite people in the whole wide world got married just two weekends ago. I canNOT believe that my little brother is all growed up and married now! And, I am beyond excited to finally, after decades of waiting, have a sister! Steph is the sweetest girl, and she brings out the very best in Jon. They flattered me by asking me to do their wedding pictures, and I was thrilled to do them! We carved out some time in the very busy pre-wedding schedule to do some engagement pictures, and had a blast doing them. Here are some of my favorite shots.<br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="engagement pictures" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbMOhaPCsI/AAAAAAAACfc/lqev2bOkD_M/s512/JandS003.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" /><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Aren't they so cute?</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="rochester ny engagement pictures" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbMaWOfkeI/AAAAAAAACgI/LKNTr-B8Gw8/s512/JandS014.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" />There was lots of laughter. :-)</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="romantic pictures" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbMnAbLaWI/AAAAAAAAChA/aOwz_Yhcht4/s512/JandS027.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" />We went down to the rose garden, and the light was absolutely beautiful. It made for some very romantic shots!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="engagement pictures" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbMt_GvuLI/AAAAAAAAChY/-mDsa0-iDAY/JandS033.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" />They were so willing to do anything I asked, which is always a lot of fun!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="couples photography" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbM8lgB04I/AAAAAAAACiI/gYjV3jM4WaM/s512/JandS044.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" />So pretty</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="love" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbNBAcgi3I/AAAAAAAACiY/DfUAx8424tU/s512/JandS048.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" />Love this one</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="heart kissing picture" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbNKiJ-MgI/AAAAAAAACi4/kJ7GdW5j8EI/JandS056.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" />So cute!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="portrait photography" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbNa5Rju_I/AAAAAAAACkA/1ZzBIq1RKB4/s512/JandS074.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" />They are going to be so happy together</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="sunset kiss" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBbNl7JAWnI/AAAAAAAACks/8FOxiafYciM/s512/JandS085.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" />All in all we had a great time, just like we did the day of their wedding. Wedding pics to come soon!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"></p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-34199958194327634872010-06-28T06:07:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.267-05:00Swapping Out a Doorknob<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEPJkkI9_UxeZ5IQI4lpUpOLNlLqFx9PImLW2AC7-_IyMPdS0yI52gyCxroCmJRKi47BwSap-ChDbKyxRBSnWKiCwU3pPJMGIwnonWxDw-_H2gM1RN9BPk57F4T8XyNomEgktcpohMUE/s512/Doorknob004.jpg" title="glass doorknob" class="aligncenter" width="342" height="512" /><br/>All of the doors on the second floor of our castle have the cool old brass doorknobs with tons of character. I love the patina that they have developed from decades of use, and the little bit of shimmer that they lend to the hallway. <br/><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKzfTJwdIevzoQU78zul5kb2EHjhbP9vvJbPtUmIRAmxUf2nT6-ZTZsxrCubHPkrWE9A70cqWj_z1Fart92yHLizxMj1jycO6c0PDVDk-zCDmFrxUoB7GD3HsCLE_73Z-oZB2k8-PGLQ/s512/Doorknob007.jpg" title="brass doorknob" class="aligncenter" width="342" height="512" /><br/>However, the mechanism for the brass doorknob on the bathroom door was broken, and the doorknob would routinely fall off and crash to the floor. This usually happened when we had guests over and they went to use the restroom for the first time. ;-) Not exactly the kind of first impression we were going for, you know? <br/><br/>We tried to fix it multiple times, but there were a few parts missing that made it only a temporary fix each time. Not long after our latest fix-it session, the knob would once again crash to the floor. <br/><br/>We have a ReStore near our house, so we swung by one day to see if they had any old brass doorknobs that matched the style of our house for a reasonable price. Alas, they neither had matching knobs, nor were they reasonable! :-) <br/><br/>Then one day I remembered that there were some random house parts sitting up in the attic from before we moved in. I went up and rooted around in the dusty eaves, and found the two ends of a glass doorknob hidden among the cobwebs. After a couple of alterations, and harvesting two screws from the old doorknob mechanism, we now have a working, non-crashing doorknob on the bathroom door. And, the cut glass is just gorgeous! I love how it looks against the dark wood of the door, and the bit more sparkle that it brings to that dark corner full o' doors. <br/><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgyBfOFe4hzwQLaaWIZNu7zHbOB2suTtyh1Cy7sdBfGFkV2oXFpUwfDUajk59H2tirUPBBkS_Eb-ZgqFL1IwJ4UJxV-638WWwt5Te-deZDvpAUry3UxqTiOfo60tNOSPjVZFlbxtlRu0/s512/Doorknob005.jpg" title="glass doorknob" class="aligncenter" width="342" height="512" /><br/>So for zero dollars and cents, and just a bit of ingenuity, we fixed a problem and added some glam on top of that! Gotta love projects that are easy on the eyes as well as the wallet! <br/><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfegBhoChL24M0H-aHerqOViACVXk80D-RQgyMkvT1BtUv0EnOpPQ8_v9frj8w8tXEFwDE5Gand-TtwCZXRKeSrjvkjO1GP0ZeAz0LP1tyCuswiLuSnriaDU4MhdFsOSeQslnScA_kjE/" title="brass doorknob, glass doorknob" class="aligncenter" width="85%" /><br/><br/>Linked to <a href="http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/06/welcome-to-76th-metamorphosis-monday.html">Metamorphosis Monday</a>,<a href="http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-project-parade_27.html"> DIY Parade</a>, <a href="http://craftingreallyawesomefreethings.blogspot.com/2010/06/making-monday-marvelous-10.html">Making Monday Marvelous,</a>, <a href="Making the World Cuter Monday"><a href="http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/2010/06/making-world-cuter-monday-june-28.html">Making the World Cuter Monday</a></a>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-49921152113313725782010-06-17T07:40:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.228-05:00ListographyI know it is only June (far away from Christmas), and my birthday is just past, but on a recent trip to Barnes and Noble I found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Listography-Journal-Your-Life-Lists/dp/0811859088">this book</a>, Listography, and now I must have it. :-)<br/><img class="aligncenter" title="listography book" src="http://books.google.com/books?id=FITNPQAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&l=220" alt="" width="55%" /><br/><br/>Um, is this book not totally made for me? I would say so. (I mean, I have an entire <em>category</em> on my blog dedicated to lists). This book has lists of greatest accomplishments, favorite food, best friends, greatest acts of kindness, guiltiest pleasures... sigh. How marvelous would it be to have your whole life categorized into lists? Am I the only person that feels better after making a long list of everything in my head? Yes, it is a sickness. I know.<br/><br/>Makers of this awesome book, if you would be so kind as to send me a copy, I will post a raving review. :-) Pinky swear. :-D<br/><br/><br/><br/>Speaking of lists, here's what I've been working on around the house and yard lately:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Weeding all gardens, battling Virginia creeper as usual and planting new flowers.</li><br/> <li>Installing a brick border around the peony bed</li><br/> <li>Removing heavy, concrete based planters to plant grass.</li><br/> <li>Planting said grass</li><br/> <li>Vegetation killing around house and on patio</li><br/> <li>Fixing broken garage door (Ok, this one was Lover. Thanks babe!)</li><br/> <li>Painting deck</li><br/> <li>Planting gorgeous petunia baskets for front porch</li><br/> <li>Adding plants to step garden</li><br/> <li>Redecorating living room mantel</li><br/> <li>Rearranging master bedroom</li><br/> <li>Refreshing guest room</li><br/> <li>Adding functionality to office</li><br/> <li>Cleaning up debris and mess in basement</li><br/></ul><br/>Whew! I am exhausted! I love warm, almost-summer days, there is so much to do outside in the lovely weather, and this is definitely the best weather we get all year!Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-71605571731654341182010-06-16T03:05:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.191-05:00Makayla's One Year PicturesYou've seen this pretty little girl several times before, and this time we were documenting her first birthday! It's hard to believe that just fifteen months ago we were doing a maternity session with her parents! Makayla was in a great mood today, so we got lots of cute captures. She really enjoyed playing with the frosting on her cupcake. but she wanted nothing to do with eating it!<br/><img alt="" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJQxrGipI/AAAAAAAACcU/yZRf4HIueYE/s512/Makayla1yr003.jpg" title="rochester ny children photographer" class="aligncenter" width="65%" /><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJTw1M9zI/AAAAAAAACcg/qVlD1avGl2w/s512/Makayla1yr006.jpg" title="rochester ny photographer" class="aligncenter" width="65%" /><br/><br><img alt="" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJZAxfXrI/AAAAAAAACc0/1XLEv43TGy8/Makayla1yr011.jpg" title="rochester ny photographer" class="aligncenter" width="85%" /><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJcNZ4JvI/AAAAAAAACdA/YSN1Z0UXB7U/s512/Makayla1yr014.jpg" title="rochester ny photographer" class="aligncenter" width="65%" /><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJmXolMnI/AAAAAAAACd0/34utM4C-uUE/s512/Makayla1yr027.jpg" title="baby photography" class="aligncenter" width="65%" /><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJohELxdI/AAAAAAAACeE/oo04FHNti7Y/s512/Makayla1yr031.jpg" title="child photographer rochester ny" class="aligncenter" width="65%" /><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJuomCZJI/AAAAAAAACes/gxNlz06qrag/Makayla1yr041.jpg" title="rochester ny child photographer" class="aligncenter" width="85%" /><br/><br/><img alt="" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XfOd0N-Rp-E/TBOJwiqgNQI/AAAAAAAACe4/lmBTUrmXeSo/s512/Makayla1yr044.jpg" title="rochester ny child photography" class="aligncenter" width="65%" />Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-40779182422520923782010-06-15T05:12:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.161-05:00Inspiration Tuesday: Simple Summer Palettes<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="summer living room" src="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/Linen-Living-Room-Blue-Antique-Mantel-HTOURS0207-de-14140165.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="360" />Country Living</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="neutral living room" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino1VpNN35XKlxakf9Je3XSUPe2DcqpenmHFJf-cl0peaD4-JD30zM9xIoeau2d6IN7WgD6BDikH3qHkJOVTRGzJ19z504bnT4X2mZMbzjWwmaylnb6WOfGeh9yCi5_uoVVFQzIAg4Rcd2/s1600/PhoebeHoward9.jpg" alt="" width="712" height="537" />Phoebe Howard</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="cottage living room" src="http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/hbx-decorating-barber-3-0709-xlg.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="460" />House Beautiful</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="modern neutral living room" src="http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2010/06/04/DP_Riehl-Living-Room-2_s4x3_lg.jpg" alt="" width="616" height="462" />HGTV</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="simple summer decorating" src="http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/light-flooded-living-room-xlg-10676245.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="360" />House Beautiful</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="simple summer living room" src="http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/7-living-room-xlg-24147183.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="460" />House Beautiful</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Calm, Cool and Collected.</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Simple, Neutral and Fresh.</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">I love quiet, calm neutral toned rooms in the summer, when the outdoors is so beautiful. Let your windows be the art at this time of year, when everything is a showstopper!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"></p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-19033742807618681692010-06-14T05:15:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.039-05:00What's Better Than Free?<img class="aligncenter" title="painted wooden chair" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvB1uHyR47tiwaLJcEYRUSf2zp-zdayZASdaJU7BW4PQEGufUlkWFiUdFSpZ2imXuoPL06wsM0NDojgNCliP7sf3zcTSfl-5CZ1NBJQXDOJR5yh1C_FhsvRQSD1uhgb5rE03_TpJjvg8/s512/IMG_6605.jpg" alt="" width="75%" /><br/>Last fall, on one of my walks around the neighborhood, I spotted a chair in a garbage pile that was definitely worth saving! The chair was already painted, but it was a yellowed cream, and the fabric on the seat, although a pretty pattern, was torn and faded, so it would need to be replaced. I figured it was an easy project and that it would take me less then a day to complete the makeover of this pretty little wooden chair, and then it would look perfect in the guest room.<br/><br/>Later that week, I unscrewed the seat, gave the chair a light sanding, and began it's makeover with white spray paint. The cheap white spray paint that I had purchased did not even begin to cover the yellowy cream underneath. So, I set the chair aside until I had time to work on it. Fast forward more than six months, and I finally returned to this project. After dusting off some cobwebs, I pulled out the trusty Kilz primer and brushed it all over the chairs spindles and curves. One coat of primer was all it took, and then it was easy to spray three light coats of white paint all over to complete the chair's transformation.<br/><img class="aligncenter" title="chair makeover" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvBThP06Ymmz-DcPcGMNmbmdQc-rsomceYA0zAoJ3RfJ5u3WA83cq5EZlJ9E9leFWA5ozb2n-mH-z1xfJgaspR5AbiTdJBKuiBilJsEyB49W7ifzle2WdTTKjdHwgnM9Hj_GbQafEdB0/s512/IMG_6606.jpg" alt="" width="75%" /><br/>A few days later, when I had another small block of time, I recovered the chair's seat cushion. I ripped off the old faded floral, and then simply placed the seat on top of the fabric I was using and cut a few inches around it, then stapled the new fabric onto the bottom side of the seat. The whole shebang took less than half an hour. After screwing the seat back into the wooden frame, the chair's transformation was finished!<br/><img class="aligncenter" title="recover a chair seat" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7wm2liqMUXYlWWd0IWLA3sSyi5S9qWp8DIRi1KE9rWKXCtpagWrGyExZV3XF3TjM6_UIFKt405JZsTxZo4oZ9s_pFYkLbB_AKKjqIP4FvNUERYZ8lvosfDpbWVjN-4sXxiXidLCdWf8/s512/IMG_6607.jpg" alt="" width="75%" /><br/>Check out how much better it looks in the corner of our black and white guest room than the wooden clunker that was there before. Isn't it b-e-a-U-tiful?<br/><img class="aligncenter" title="black and white guest room" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_tZDdaPZjw0hTjI8nXhPFk43yRFJId8ZtrpfPJryGHcdDD8Y0YKsafibR1HKirIgxJzcvwK1YW1_JUgx89UITYulI2TmQtPzhJ0HhfPEuAPxxzhgblrZ7MdnON41PxV2dsdcrxEOTnI/s512/guestroom008.jpg" alt="" width="75%" /><br/><br/><img class="aligncenter" title="wooden chair makeover painted" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtE2xQDWZpRCYRkS6bqSyv9t8EaFGYMC28uUYVQ8C93pmotoNOHoV6vhr3Z58yAH6TYjstl55gKAfRNLhBi7BcDrZKWH7pN9NJa3EAtSdTYJCiW4zS5UCFh8g7B23iV-zIXYUpl4ZNkUk/s512/IMG_6612.jpg" alt="" width="75%" /><br/>The best part was that all I had to purchase was the paint, as I already had the primer and fabric, and the chair itself was free!<br/><br/>Linked to <a href="http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/06/welcome-to-74th-metamorphosis-monday-in.html">Metamorphosis Monday</a> @ Between Naps on the Porch, <a href="http://southernhospitalityblog.com/more-thrifty-june-treasures/">Thrifty Treasures</a> @ Southern Hospitality, <a href="http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-project-parade-mythrifty-treasures.html">DIY Project Parade</a> @ DIY Showoff, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/get-your-craft-on-tuesday_15.html">Get Your Craft On</a> @ Todays Creative Blog,<a href="http://lifeinmypjs.blogspot.com/2010/06/pajama-party-2.html"> Pajama Party</a> @ Life in My PJs, <a href="http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/08/furniture-feature-friday-link-party_19.html">Furniture Feature Friday</a> @ Miss Mustard SeedJenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-80366148494548151122010-06-09T02:00:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.025-05:00Ask Me Anything<img class="aligncenter" title="question mark" src="http://www.askrobinwalker.com/files/2127328/uploaded/question_mark_3d.png" alt="" width="35%" /><br/><br/>I am wondering what my lovely readers would like to see on my blog throughout the next couple of weeks. I have a bunch of ideas, but I am wondering what YOU would like to see here at Words On Wendhurst? Do you want to see more corners of the castle? Pictures of our projects in progress? The mess of a backyard? Would you like to get to know me better, or hear about how Lover and I ended up together? Maybe you'd like to hear some more organizing ideas, or see more pictures of strangers. :-) I'd love to hear your opinions!<br/><br/>Oh, and while we're at it, I'll take any comments/advice/critiques about the blog. Do you hate the font I use? Do you like the cutesy little picture of us crazy renovators? Spill the beans!Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353409416365030145.post-73428898073431274282010-06-08T04:38:00.000-04:002016-03-06T21:56:04.012-05:00Why are you reading this?<img class="aligncenter" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d805b3127ccec724800e318400000040O00ActWzhw0Ys2IPbz4Q/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" alt="" width="95%" /><br/><p style="text-align: center;">It's a beautiful summer-y day here, and I am not going to waste it by sitting inside at the computer. And you shouldn't either! :-) Go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;">Bye!</p>Jenny @ Words on Wendhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646252230875276854noreply@blogger.com0