Reading is Fundamental

I used to be a reader.  I used to have several books going on at once.  I used to scoff at people who, under the Favorite Books section of their Facebook profile put something to the effect of "I don't like to read."  I used to be called a bookworm.

I think I took a break from heavy reading late in high school.  Life picked up.  I was busy, I had a lot of school work, and in my downtime I started preferring hanging out with friends to reading.  College came and the problem only got worse.  Who can enjoy reading for fun when you have pages and pages of an Ergonomics textbook waiting on you?

After college, I should have picked it back up, but for some reason I didn't.  I think it was probably because Ryan was gone and the house was too quiet and still while I read.  I preferred the noise and mindlessness of the TV.  But Ryan came home, and the reading still didn't start back up.  Oh sure, I've devoured a few Harry Potter books.  I spent a solid four days hammering out the Twilight series (and then reread them each twice).  I read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books last summer at the urging of my neighbor, and then read Hunger Games because the rest of my family was reading them.  But it still hasn't stuck.  I'm not consistently reading.

I think part of the problem is that I'm just too good at reading.  I'm a very fast reader, and I tend to get so caught up in books that they completely consume me.  I'll stay up all night and not even think about it if I'm into a good book.  I'm really good at it.  But recently I decided that I would give reading another try.  I have several friends who read quite a bit, and my mom is an avid reader as well.  And I have a little personal, internal goal of "getting back to me" - the me I used to be before life got complicated, work got busy, motherhood and wifehood kicked in, and I had more grown-up responsibility than I knew what to do with.  Hence the riding, the running, and now the reading.

I visited the library with Alli last week.  We picked up some new chapter books for her, including a fun series called the Pony Pals.  We're reading a chapter or two a night together, and it's been really great to share it.  While we were there, I picked up some books for myself that I've heard people mention over the past several years but that I've never taken the time to read.  I got The Shack, The Help, Eat Pray Love, and then a little chick lit book called A Desirable Residence.  It's taken me about a week, but I'm almost done with The Shack.  It's a 250 page book, and I read the first 150 pages in the first night.  I had to slow myself down so that I didn't tear through it and so that I got enough sleep each night.  You see, I'm just that good.

Weekend Recap

What a fun and busy weekend we Lowes had!  My mom and dad came up this weekend for my dad's annual Academy of Civil Engineers meeting.  Friday night we had a delicious dinner at Penguin Ed's and then several of us (excluding a very sleepy Ryan) played a game of Yahtzee.

Saturday, I took Landry to the vet to get microchipped and a pedicure.  I also talked to the vet some about his arthritis.  It's hell carrying 60 lbs on those legs.  Did you know that it's the policy of the City of Fayetteville to have your pets microchipped?  Landry was living outside of the law until Saturday morning.

Breakin' the law

After Landry's vet visit, Mom and I hit up some great stores downtown, including the Mustache Store and Riffraff, where we each got these awesome beach bags.  Hers is yellow with a blue sand dollar on it, and mine is this great octopus.

We also ate at a really delicious restaurant off the square in the same building as Bliss Cupcake Cafe - it's called Fresco Cafe.  The prices were really reasonable, and the food was amazing!  So fresh and tasty.  After lunch, we headed uptown to Masons and Chic.  We had the most fun at Chic - it's a cute new boutique right by Panera Bread.  I got some awesome new clothes that are not work-related.  Such a refreshing change!  I'm always buying work clothes, so I never have any fun casual clothes.  Chevron paper bag shorts, anyone?  Mom got some great new clothes herself, including a gorgeous maxi dress that's absolutely perfect for the beach.  Can you tell we have Destin on the brain?

After that, it was time to head home and get ready to head to the AMP for Hank Williams Jr.  This was mine and Ryan's second time seeing him (first at Riverfest several years ago), and he didn't disappoint!

I love these girls, but I hate standing next to them - they are too cute and tiny!

Sunday morning came a little quicker than I would have liked, but Alli got her Bible at church.  I was so happy that my parents and brother were there to see her.  After they got Bibles, they recited the books of the Old and New Testament.  It was so great!

All of the first graders

Once church was over, we headed to the barn for riding lessons.  It was the first time my parents have been able to see me ride since I've picked it back up, so I was extremely excited to show them how I was doing.  Freedom and I did several courses, a little galloping, and then finished up with a short trail ride.  Alli had a great lesson as well on Sprinkles.

When we got back to the house, Mom and Dad had to head back to Little Rock.  I wished for the thousandth time that they lived up here with us!  Ryan went to the grocery store, and Alli had been bugging me to have a picnic, so she packed us one and we went to Wilson Park.

Didn't forget a thing

Alli did a great job packing the picnic - she included sandwiches, chips, drinks, some fruit snacks, napkins, and leftover cinnamon rolls.  And she didn't even forget the blanket for us to sit on.  While we dined, she played in the castle.

She said this was her being a princess captured in the tower

The castle has a little moat around it with some koi and this huge alligator snapping turtle.  I'm not sure if you can see him too well, but he was pretty scary looking!

After all of the fun was over, we came home, cooked dinner, did the usual bed time routine - including some reading from her new Bible - and now we're finally resting!  I hope you all had a fun, wonderful weekend!!

Spring Fling

Remember last year when I was worried about the azaleas blooming?  Oh happy day - they bloomed this year!!  And the knockout roses look awesome too.  Things are blooming here at Chateau Lowe!!

Shuffle

In an effort to keep this blog from being completely about spray painting and Alli, I was perusing some post ideas and came across a great one I couldn't wait to try - putting my iPod on Shuffle and telling you the first 10 songs that came up.

1. "La Traviata" - Roya Philharmonic Orchestra:  This is from the Twilight soundtrack.  Probably all of my seemingly cool music is.
2. "Innocent Bones" - Iron and Wine:  I first heard Iron and Wine on the Twilight soundtrack (see a trend here?), but I ended up buying his whole album.  I really love it.
3. "Wanna Be a Baller" - Lil' Troy:  Oh so high school.  How many times did I cruise the mean streets of Little Rock in the Accord bumping this?
4. "Boyz-N-The-Hood" - Dynamite Hack:  I do actually like this better than the original.
5. "The Motto" - Drake featuring Lil Wayne:  This is one of my favorite rap songs right now.  I love running to it!
6. "Purple Rain" - Prince & The Revolution:  Don't act like this isn't on your iPod too and you don't belt it out alone in the car.  I know I'm not alone.
7. "All I Want for Christmas is You" - Justin Bieber & Mariah Carey:  It would be nice if I took the time to pull Christmas songs off after Christmas.  But skipping them is just so much easier.
8. "Dixie" - Lee Greenwood:  I really have no idea what to say on this one.
9. "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" - Kenny Chesney:  I always bust out the Kenny Chesney when the beach vacation draws near, so I was happy this popped up.  Only 2.5 months and 25 lbs to go!!
10. "Me and Mrs. Jones" - Billy Paul:  Heard it in a movie, had a weak moment.  Do not judge me.

There you have it - and you can tell I didn't skip any, can't you?  You just cannot make this stuff up.

Hope you're all gearing up for a fun weekend!  We have some exciting things going on around here - can't wait to update you!

Wednesday Wisdom

Alli to me this Sunday on a walk:  "Mama, I wish every day was Saturday and Sunday."

Me:  "Me too, baby, but then Saturdays and Sundays wouldn't be so special."

Alli, after some thought: "Well maybe, but I'd sure like to try it."

From the mouths of babes...

Gameday Vote

Hey - you know I love those Hogs, and I know there's a 90% chance you do too - even you, Louisiana family - so hit up this link and vote to get an ESPN College Gameday commercial shot here in Fayetteville: http://www.gamedayvote.com/

Vote once a day from each of your 15 email addresses, because we both know you have them, and help those Hogs win!  I promise you can come stay with me during filming.  I'm talking to you, Mom.  The rest of you will need to find a hotel.  I call this place a chateau, but that's just because it helps me sleep at night.  It's really more of a broom closet, and I'm not the nicest roommate.  Your bed will have to be made, your dishes rinsed, and your towel put immediately in the laundry room.  Mama don't play.

But I digress.  Go vote for those Hogs.  Last I checked, we were in third behind Nebraska and NC State.  I'm not kidding.

New Fleece on Life

I really enjoy repurposing and rehabbing old, unwanted objects and making them new again, usually with something as simple as a can or two of spray paint.  There are multiple well-loved objects at my house that have several coats of paint on them as I've changed rooms, changed moods, and changed my style over and over again.  One of the easiest things to do to freshen up an object or an entire room is to go to Home Depot, pick out a color, and get to spraying.

My latest project actually is a new-to-me object that has been in my parents' house since I was in high school.  This urn used to sit on their fireplace, and was a pretty nice piece when they bought it.  But time was not kind to the ram urn, as time can be to any of us, and he got chipped, tired, and fell out of favor.  So few weekends ago, my mom asked me if I would like to take this urn home and see what I could do with it.  I, never one to decline a good rehab project, obliged, and the old urn got loaded up and left in the back of the car for a few weeks while I pondered his fate.

Then today after church, Ryan suggested we swing by Home Depot and grab a can of paint so that we could paint the ram urn (aka unload it from the car).  Always up for shopping for spray paint, I immediately agreed, and then debated the color for the rest of the trip.  Ryan suggested white because "everything like that in our house is white" which is a fair point.  We can't exactly have the white linens and furniture I dream of, so I tend to compensate with white accessories that can easily be dusted, cleaned, and wiped of dog drool.  I was not completely sold on white for this piece, however.  I felt like something as funky and ornate as this ram urn deserved a statement color.

And nothing says statement like a glossy coat of Key Lime, does it?  Lime green is an accent color I love to use in conjunction with the soft blues, breezy white, and punchy corals in our living room.  So after about four coats of paint and an hour or so to cure, Mr. Ram found a new hue and a new spot in our entryway.

Doesn't it look great?  I'm pretty pleased with the results, and I'm always happy when someone's trash turns into my treasure for the mere cost of a can on paint.  Thanks, Mom!