.It's Turkey Day!.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

God Bless :)

.Oh NJ.

My poor home state..it has been getting hit pretty hard the last two and a half weeks. Some friends and family are still without power--going on 10 days--and got hit again with more cold weather and SNOW. Please lift those without power and especially those without homes in prayer. Miss Sandy really did a number and messed things up..

.Little Things Bring Smiles Part 24.

The name of my blog is

Little Things Bring Smiles.

I chose this title because it is important to remember the little things in life and to rejoice in them. My reason for blogging is to share my life, all parts of it {including the good, the bad, and the ugly} along with my new home, crafts, and DIY projects I complete. Each month I want to focus on the little things that brought smiles to my days. 

I would love for you to share your little things to see if they bring a smile to me, or another reader :)

 Here are my little things from October:

- Long weekend trip to Minnesota to visit loved ones

- Holding and squeezing my nieces and nephews

- Late night conversations with my amazing brother-in-law and sister-in-law

- Celebrating our "dating" anniversary of 6 years

- Spending an unexpected week in NJ with my family

- Holding my Aunt Anne's hand during her final moments on Earth

- Praying over my aunt and expressing my love for her

- Visiting with extended family members at my aunt and uncle's house

- Sharing meals together as a BIG family every night

- Laughing and crying together

- Hearing my sweet little niece Emma say, "It's okay Dadda" as my brother was crying over our aunt's passing

- Celebrating my aunt's life at her wake and funeral

Now it's your turn. Always remember,

Little Things Bring Smiles!

.New Month New Chairs.

Happy November! 

This happens to be one of my favorite months for 3 reasons:

1. It's my birthday month--I'll be turning 26 on the 20th..yikes!

2. I get to share Thanksgiving with loved ones and host dinner for the very first time!

and 

3. Christmas music and decorations after turkey day!

It's been a while since I have posted any updates on our home so here are some new chairs to celebrate a new month:

Just like that little mouse who needed a glass of milk with his cookie..this homeowner needed to dress her new chair up with accessories! 

The mustard wool blanket was purchased at the Rendezvous Festival Adam and I attended with our loved ones in MN last month and the fun chevron pillow was ordered from Walmart. 

I'm in love:

..And the best part? 

This chair came as a package deal so I have another one! 

We purchased these chairs a month back when the price was actually much lower. I suggest you keep an eye out for better sales and extra percentages off for special days--it definitely "pays" to be patient! 

Happy November 1st everyone!

.Celebrating a Life.

My dear Aunt Anne went home to Jesus at the young age of 64 on October 25, 2012.

She was diagnosed with a rare disease just 6 short years ago. We were all warned how rapid the disease would overtake her body and yet we are all left wanting more time. Just when I think my body can no longer produce tears, it does. They come when I least expect them and I am grateful for them. You see, there is an upside to my tears..

..they begin as tears of pure sadness but turn into tears of joy and thankfulness for my aunt is with Jesus in Heaven.

She is with her Heavenly Father.

She is in no pain.

She is not suffering.

She is rejoicing.

She is happy.

..and the best part..

I will see her again.

It is hard to find the "right" words to express my love for my Aunt Anne and how much she has meant to me. She has been a blessing in my life and even though she is no longer with us on this Earth, her spirit will always be alive and it will continue to help mold me into the woman I want to be. 

My aunt and uncle did not have any children of their own and instead of being angry with that aspect of their life, they turned every emotion they had into love. Love for me, love for my brother, love for their other nieces and nephews, and love for their friends' children. I am truly in awe of how my aunt loved me. I was her own. I had a mother-like relationship with her starting as a wee little baby, as an awkward braced faced pimple covered preteen, as the over the top moody teenager, and as the grown adult graduating college and getting married. She was there, always always there. 

As a little girl I knew in my heart my aunt had a strong love for me. She made me feel unique and special and to her, I was just that. It was not until I was an adult I learned she had this connection with so many people--talk about amazing! My Aunt Anne was truly given the gift of love and affirmation to touch so many people in her life that way. As a kid I would enjoy sleeping over at my aunt and uncle's house for many reasons big and small. Some of these included wearing one of my aunt's Lake George sweatshirts..cuddling in between my aunt and uncle on their back screened in porch..eating frozen pizza together at their small kitchen table, she was never a cook and never claimed to be..brushing my aunt's incredibly long, thin blonde hair for hours and trying on her headbands..receiving back scratches and tickles from my aunt's long, always painted in bright pinks and reds, nails..sharing morning tea, lipton only, with my aunt and uncle at their kitchen table..eating sweet candies with my aunt..watching movies as a family in their cozy downstairs..sitting in front of the fire on the floor just talking with my aunt and uncle..and during the holidays--staring at their work of art that most called a Christmas tree. 

Throughout grade school and high school, sports and education were important for my brother and I. It brings me such joy to confidently state there was rarely ever a game or important ceremony or school dance my aunt was not there for. When my parents could not make it to an away game for field hockey because of work, my aunt was there and win or lose she always treated me to dinner and ice cream. I recall so many times glancing up at the bleachers during a basketball game timeout and seeing her big squinty eyed smile and arm frantically waving at me. I can hear her voice shouting, "Go Katie!" over and over again..it is crystal clear and is the sweetest sound. My sweet aunt and uncle sat through long and boring dance recitals, band concerts, award ceremonies, girl scout functions, you name it--they were there. I do feel bad for my Uncle Will, that crazy busy persistant wife of his had him dragged to thing after thing after thing--no worries though, he learned to be a good sport throughout his 42 years of marriage! Like I mentioned earlier, my aunt and uncle did not have any children..we were their kids! For every special occasion, whether it be weddings or school dances, my aunt tagged along with my mother and I as we all went looking for the perfect dress. I used to tease and roll my eyes with my mom about our shopping days with Aunt Anne because woah--my aunt could shop!..Literally shopped til we all dropped! My mom would "argue" with my aunt about who was paying for my dresses and of course my aunt won. She would always win. Year after year we went dress shopping and it continued the very day I found my wedding dress. My heart is filled and lifted high when I think of that day through my aunt's eyes. She did not have a little girl of her own but had me and her dream of finding "the dress" came true..with me. I feel privileged I was able to give her that moment. 

During my 4 years at college, my relationship with my aunt and uncle changed a bit. I became distant--not on purpose but physically. Instead of living 15 minutes away from each other, I was now 8 hrs away in VA. Our visits became planned and mostly when I was on break from school. It was always a desire and a mandatory thing to stop at Aunt Anne and Uncle Will's house. As I grew into a lady and became more independent and confident, my conversations with my aunt all of a sudden became "real." We spoke about real things going on and more importantly, spoke about my faith and what God was doing in my life..and we talked about boys, college boys! My aunt listened to an overly excited, overly naive 18 year old talk about her first boyfriend...And was there as a heart broken 19 year old cried in her arms. I was able to talk to my aunt about my breakup and how God brought me through it. It was a beautiful thing to talk so freely to her about my faith and how it had changed and strengthened from when she heard me give my testimony at age 16 during my baptism. When a new boy came into the picture a little later, who is now my husband, my aunt was there. She met Adam back in 2006 and helped him learn all of the names of the Morrow family members so he would be ready for my brother's wedding. She hugged Adam and accepted him into the family instantly and told me, "he's a good one." As my relationship with Adam blossomed into something dear, my aunt was there every step of the way and celebrated with us over our engagement and was there dancing at our wedding in 2009.

My aunt was a spiritual person her entire life and she gives all the credit to her mother. I never met my nana, she passed away from cancer when my father was just 14, but have heard and read her diary. My nana, who I am named after--Katherine Theresa--is a child of God who is praising Him in Heaven. I am beyond thankful for my nana and the example she was to my aunt, my father, and the rest of their siblings. She was a woman of God who raised her children by God's word. My nana was a strong devoted Catholic woman and that is something my Aunt Anne followed. My aunt was devoted to her Catholic church but more importantly, she was devoted to the Lord. Years back in her adult life my aunt made the decision to follow God. She asked Jesus into her heart and to forgive her of all her sins. She understood God sent his Son to die for her sins to give her eternal life and rose from the dead and is alive in Heaven. My Aunt Anne had a personal relationship with God and it was something she held on to all the way to the very end and it brings me such peace and joy knowing she is with her Heavenly Father.

One of the greatest things I will take from my aunt is her love for family traditions and sticking to them. Our Morrow family is big-10 kids, 22 grandchildren, and 20-something great grandchildren--and she always got us all together. Christmas day was her thing..actually anything Christmas was her thing! She invited the entire Morrow family to her house every Christmas day afternoon for food, fellowship, sharing time, and gifts. Family was something my aunt held dear, she knew how important family was no matter what hard times and struggles came up--family is family. Having everyone gather in her home to celebrate, no matter what holiday or special occasion, brought her pure joy. Her heart would almost burst with energy, excitement, and love and it was evident to all. Aunt Anne and Uncle Will had other traditions which included mini vacations to Lake George and to Atlantic City. My brother and I were blessed to join them along with our other cousins. There are truly countless memories from our weekend getaways together. Lake George ones include staying at the Northward Ho and their fresh morning donuts..picking out a pair of new mocassins with my aunt at the shops in Bolton Landing..avoiding scary Frankenstein..trips to Fort William Henry..going on rides with my aunt and uncle at The Great Escape, buying and "testing" fudge..boat rides on Uncle Will's boat..playing track ball in the water..relaxing in Adirondack chairs. A few Atlantic City memories include staying at Caesar's Palace..dinner at the fancy-back massaging-high drink pouring-banana foster restaurant..sneaking into the casinos with my aunt and uncle but always getting busted..late night walks on the board walk..Aunt Anne getting bird poop on her nose..experiencing the awkward lady in the spa with my aunt and cousin..collecting shells on the shore..Uncle Will holding me for the big waves..and dressing up and posing for photos. I am excited to keep some of Aunt Anne's traditions going and to create new ones.

In my last post I had briefly mentioned a blessing that was recently revealed to me. I had starting writing about it when I received the call about my aunt. Adam and I were able to be in NJ for an entire week, at my aunt's bedside for her final days on Earth. It was hard and yet joyous. It was good to be there with my uncle and extended family members. Oh the blessing?--The blessing that was revealed to me recently is that I am an aunt.

I am Aunt Katie.

I have 2 nephews.

I have 4 nieces.

I have one more on the way.

I am an aunt.

My eyes immediately fill with tears at this gift from God. I get to be an aunt to Evie, Lily, Lukey, Lucy, Leeland, Emma, and little Chloe on the way. My Aunt Anne gave me the greatest example of who and what an aunt should be. I cannot wait to be the loving, energetic, always giving, thoughtful, spiritual, cool, forgiving, wise, pretty, committed, funny, intelligent, and hard working aunt for my little nieces and nephews like my Aunt Anne was and is to me. I am blessed beyond all measure for the family God put me in and for the family I will someday create with Adam.  I thank God for giving me 25 precious years with my aunt and for giving me time to reflect the lessons she taught me onto my nieces and nephews.

I love you Aunt Anne and will see you again!

Anne Elizabeth Scheidecker

June 2, 1948- October 25, 2012

.Ours bags are still packed.

..and we returned from our trip two weeks ago!

Adam and I took a nice 5 day, long weekend-ish, getaway to Minnesota to visit his side of the family.

It was needed.

It was overdue.

It was incredible.

Incredible to hug-squeeze-tickle-kiss-laugh-play-learn-hold my little nieces and nephews.

While we were away, God revealed a huge blessing to me..one I will write about soon.

Tonight, well tonight I just want to share a few photos of our time together.

 Brother-in-law Brett, Sister-in-law Naomi, Evie, Luke, and Lily

Adam, Grandpa Oscar, Myself

  Sister-in-law Maria, Brother-in-law Nate, Leeland, and Lucy

 We love you.

We miss you.

We pray for you.

.October 12th.

6 years ago today, Adam asked me on our first date.

4 years ago today, he asked me to be his wife.

My life is incredibly blessed thanks to a boy and his questions :)

.Little Things Bring Smiles Part 23.

The name of my blog is

Little Things Bring Smiles.

I chose this title because it is important to remember the little things in life and to rejoice in them. My reason for blogging is to share my life, all parts of it {including the good, the bad, and the ugly} along with my new home, crafts, and DIY projects I complete. Each month I want to focus on the little things that brought smiles to my days. 

I would love for you to share your little things to see if they bring a smile to me, or another reader :)

 Here are my little things from September:

- Having a friend from college visit for the weekend

- Traveling to Chesapeake to celebrate my niece's 2nd birthday

- Finding a few small accessories for our house at an antique shop

- Seeing Colden's little paw indentations on our couch cushions

- Having the air conditioning off for an entire month now!

- Adding extra blankets to our bed

- Drinking morning coffee with my love

- Taking weekend trips to the apple orchard with friends

- Going out for dinner

- Having a special "Adam/Katie" day with the girls I watch at the pumpkin patch

- Celebrating birthdays with friends

- Watching Adam have a little too much fun slicing/chopping/mutilating the cured ham 

  we bought at the orchard

- Playing with my pup

- Wearing a fleece for the first time this season

- Completing more house projects

- Adding two new pieces of furniture to our house

- Planning a trip to MN!

- Eating hot brownies (gluten free of course!) with vanilla ice cream on top

- Staying inside on cold rainy days

- Having a fridge and pantry stocked with food (we are so blessed)

Now it's your turn. Always remember,

Little Things Bring Smiles!

.Apples, Pumpkins, Boots, Scarves, and Babies..The Perfect Saturday.

This past weekend was truly awesome!

Adam and I spent it with people we LOVE with weather in the upper 60's doing Fall things--told ya it was awesome! We spent the morning and afternoon at Drumheller's Orchard enjoying the beautiful mountains and crisp air. A few of us enjoyed big bowls of scrumptious brunswick stew while others ate smoked BBQ. After the orchard we continued driving through the mountains and stopped at an antique shop where we bought some goodies. Then we stopped at the WinterGreen Resort to have a look around. Our day ended with dinner at the Briar Patch and began our night of sweatpants and relaxing for all--the boys (I mean men) played video games for 5 hrs straight while the women perused the internet looking at (you guessed it) pinterest, facebook, and blogs. It was perfect :)

Here are a few photos from our time at the orchard:

And I have a confession..Adam bought one of these:

I have never prepared or eaten a cured ham (is that even the right term??)--I am scared and a bit grossed out, guess this Jersey girl does not have enough country in her..

The ham has been soaking in cold water (which gets changed out for fresh water every couple of hours) for over 24 hours now to rid it from the salt. And now..HELP! I know it's already cooked so I guess it has to be skinned and either warmed in the oven or sliced and fried on the stove..

I am open to suggestions friends :)

Happy Fall!

.How To Paint Cinder Block.

The blog has been rather quiet this month because Adam and I actually completed a few house projects! Crossing items off our forever to-do list is seriously the greatest.feeling.ever. Well..I'm sure getting a new job, buying a house, getting married, or having a baby is better cause for that term but hey--at our stage of life, completed house projects are reason enough!

Adam and I tackled a big project the other day, I'll let you guess by looking at this image:

Any ugliness jump out at you?

Oh..you noticed some uneven clay stained cinder blocks?--Funny, we saw that too!

The good news for us, that ugly cinder block is now gone :) I'm going to share the process of how we painted it to simply inform those of you who are new to this 'home owner thing' like us and have ugly cinder block around so we can all learn together.

Materials needed:

- Pressure washer (If you do not own one, ask family and friends)

- KILZ 2 Primer and Sealer

- BEHR Premium Plus Ultra Exterior Flat ( We used: Cathedral Gray)

- Scotch Blue Painters Tape

- Paint rollers of your choice (We purchased the biggest/fluffiest roller from Home Depot made for   

  extremely rough/coarse surfaces and it did not work as well as the cheap smaller roller you would use 

  for an interior. We found the smaller one filled in the tiny holes better in the cinder blocks despite the 

  larger one being designed for that very thing. Strange but true!)

- Paint sticks to stir

- Paint trays to roll

- Paint holder for cutting in and for rolling

- Small brush to cut in primer and paint

- Pocket knife/kitchen knife/ or razor blade (I used a sharp little kitchen knife)

- Drop cloths/old sheets/lawn tarps (In our case we used all three!)

(Buy gallons of paint/primer according to the size of your project, not by the links I have shared)

Getting Started:

1. Before beginning any painting, there is prep work to be done. First prepare the outside area by 

     blowing or sweeping loose debris on the ground.

2. Using your pressure washer, clean the existing cinder blocks to remove all dirt and mildew. Allow 

     to dry completely.

    Tip: Depending on the condition of your cinder block, you may

    have to scrape off old chipping paint or use chemical solutions  

    along with your power washer to remove excess mold and

    mildew.

3. Tape along the bottom of your cinder block wall and the ground using Blue Painter's Tape. 

    Tip: I recommend using a dish towel or old t-shirt to help
    reinforce the seal of the tape to the ground. It will not be perfect
    since you are working with bumpy surfaces but do your very 
    best and take your time.

4. Lay a drop cloth down to protect the ground/pavement/concrete. 

5. Using your small brush, begin cutting in with the primer.

    Tip: For your first coat of primer during cutting in, do not apply 

    too heavy or paint will "glop" and may sink under the tape. Do

    two thin coats of primer for your cutting in and then later on you

    can apply a heavier/thicker coat of your actual paint because the 

    primer will act as a sealer and not allow any paint to drip under 

    tape.

6. Begin rolling your primer onto the cinder blocks.

    Tip: Like I mentioned earlier, we preferred using the smaller 

    roller instead of the thicker one designed for painting rough 

    surfaces. We felt the smaller one filled in more of the tiny holes

    in the cinder block. Please use whatever you like best and works 

    well for you.

(I had to include this photo because it made me laugh out loud. This is my face saying to Adam, "Make sure you are only getting the roller and not me!" Bah, he is such a stinker. Enjoy friends!)

7. After completing your first coat of primer, allow walls to dry. 

    Tip: Wait for at least an hour if you are using KILZ and if it is 

    a different brand wait longer and do as the label suggests. We 

    played it extra safe and let it fully dry over night. Apply a 

    second coat if needed. We bought paint and primer in one so we 

    opted not to do a second coat.

8. Repeat steps 5-7 using your paint.

(Notice in the photo above I already cut in along the bottom and in any of the corner/creases before Adam rolled on the first coat of paint.)

9. When the first coat is complete, inspect the job and coverage. Use your small brush from cutting in 

     to fill in any white primer holes bleeding through that were missed.

    Tip: Apply a generous amount of paint onto your brush and 

    "smush/poke/dab" your brush into the holes. Your brush will 

    look like it's dancing with a full twirl included :)

10. Once paint has dried, apply second coat.

      Tip: Remember to cut in with your second coat before rolling.

11. Using your small razor blade or kitchen knife, score a line between your tape and cinder block 

       wall. This will guarantee the paint does not peel off with the tape. Remove your tape.

      Tip: Remove tape on an angle and at a consistent speed.

12. Clean up your painting area and brushes/rollers.

13. Enjoy your hard work!

I adore the picture above because you can see the ugly cinder block in the background plus a little pup's bottom. Great reminder why DIY-ing is worth it! And now you know our next project for this weekend. Oh--in case you were wondering, Colden approves ;)

Ugly cinder block in background and pretty painted cinder block in foreground!

We adore the color Cathedral Gray. At night it is a rich gray and during the day with the sun light reflecting off of our fence and deck, it has a nice warmth to it--almost beige like.

It's perfect!

(linking up to a few parties)

Happy Living--Happy Priming and Painting

and remember

--Little Things Bring Smiles--

.Celebrating 2 Years.

Last weekend Adam and I joined my family in Chesapeake to celebrate my niece Emma's 2nd birthday.  

Here are a few pictures to remember her special day :)

Birthday girl playing with her daddy (my brother) and bubbles:

My parents and husband enjoying the beautiful morning at the park:

Birthday girl Emma with her proud parents:

Emma loves her Grandma and Pop-Pop:

..And she loves kisses from Auntie Katie:

Happy Birthday sweet girl!

If you liked looking at Emma's cutie pie face, check out my sister-in-law's blog filled with Emma's adventures and beautiful crochet work :)