January: the beginning of my sewing hobby!  Took a sewing class and joined a sewing small group. 

February: the Chicago car buying trip. Adam and I flew to Chicago, bought a 1973 BMW from a craigslist ad, and drove it home in the snow.  The only thoughts I remember from that trip were: please let us make it home alive.. 

March: the garden.  Dad and I planted a vegetable garden in his backyard. We ended up with veggies all spring and summer! 

April: a tea party.  Sweet moments with Grandma and Grandpa. 

May: fresh NC strawberries = pies, crisps, cobblers, preserves. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. 

June: family vacation in the mountains. A week full of board games, cooking, and pure silliness. 

July: we bought a house!  Now that we have been living here for almost 5 months, it definitely feels like a home. 

August: lucky girl. Picnicking under the Eiffel tower with my love. 

September: uneventful (apparently).  My classroom, ready for all of that learning to take place! 

October:  apple butter festival. Colorful leaves, crisp air, blue skies, good friends = perfect fall weekend. 

November: thanksgiving  in New Bern with my favorite women. 

December: Sam!  Adam surprised me completely wtih a Yorkie puppy for Christmas. Look at that face! 

Happy New Year! Here's to lots of new memories! 

I recently gave my kitchen cabinets a new look.  Cheap and quick - my favorite kind of project!  All you need are the following items:

-scissors

-tape

-glue

-scrapbook paper

-tape measure

The only item I had to purchase was  scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby for about $6.00.

Once I measured the back wall of my cabinets and cut my paper to the correct size, I just put some tape on the corners of the paper...

 And stuck the paper straight onto the wood.

I used a bit of glue for the corners if they were not laying flat.

Not bad for a $6.00 project that took me about 1 hour from start to finish! 

And now that it has been several weeks since I completed this project, I can safely say that the paper is sticking just fine. (I was a little worried that tape and glue might not do the job.)  I love the subtle color and texture that it adds to plain white cabinets!

I am on the look out for some fabric to make curtains in our bedroom and living room... 

Love this fabric, but it's too expensive.

This one is a little too bright and tie-dyed looking (but possible for another project?)

I actually bought this one! But they only had 3 yards of it. Not enough to make curtain panels. 

This fabric is a little too thick and heavy to make curtains out of, but I love the color and pattern! 

Ikat. Too trendy? 

These three aren't quite the styles and colors that I'm looking for, but aren't they just lovely?

Mr. Spooner doesn't like this one. It wasn't my favorite either. 

Mr. Spooner said this looks like its from the 80s. I politely disagreed. 

I saved the best for last. This is my favorite for the bedroom! It would go perfectly with our grey duvet and the hint-of-grey wall color.  And Mr. Spooner even likes it!

The only problem? The price.

$15.99 a yard X 12 yards of fabric (to make 4 panels)  > budget for bedroom curtains 

So.. I have 2 options. Find this fabric for cheaper or keep looking...   

Madrid is a beautiful city. 

In a few short days we got to experience the best of Madrid- its parks, landmarks, buildings, and of course- the food.

Paella -  a traditional rice dish.  We ordered the valencia (rabbit) paella. Delicious.

Suckling Pig at Restaurante Botin (supposedly the oldest restaurant in the world..) 

Churros con chocolate... for breakfast  

The Spanish love their meat. We saw these legs hanging everywhere. 

And last but not least, the Rastro, one of the largest flea markets in Europe. Where else can you spend hours browsing everything from tacky tourist gifts to antique furniture to cell phone cables? 

 Took a boat ride on the River Seine at night- the best way to experience the "city of lights." 

Visited the Rodin Museum. Did some thinking.

Can't go to Paris without seeing the Louvre. 

Or having a picnic beside the Eiffel Tower. 

And of course the food. Patisseries on every corner. 

Quality over quantity. (A lesson we Americans desperately need to learn.) 

Good food, good wine, good friends. 

Au Revoir, Paris! (French for until we meet again!) 

Nestled in the northern coast of Spain, 20 kilometers from the border of France, is the beautiful city of San Sebastian. This European vacation spot is known for its breathtaking views, sunny beaches, and some of the best food on earth.

We discovered that one of the best ways to experience the city is on bike. Lots of bike lanes and miles of coastline to discover!

We feasted on tapas (they call them "pintxos" in the Basque country) and tinto de verano (cheap wine mixed with lemon fanta). Perfect lazy afternoons.

Not to be missed: a hike up to the top of the Jesus statue that overlooks the city.

A 20 minute moderate hike will get you the most spectacular views of the city and surrounding countryside. 

A spectacular place to visit! 

Being a homeowner is a LOT of work! But SO worth it!

Planning to resume regular weekly postings to the blog in September.  

My heart is full after a glorious week of vacation in the Blue Ridge mountains with the people I love. 

We spent the week playing board games, sitting around the fire, cooking, laughing, and enjoying the breath-taking views of the Blue Ridge. What more could you want in a vacation? 

This must happen more often. 

found using Pinterest, originally from Table Tonic blog