Friday night as I made the hour drive up I-26 to my parents’ house, the sun was setting in front of me the entire way. All I could think was how beautiful a scene I was being treated to - the sky filled with a rainbow sherbet glow, the thin clouds silhouetted against it like strokes of charcoal, orange light dancing through the rapidly passing trees. As much as I love being with my family and friends, I love these moments alone. I love driving down a long stretch of highway by myself. I love blasting the music. No one to judge what I listen to, how I sing, and no one to question my erratic taste in tunes. I can shift from Smashing Pumpkins to belting out “Strawberry Wine” at the top of my lungs, and no one cares. Sometimes I even listen to a song twice, just because I want to sing it again. And even though I said I didn’t feel like making the long drive, as I near the exit I slow down to let my “me” time last a little longer.

Makeovers

One of my favorite hobbies is giving new life to found items. I love finding treasures at Goodwill or yard sales to revamp or repurpose. Getting my hands on something and becoming completely engrossed in a project is relaxing to me. I'm always looking for the next thing to "transform." Here are a couple of my creations:

BEFORE: DISORGANIZED EARRINGS

What a mess! I'm a jewelry nut, but how could I find a matching pair of earrings in this disaster?

AFTER: UNCONVENTIONAL ORGANIZATION

I found this broiler pan at Goodwill for $2. I hung it in my closet wall, and BAM! Instant earring holder! Now I don't have to waste precious time searching for a match. Plus, I get to see all my earrings laid out neatly, so all I have to do when I'm getting ready is a quick scan of my collection.

BEFORE: DATED DRESSER

We got this dresser for free, but it definitely needed some TLC. We also had a problem in our kitchen - we had very little counter space, and only one drawer in the whole kitchen! We had virtually nowhere to store our plates, pots, pans, and silverware. And so an idea was born...

AFTER: KITCHEN HUTCH

This is probably my favorite piece in the house. I painted the dresser a lovely rich brown color. I also removed the bottom drawers and lined the resulting "shelves" with some adhesive drawer liner paper to create a space for our dishes and pots and pans. I switched out the hardware for some more modern pulls and handles. The drawers hold our silverware and other kitchen tools. Finally, I had a piece of plexiglass cut for the top, which allows more counter space for our small appliances and for food prep.

Mark's spring break is this week, so I took tomorrow and Friday off for a "staycation." Maybe I'll use the time off for some more makeovers...

This Week

This week has had it's ups and downs.

Sunday Mark's parents came down and took us to the zoo, where we saw a cute baby giraffe and witnessed the mommy and daddy giraffe trying to make another. Awkward...

Then Amanda joined us for burgers at our place, and I served the awesome sushi cake I made for Mark's birthday.

On Monday I wore a cute baby-doll top to work, and TWO clients asked me if I was pregnant. That's depressing.

On Tuesday I tried not to laugh when a girl walked in the bank gabbing on her phone so loud the whole lobby could hear. She said she was so mad, she was going to "murderize someone." So I learned a new word.

On Wednesday I did nothing productive. But I did watch "American Idol." So far, my favorites are Crystal, Lilly, and Andrew, but I don't see an Adam Lambert this year.

I FINALLY got back on the elliptical on Thursday. It's been hard to get motivated after being sick, but I decided there are NO MORE EXCUSES!

On Friday, I had a customer BURP in my face. Like seriously, he burped and then BLEW it right in front of me. I felt the air, and I knew not to breathe again until he was gone. Gross.

And today, we're at my parents' house. My mom and I have been talking wedding stuff for my sister's December wedding. Now we're going to eat hot fudge sundaes and watch "Where the Wild Things Are."

And that's my week!