Prayers for Oklahoma

As Americans, our hearts are heavy once again. 

Prayers for Moore, Oklahoma as a natural disaster has left so many with just the clothes on their backs.

If you would like to make a donation, you can donate to the American Red Cross

DONATE HERE.

From BlogHer

To have a $10 donation added to your phone bill, text REDCROSS to 90999.

Look for missing friends or relatives here. If you're in the area, register so people can find you.

Donate to the Salvation Army. To have a $10 donation added to your phone bill, text STORM to 80888.

Donate to the Oklahoma United Way Disaster Relief Fund.

Help send food to Oklahoma by donating to Feeding America.

Set money aside for rebuilding efforts via Global Giving.

Ree Drummond at The Pioneer Woman also has a list of ways to help Oklahoma.

I just saw this and I have to share.

I'll be rubbing my fur baby's ears a little bit longer tonight. I just couldn't imagine.

On My Nightstand--May

I have a confession. Until recently, I never really appreciated books or reading. I hated reading when teachers forced us to analyze a story and write about it. I didn't like the library unless I was napping between classes at JMU. And I especially disliked the weight they added to my backpack. 

Now that I am itching to go back to school for nursing, I find that I am reading way more than I ever have in my life. I am reading multiple books at a time and I'm loving every minute of it. I have an iPad with the Kindle app but I don't like reading books on it. I find it really annoying and there is nothing like holding a book and being able to turn the page. I've actually started collecting books and my collection is beautiful. I will share that once I'm done with a project. I thought it would be a cool idea to start a new series on my blog and feature books that I love. 

Design Sponge at Home // Young House Love // Picasso Black and White

Designers at Home: Personal Reflections on Stylish Living // The Great Gatsby // Lean In

Bucket List: Visit a Museum Alone

I'm really starting to enjoy this whole comfort zone exploration thing. It's really starting to change me as a person as I'm no longer having to rely on others to enjoy things. For example, I'd been dying to see the Picasso Black and White exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Hubs didn't seem interested so I took the opportunity to enjoy it alone and mark something off of my bucket list and to do something I WOULD NEVER DO...take the metro rail alone. Definitely out of my comfort zone since I don't even like to go to the mall by myself. Anywho, I did it. I went one day after work (since I work in the Medical Center) took the rail and enjoyed myself. I eaten treated myself to lunch and a new coffee table book. 

I didn't realize you weren't supposed to take photos so I snapped this but then took the rest of the time to really reflect. I really like Picasso and if you have the chance, you should see it.

This is how I feel when I have to iron too. :)  Did you know that there is another painting under this one? Cool huh? When they x-rayed it, they found that Picasso had painted something else under it. 

Picasso "Woman Ironing"

Do you have a bucket list?

Do you look like this when you iron?

Do you like Picasso?

Lura

x

How NOT to DIY Paw Print Art

I've been working on my office/craftroom for quite a while now. You've seen bits and pieces and I'm looking forward to revealing the entire room. I'm in no rush as I want to make sure it's the best space for me to work on projects and school work. What's a creative space without art? Sarah, from Pretty Fluffy,Chic Sprinkles shared a super easy tutorial making art with her furbaby's paw print. Super cute and personalized.

Photo from Pretty Fluffy

Done. I'm doing it. No questions asked. An after work project and then I would give Toby a bath. Killing two birds with one stone sort of thing. Toby had other ideas. 

Thankfully the carpet is being replaced with hardwoods (eventually) so it was no biggy. I  I decided to try to steam clean the carpets and see if the paint would come out of the carpet. Some may call this a Pinterest fail but every dark moment has a shining light!

So things were not a complete fail, I burned roughly 640 calories and all of the rooms with carpet were steam cleaned. Yet, I was still without paw print art. 

Enter solution. Toby's daycare was decorating Easter eggs and for $10 I could have my VERY OWN paw print egg...mind you it was a craft foam Easter egg. Perfect for framing. Now I have another piece of art that is sentimental and colorful!

Lura

x

Linking up

BEAUtiful Mess

Keep Calm and Carry On

House of Hepworths

Oh How Pinteresting--Shop My Home Edition

I've had quite a few people ask me where I've gotten certain items in our home. Today I'm here to answer a few of those questions.

Our bedding. West Elm

Master Bedroom Lamps. JCP

Clock. Pottery Barn

White Pitcher. Homegoods but Pottery Barn has them too.

Penguin Classics Designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Target. B&N. Amazon

White Tray. West Elm.

How to Make Fresh Banana Chips

Exhibit A: Bananas I won't eat because they are WAYY too brown. 

Some people like them this way...not I! 

Instead of being wasteful, and tossing my bananas (not cookies...) I decided to cut them up and make banana chips. I have a food dehydrator which I LOVE! I've made deer jerky and apple chips and I've dried herbs on it. It can do so much! I may or may not have dried a book that fell into the bathtub too. 

Directions: Let bananas get old and brown but not runny or liquidy (don't ask me how I know bananas eventually turn to liquid...college). 

Slice bananas. 

Place bananas on dehydrator trays and let them dry over night. Keep them on until they meet the texture you prefer.

There are two types of dehydrators. With a fan and without. I have both and prefer the one WITH the fan. It's faster and dries evenly. If you have the one without, rotate trays.

HERE is a dehydrator similar to the one I use.

Tips: the older the bananas, the sweeter they are. So super brown bananas are perfect

DO NOT TRY TO MAKE CHIPS FROM GREEN BANANAS! IT'S DISGUSTING. 

Enjoy!

Architects of Air Comes to Houston, Texas

I had the pleasure of attending the Architects of Air exhibit in Houston last week. The magnificent air sculpture was part of the 5th birthday celebration of Discovery Green. Architects of Air is a British company that creates amazing temporary structures filled with luminous color...the coolest part...it's hand made! Amazing and a job well done to the artists! 

Here is what it looked like from the outside. 

Upon entry. Please note that there are no lights providing the color. It's sunlight and colored vinyl.

The experience was awesome and like nothing I've ever seen before. The photos do no justice.

Next up, I'll share my latest comfort zone exploration...

Lura

x

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Because Shanna Said So

 

Happy Mother's Day

This fur mom had an excellent Mother's Day.