Amy J. Bennett

Weekend Recap

September 19, 2011 by Amy 6 Comments

Apologies, but no Polyvore weekend recap this week. You’re going to have to read an old-school blog post which to be honest is usually my favorite type of post from my favorite bloggers. At this moment, I’m really hoping you feel the same.

Scott worked this weekend, the weather was absolutely amazing and I was in a shopping mood. We got out Saturday and used a Groupon at a lighting place to score two amazing lamps at buy 1 get 1 free. I couldn’t have gotten a better deal at that place. Friday I had ordered the mirrored nightstands I had been drooling over but they won’t be in for 4-6 weeks. Which bites but I figure I will love it all the more and in the meantime, I’m enjoying the lamps.

While we were out we ran into Dani (what are the chances?!) and I was just too excited since I had been thinking we were due for some girl time. We ate lunch, where at one point Emma asked us, “Why are you guys talking so much??”. We headed out to Nordstrom Rack together where I got 2 cute shirts and the girls got some super cute rain boots. We had to part ways with Dani who had some errands to run so Heather met up with me and the girls and we headed to IKEA to use our free $25 coupon. I’d like to say I bought something fun but I just stocked up on the napkins we use and a few extra cereal bowls for my cereal monsters.

Saturday evening I determined we would stay in so we had sandwiches and made s’mores at the fire pit out back.

Sunday afternoon we had my niece after church and I still hadn’t gotten my shopping out so we went to check out the new Goodwill near us. The girls all got an outfit, I got 4 shirts and a book and we only spent $30. I mean, really? It was like an organized yard sale! I decided to drop in on a thrift store I’ve been meaning to check out but stopped at the gas station and got the kids a snack. I usually don’t let them do this but I let them each get some juice and a snack. When we climbed in the car Emma says, “I feel like we’re on a trip to Maryland.” And that is where I want to push the pause button.

My family is from the north but we moved South when I was 3. I’ve spent my entire life since then on an 8 hour road trip back and forth at least twice a year, sometimes more, to visit all of our extended family. Something that is engrained in me is getting out of car, feeling fresh cool air and buying a drink and snack at a gas station. There was something comforting about Emma knowing that feeling. I wanted to pull out of the gas station and head north on the Interstate. I wanted to stop at a Sheetz and eat a steak sub and drive through some winding mountain roads. OK, maybe not the roads. I get carsick these days. But still, I got a little homesick this weekend. So any family reading, know that I’m thinking about you and miss you guys!

For the record, the thrift store we went to was a complete bust. I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the girls’ bedroom while they all played out back. Seriously, it was like a bomb had gone off. While I love the girls’ love of books, it was ridiculous how many stacks of books where everywhere. They’ve decided that playing school is a great activity after school and that requires lots of school books, pens, pencils, markers, book bags and of course stuffed animals as their students. I also rescued AT LEAST 8 cups and probably a load of laundry from the floor. I guess I had gotten accustomed to the mess and didn’t realize how bad it had gotten.

I wrapped up the weekend by cooking some French Breakfast Puffs to bring to work and watching Friday Night Lights rack up two Emmy’s. Woot!

So we’re on to a new week. This Friday is the Women of Faith Conference in Charlotte courtesy of BookSneeze. Let me know if you’re going to be there! I’m excited to see Natalie Grant, Karen Kingsbury and Laura Story, the singer of the popular song “Blessings”.

In the Picture

September 16, 2011 by Amy 13 Comments

I have a secret to tell about this picture, taken last November. When I first saw this picture I thought about how beautiful the leaves were and how I love the sun streaming through the trees. I love that my family is all holding hands and that if you look hard enough, you can see a smidge of my big smile. But I never told anyone all I could think about is how I thought a little boy would fit between me and Lexi. He would even us out, fit perfectly.

And looking back, I love that this picture looks like we’re headed off together on a journey, with God’s warm presence over our path. We didn’t decide and announce we’d adopt until late January this year but this shows he’s been in the picture for much longer.

Disney On Ice in Charlotte w/ Discount Code

September 15, 2011 by Amy 13 Comments

Congrats, Lana!

Disney on Ice is quickly becoming an annual favorite. And to be honest, I’m not quite sure how many more years Emma is going to be interested in going. I’m planning to happily savor these sweet little girl moments while they last. And I’m especially excited about Disney on Ice this year as they are featuring Tangled! How exciting will it be to see Rapunzel skate around with her long hair, frying pan in hand chasing Flynn around?

I’m very excited for TWO things I can offer you today. First off, use the coupon code ICE to save $6 on Saturday and Sunday shows.

But the very best part is I have a FOUR pack of tickets for the Thursday 10/6 show to give away. Just leave a comment here telling me your favorite Tangled character. If you haven’t seen the movie, just tell me your favorite Disney movie. I will pick a winner next Thursday evening.

James Read-Along Week 2

September 14, 2011 by Amy 6 Comments

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

I was reading an article this morning about an 85 year old man who got stuck in his car for days. It was so hot and he had no food and only 8 ounces of water to survive. He was so sure he was going to die he wrote a goodbye note on the car’s console explaining it was an accident. He was finally rescued and you know what this 85 year old man planned to do? Not vacation or eat an entire chocolate cake or go on a shopping spree or fishing trip. “Porter said he was going to concentrate on giving more of his time and resources to charity, according to KENS.” I read that and said, YES. Even at 85 when most of us younger folk would say, it’s time for you to rest. You’ve lived your life and you now deserve to be served. This man, that had looked death in the face, did not want to squander his true last days on himself, but giving away more of himself.

But the part that’s gotten me all week is what are these good deeds?? Is it like the guy said, is it helping charities? Is it simply forgiving an enemy? Is it letting someone else go first? Is it sending a card to someone? Is it adopting a child? What is required of me??

I guess it’s easy to throw this off and say does it really matter? And to me, it does. Because I don’t want to face death and realize I’ve missed a life full of good deeds. Ephesians says: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I know I have faith and I try to do good deeds, but ya’ll, I do not want to miss those things God has planned for me.

What do you count as good deeds? Do you believe we have specific ones to do TODAY?

Make sure to check out other James post over at MarlaTaviano.com

Cute Boys and Infomercials

September 13, 2011 by Amy 10 Comments

Lexi’s love of infomercials is well known and very well documented. To date, she has encouraged us to buy Oxiclean, stacking hangers, deep-cleaning vacuums, space-saving bags and my favorite, to have laser hair removal.

Her infomercial ways have struck again. To be fair, this is less infomercial and more generic commercial. But still.

The girls were at Mom’s shop (where my sister Heather works too) waiting for Mom to take them to the allergy doctor and the following conversation occurs:

Lexi: Heather, do you have a boyfriend?

Heather: No.

Lexi: I can get you one.

Heather: Really. How’s that?

Lexi: It’s on a dot com. I saw it on TV. The boys are really cute.

Ladies, you are welcome.

Alrighty, just so I know Lexi isn’t alone in her love of infomercials, someone tell me the last As Seen on TV product you bought.

Cupcakes and Manners

September 12, 2011 by Amy 8 Comments

The girls and I were at the counter and through the door walked three little dark-skinned boys. Several seconds behind them followed a very light-skinned man with a baby, also light-skinned. One of the little boys toting his bookbag on his back scooted past me with a polite “Excuse me”. As the father adjusted to the light and caught sight of him, now standing in front of a few customers he yelled, “Get back here! That was very rude!” The boy humbly replied, “But, Daddy, I said excuse me.” He immediately joined who was now clearly his adoptive father. And I won’t lie. I stared. And I’m sure they’re used to it. But probably not for the same reason I stared. Today I thought about a little boy, just about his age, that could be standing in the cupcake line in a few months and he wouldn’t be part of that family. He would be our family.

I think about it. I think about him. No one has said what his skin might look like. And it really doesn’t matter. Because I’ll still be his mommy and he’ll still be anxious for cupcakes and I’ll still be worried about his manners. It’s just what families do.

Weekend Recap

September 12, 2011 by Amy 2 Comments

Weekend Recap 9/9 by bennettaj on Polyvore.com

Jewelry Holder

September 11, 2011 by Amy 15 Comments

Since the addition, Scott has been taking a nice long break from any larger projects around here. I don’t blame him; he put in a lot of hours. But this weekend it was time and I wrote Scott a honey-do list. We knocked a few things off, even a few that weren’t on the list like clearing out his garage that was a T-total disaster since the addition.

My favorite project from the weekend though was my jewelry holder to finish off our new closet. And what I love most about it is it was less than $5 for us. We already had an 8’ piece of wood and the stain. So it was just up to me to buy the eye hooks and two pieces of metal rod. After I stained it the same as my shoe rack, I simply lined up several rows of eye hooks, alternating its placement between rows. I left the first few rows for necklaces, 3 rows in the middle to put a bar to hang my earrings and finally a last row of hooks for my scarves, belts and smaller purses.

So here it is on the wall after Scott attached it with a few screws.

You can see how I placed the eye hooks here. I’m happy with the horizontal spacing but to be honest, I really should have increased the vertical spacing between each row. I did 6” vertically and 1.5” horizontally. For the earring section, I did 3”.

Lexi loves jewelry and helped me sort it out and hang a few things. OK, for real, she hung up two necklaces and then skedaddled.

Here it is completed:

The necklaces on top:

I even hung matching rings on the same hook.

Rings and bracelets were hung from the last row in the necklace section:

Here is the earrings section. Again, 3” was not long enough for some of my earrings. Who knew earrings could be so long?

Now I have NO excuse not to wear jewelry!

And finally, I have a small collection of jewelry that I just don’t see me wearing, some of it still with tags on. If you see something of interest, let me know and I can text/email you a clear picture and drop it in the mail for you. I just couldn’t seem to make myself trash it!

From left – two HUGE hoop silver earrings, a black/silver bracelet, silver necklace with black rectangle pendant, silver and blue necklace, white/silver multi-chain necklace, a set of gold/amber necklace, bracelet and earrings; black/gold/diamond earrings, small pearl necklace, silver bracelet, gold bracelet, silver bracelet, silver/teal bracelet, Easter bunny silver pendant, Noah’s ark pin, green Dragonfly pin, frog pin, silver anklet and small hoop earrings.