Martha meet Bob....I always fancied myself as a "Martha Stewart/Bob Villa" kinda gal...one who could cook, sew, organize, refinish, build, etc.
In many respects I am a "jack of all trades" and honestly, a "master" of none. But I enjoy doing it all...well, maybe not actually the act of DOING it all, but the results! A beautiful decorative pillow, a refinished piece of furniture, a new built in bookcase, a meal my family loves.
So this website is my way of sharing what I do...and what others do...that make our lives beautiful and fulfilling and wonderful and enjoyable.
All things wonderful! My treasures!
STAY TUNED! One by one I will post the projects I have completed over the years and all the fun stuff I am doing today...again, I was DIYing before it became vogue!!! And along the way I will throw in some thoughts on parenting (ha, that will be interesting) recipes, sewing tips and torments (I say that because I HATE to sew but love the results) and much more!!!
First and foremost, I am my kid's mom!
Sarah, my oldest daughter, is a full time wife to Joel and mom to my two grandsons, Camden (22) and Ashton (17), and a part time paralegal. In 2016 she graduated from college with honors! She enjoys "projecting" too but its tough to do when you are chasing two active boys...I know, I did it for years!!!
Mitchell, my oldest son, is a graduate of the University of Southern California (Fight On!!). He currently back in NWA and is a licensed professional pilot.
Matt, my youngest son, is a graduate of Henderson State University and received his master's degree in the spring of 2015. He is a commercial pilot and is currently a pilot for a large retail company. He and his wife live in NWArkansas and have our grandpuppy, Piper and in May 2024 we welcomed my first granddaughter, Elizabeth.
Katie, my youngest daughter, graduated from high school with "highest honors" in the spring of 2015 and graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in bio-engineering in 2019. She has the voice of an angel and is major smart!!! She was an engineer working in Little Rock, Arkansas. In the summer of 2021 she quite her job and went back to school to be a physcian’s assistant. In August 2023 she started the PA program at Wingate in North Carolina and will begin her internships in November of 2024!
I have two dogs now (Ginger left us June 6, 2015, a day after her 13th birthday,) Cleo, an Anatolian Shepherd and Ginni, our lab puppy. She joined the family in October of 2021. Two kitties… Litty and Mr. Jinx. If Brian would tolerate it, I would have a whole house full of kitties. I know, I am well on my way to being the "crazy cat lady."
Brian is my "better half." We have "dated" for 23+ years. When people ask WHY we don't get married, the answer is simple...we are happier than any married couple we know....why risk it. He is truly one of the most wonderful people you will ever meet and I am grateful for his love, respect and companionship. Together we share a love of our family, sports, going to auctions, fly fishing and traveling to Colorado every fall! He is the partner everyone hopes to find in their lifetime, but few do!
Brian has one son, Brandon. He graduated from the UofA in the fall of 2015 and currently works in Bentonville. He and his wife Taylor have our grandpuppies, Zoey and Zia! In February 2023 they made Brian and Papa (I officially became Grammy 21 years ago) with grandson Callum and in July 2024 we welcomed another grandson, Vaughn! They are precious to say the least!
Together, we are a fortunate family. Five wonderful children, three awesome grandkids, two amazing daughter in laws, one super-duper son in law, two dogs and two cats, and two people who love and respect each other.
I was what they classify as a "small business owner" and now am “semi-retired.” In 2020 I sold a small apartment complex, 36 units, I had owned for 23 years and bought 6 rental houses. I basically "do it all." I am the painter, landscaper, plumber, electrician, appliance repairman, roofer, tiler...if it needs doing, I do it....the "handy woman!" I learned a long time ago...every dime I pay to someone is money out of my pocket....so if I don't know how to do it, I google it or call someone who can walk me through it (my SIL is an electrician...he's walked me through a few issues...God bless him!)
And in my spare time, when I am not doing the mom thing or business owner thing, I enjoy "doing it all." Cooking, decorating, refinishing furniture, designing, building, couponing (yes, I'm one of "those" people at the checkout), reading....anything and everything that creates beauty around me.
You may notice a few missing Christmas years. That is because my oldest daughter, Sarah, was hit with Covid and her family could not join us in 2021. There are no pictures from 2020…Brian and I both had Covid and since we are the “nexis” there was no family gathering.
