Polish Your Day

So I've been addicted to this new blog called The Daily Nail. Ever since I learned of this ladies goal to polish her nails with different designs everyday for a year I've been intrigued and completely inspired to do the same. Well not the whole 365 days a year thing, but to try and change up my nail color rather often and well, so far so good. I guess going to school to become a nail tech somewhat paid off seeing as that's not the career path I ended up taking. haha. Well onto the pictures.

Here are all my polishes 9/8/10

Here is my first nail design. 9/8/10 - the base coat is red, topped it with pink, and then brushed on yellow with two strokes.

The next day I thought I needed new polishes so I went out and bought 4 new colors that I feel in love with.

9/9/10- I decided I wanted to see if I could still do a french tip with polish. I haven't done a french tip since I worked in a spa, and it's really hard to do when you're not skilled with your opposite hand. Let me just say doing a french tip slowly with your left hand his VERY hard, but it turned out quit well. I was shocked and pleased. :)

9/13/10- Here is todays polish design. I wanted to go simple, but they say simple is usually the hardest and well, they were right. Not my best work. *womp womp*

So there you have it. Just a couple of quick nail designs. Nothing compared to The Daily Nail but still pretty awesome!

xo,
Kim

Marriage Survey

1. When is your “engagement” anniversary: December 16, 2005

2. When is your “marriage” anniversary: July 7, 2007

3. How long have you known your spouse: 5 years

4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged: 5 months exactly

5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time? We meet on a blind date. Thanks to a client of mine who was his old next door neighbor. We went on our first date and were together as much as we could be following that.

6. What is your spouse’s full name: Richard N. Collins

7. Do you have any children: Yes- one dog.. haha- only a fur baby at this point!

8. How many – boys/girls: A little fur girl named London

9. Do you have any house pets: Yes:) London 2 years old.

10. Do you own a house or rent: Own

11. Do you live in the country or town/city: City (Austin- it's an alright city)

12. What is one of your favorite activities together: Relaxing at home with a yummy meal and movie, or doing projects together, ehh i don't know, we just like to be together!

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: We both love Vegas!

14. When did you first kiss? July 19, 2005

15. What church do you attend? We dont. We believe you dont have to attend church to believe in the lord. I pray to him every night. I dont have to go to his house to talk to him.

16. Is this the church you were married in: No, we got married in Vegas! :D

17. What town is your current address at: Round Rock

18. Do you work or stay at home: I work at the beautiful RIATA Apartments

19. Where did you go on your honeymoon: We've been married for 3 years now and still havent gone on our honeymoon. I believe it's about time! he he

20.What was the funniest gift you gave when dating? I dont remember ever giving each other gifts or funny gifts. We were each others gifts since we were long distance relationship for a year.

21.How long have you been together? 5 years 2 months

22. How long did you know each other before you started dating? A day. (blind date :))

23. Who asked who out? Well, i gave his neighbor my business card and told her to tell him to call me if he wanted to get together and if nothing else we could just be friends. So she gave him my card and he called that same day. (the longest voicemail i have ever had in my life..LOL)

24. How old are each of you? He is 33 and I am 27.

25.Where do each of you go to school? I am done done done with school and so is he.

26. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?Honestly so far we haven't had anything thats been that hard. We have been really blessed to have an amazing 3 years of marriage. I mean every marriage is going to have it's ups and downs but thats what builds your relationships.

27. Did you go to the same school? No, he went to school here in Austin and I went to school in Fort Worth.

28. Are you from the same home town? No, I was born and raised in Fort Worth and he was born and raised here in Austin.

29. Who is smarter? Im not even trying to "lift" him up here, he is WAY smarter than me, but honestly...I like that:)

30. Who is more sensitive? Haha is this even a question, by FAR me!

31.Where do you eat out most as a couple? Different places as long as they are close to the house. We are homebodies.

32. Where is the farthest you two have traveled together as a couple? San Diego, CA

33.Who has the craziest exes? Considering he only dated 4 girls before he was married and divorced at 27, I'd say me.

34. Who has the worse temper? He does, but then again I can be just as bad.

35. Who does the cooking? Neal does, but it's more like grilling.

36. Who is more social? Usually I am.

37. Who is the neat-freak? We both have our little things.

38. Who is more stubborn? Ehh- depends on the topic.

39. Who hogs the bed? For sure I do, but not so much hogging as much as it is stealing all the covers -sorry babe!

40. Who wakes up earlier? Hahah, DEFINITELY Neal. He sets his alarm even on his days off for 8am. Eeeek! Are you insane.... YES!

41. Where was your first date? I had told Neal how much i love Italian food so our first date was going to be at The Olive Garden (which is my fav restaurant) but he switched it up on me the day of the date and took me to The Italian Grill close to downtown Fort Worth. Thats also were we went for our 5 month anniversary and where he proposed.

42.Who had more boyfriends/girlfriends? For sure me:(

43. Do you get flowers often? Not often to some peoples standards, but definitely enough for my taste:)

44. How do you spend the holidays? Trying to evenly divide between the families. We LOVE the holidays, but our families are 300 miles apart so we have to rotate and sometimes we miss holidays together because of his job!

45. Who is more jealous? Neither. Thank God for that.

46. How long did it take to get serious? 3 weeks. He/we move fast. haha

47. Who eats more? He does.

48. Who does the laundry? We both do it. It's not hard, but the folding part is what we both hate. Someone should really invent the machine that goes next to the dryer that folds the laundry for you. It really is the worst chore in the world!

49. Who’s better with the computer? He is. I'm not even going to try to say I am.

50. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples. Laugh a lot, spend a lot of time together, love and respect each other, and pray that you both live to 100 years old together.

SEPTEMBER 1st

Happy September!!! I cant believe it's already the 9th month of the year, but her she is! Good morning, good morning!

There's not a whole lot going on this month in the Collins lives besides Papa Collins b-day and my moms b-day. Other then that I guess we'll just have to play it by ear. I'm sure I can come up with some fun things to get into.... I always do! ;)

xo,

Kim

Map It Out

As I'm sure you've noticed on the wall of asymmetical frames in the guest bedroom there's a frame with an adorable map. I had decided that I wanted to map out all the places Neal and I have been together as a couple. We've only hit 4 places but that just means we need to get out a bit more. Here are some before and after shots of the map and how I put it together.

Before I finished my map idea:

(It's a little rough but you get the idea I was going for)

After shots:

How I made this project happen was first I picked out a map I liked online. I then printed it out and laminated it. After that I wanted to see what it would look like inside the frame which was how the purple background came about. But as you can tell by the first shots It didn't look that great. So I went out and bought cork backing

and decided to use some wrapping paper I already owned.

I glued the wrapping paper to the cork and added the map pins to the final project and it turned out just the way I wanted it!

I LOVE IT and it was so easy!

xo,
Kim

London's Happy Tummy

Neal and I decided to switch London over to a RAW natural food. These other pet foods we've tried with her have only caused problems for her digestion system and so far so good with this food. She's a very picky eater and never finishes her food, but for the first time on Saturday when we placed the soft raw food in her bowl she ate the whole thing standing over her bowl which she's never done before. Neal and I were so excited.
I did have to go out and buy stainless steel bowls for her because we were told since it is a raw food and refrigerated it cant be left out for too long . And with her bowl being a ceramic bowl, its considered a no-no! So what did mama find for her baby... The most adorable Martha Stewart pet bowls she could find. Plus they matched perfectly with the floor mat she already has.
I must admit I did get a bit emotional taking away the bowls we bought her the day we brought her home almost 3 years ago. You might say it was my hormones that are all out of whack thanks to auntie flow, but it really was sad washing her baby bowls and putting them away never to be used again. :(
She loves her new bowls though and that's all that matters; plus this food is much healthier. We'd do anything for London even drive all the way Cedar Park for pet food every month and a half, and that's what we'll be doing from here on out. This is all for you Lammies. We love you! Here are couple of pictures.

It's Yummy

My Sleepy Baby (she was only 10 wks)(So teeny!!)

Always by her daddy's side

But not always! She's a mama's girl! Even has the t-shirt that say's "I'm with my bff" he he

We'll keep you posted on how she's doing with this new food and hopefully she'll have less painful BM's. So far so good. Lets hope she keeps a happy yummy!

xo,
Kim

Look at what I come home to find!!!

Yep! I walked into the house from work and there it is, a pile of laundry on top of my just cleaned laundry room. UGH.....NEAL!!!!!

:[
Kim

Keys Gotta Home

As I cleaned the laundry room and got it in order I realized I needed a place to put my keys. I couldn't keep placing them on the dryer as I walked in everyday. Yes, its easy and convenient, but it's also messy and adds to the clutter that collects on top of the dryer as the week progresses. Luckily I had gone window shopping on my lunch break Friday afternoon and came across this adorable iron key with hooks. The first place I thought about putting it was in our guest bedroom for guest to place their keys but this afternoon (Sunday) I decided I would hang it where it would get the most use....In our laundry room. The key hook is too darn cute to keep tucked away in the guest bedroom only to be scene every once in awhile by guest. So I did a little measuring and a little hammering and then a little hanging and voila....


A new look in the laundry room! It took me less than 5 minutes to hammer it to the wall and hang it up. Neal literally got the trash to the curb and back and I was done. He was shocked. Who needs a measuring tape when you have a good eye! Not this gal! ;) I LOVE IT!!!

xo, Kim

Mini Makeover

Our laundry room is the first room to get destroyed by the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Our shoes, lose change, keys, purse, etc land on top of the dryer day in and day out. So it was in much need of a little sprucing up. I'm actually quit embarrassed to show the before shot but you've got to do what you've got to do. Here it goes...

After a little organizing,moving, tucking, and placing things in their rightful spots. It's done and looks great again.

I think that it looks so much better. Lets see how long it stays that away.... Neal!!!

xo,
Kim

Movie Review Monday

Title of the week:


The Switch was such a cute movie. Equally funny with a little bit of dramatics thrown in. I love Jennifer Aniston! But I love the little boy that plays Sebastian even more! He made the movie so much more enjoyable. Those big brown eyes that sweet baby voice. Oooooh, I could have just snatched him right off the screen and put him in my pocket!! He was so darn cute!! But anyways... Jennifer hasn't mad the best movies in the past but this one was so great! Even Neal laughed and said he liked it. He never saws he likes a movie. Anytime we walk out the theater I'll ask, "so what did you think of the movie?" He'll reply, "It was all right." That's for EVERY movie. It gets annoying. I didn't even wanna ask him what he thought about The Switch knowing what most likely would come out of his mouth, but I did anyways and to my surprise he said it was good and that it was funny. WHAAAAA!! It really is a cute date movie or a fun movie to go see with your best girl friends. I recommend it and so does Neal. :)

xo,
Kim

Thank you, I have a NEW car

HA! I wish. That gorgeous Audi is my friend Gina's sweet ride she just bought. But I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law for the most wonderful gift they have given Neal and I. This post comes a bit late but every time I turn on my brand NEW car I have to thank my second parents. My old car was old and sad and was starting to go sour. Papa and Mama Collins decided it was best I take her new car she had just bought. She knew Neal and I couldn't just go out and purchase a new car at this time so they handed us the keys to her 2009 Toyota Camry. I LOVE IT!!! At first I didn't want to except it but this is what they do and this is why I love them so much. Neal's parents have always rotated cars for their kids but they've never gone out and actually bought them new cars! They just get the car that gets passed down. I'm the first of the children that actually got a new car. It was used for only a couple of months and then passed to me last month. I consider it new since there was only 10,000 miles on the car when I got. I'm so lucky! I love Momma and Papa Collins, but not just for this but because they are so kind hearted. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. We love you! Here's my sweet beauty!


I've never been a fan of red cars, but I LOVE IT! THANK YOU!

xo,
Kim

House Projects

My mind has just been whirling and twirling trying to figure out what my next project is going to be. I've got all kinds of ideas.
First idea: I want to organize our mail area with more storage and functional style. I'm just about tired of the mail sitting on the dinning room table/bar/counter top, or where ever it may land upon entering the house, or until someone (meaning me) comes along and picks up the mess and puts it away. I want everything to have its own space. Now, how do I get this with out spending LOTS of pennies in the process? I'm looking to buy something similar to the Pottery Bar Office Organizer they have. That of course is beyond the amount of money I'd like to spend on this project, but so you can get the idea here is what I'm looking at for the kitchen...

Second Idea: I would like to come up with a fun art display. But what kind of art should I use? I know the cheapest and funnest way to come up with art is by taking old calendars and framing the pictures you like. Here are a couple of examples...


Third idea: In our guest bedroom I put together a shadow box of old firsts Neal and I did together. I'd like to brighten it up with color. Add color to the matting and add some unknown facts about what happened the the day we had our firsts. I think that would be a little something fun. How should I do that? Well I know exactly how I'm doing that cause I've kind of already started that project. Once I finish I'll post the pictures and the how to. I cant wait to see how it turns out.

Forth idea: I've been collecting more and more jewelry lately and am running short on places to put all my new pretties. So, the other day I came across this adorable blog and just feel in love with this girls creative idea. She made these mesh pictures frames to hold her earrings and bought old pegs to hold her necklaces. If I could be that creative I don't know what I'd do, but I'm not and since she is, I'm going to take her idea and make it my own. This little project looks super fun and easy and I cant wait to get started. The next thing I'll need to do is build up my jewels like she has. Man does she have A LOT!
Doesn't she just have the cutest set up? Check out her blog. It's so fun and honest. Here is the post about her "pretties". http://smartandsassywithsprinkles.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-i-organize-and-store-my-pretties.html

Fifth idea: If you noticed the wall of abstract frames in the guest bedroom you've noticed one frame is empty. That sad frame is my frame meant for my baby picture. The picture I wanted for the frame was not the right size I need to go to Kinko's and blow it up to an 8x10. Once I add that picture I also wanna add a couple more frames to the wall. I just love how fun the wall looks when they are placed all over. It's so fun! Guess how much I paid for those frames in the room? The most I spent was 16.99. That's right those frames ranged from 3.99-16.99 all from my new favorite store, Ikea! At first I had only bought 4 frames and then realized how reasonable the frames actually were that I went back and snagged another 4. As soon as a go to Kinko's and print out my baby picture I wanna run by Ikea and pick up another 4 frames. But what to put in those frames will be the fun part. What should I add? Neal doing what he loves, playing golf? Maybe those shots of him as a kid swinging is club for the first time. I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Say good bye to that sad little frame in the right corner!

So, there you have it, the five projects I have an itching to get started on. Which one should I start with? Should I take a trip down memory lane with my shadow box update, or maybe I should tidy up our scary mail and organize the kitchen area, but there is always "pretties" that could use a nice home. Which project would you like to see finished first? I cant wait to get started.

xo,
Kim