Traverse City- Sleeping Bear Dunes

For summer vacation this year we will be heading up north to Matt’s hometown Traverse City, Michigan. I’ve heard for years that Traverse City is one of the most beautiful places in the summer and I cannot wait to experience it. I will be taking of an ENTIRE week and we will be there from July 3-10!!!

I’m a planner… so of course I have already started planning every detail of my July vacation. We will be staying with Matt’s mom and are planning to drive up there so that we can have a car to get around. The drive will take about 12 hours and I’m thinking that we will drive overnight so that Emma can sleep in the car. Of course the only problem is that when we get there in the morning Emma will be full of energy while Matt and I will be dead tired!

Leading up to the vaction I've decided to blog weekely about an activitythat we are are planning on doing while in Michigan.

My first feature is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
I wanted to do this the last time Matt and I were up in Michigan but we ran out of time. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore “offers magnificent views over sweeping vistas of Lake Michigan from atop high dunes” The park also has a Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive through the dunes and woods that I would love to do. The drive is only a little over 7 miles but it looks like there are 12 scenic pullovers and two picnic areas. Emma LOVES picnics and I think that the views at the dunes will make for a memorable lunch.

I also want Emma to do the Junior Ranger Program. I will proudly admit that I was a junior ranger at MANY National Parks and that I still have my national park passport with stamps from each park that I visited as a kid. Because of my fond memories at the parks I think that Emma will love earning her ranger patches and I think that it is a great way for her to learn about her surroundings.

The Manitou Islands are also near the dunes and are accessible only by ferry. . South Manitou Island offers a daylong excursion into the lives of the early settlers of the region, with farmsteads, an old schoolhouse and the island cemetery. North Manitou Island is a wilderness experience, offering 15,000 acres of camping, hiking, backpacking and solitude, with the exception of a 27-acre managed village site.
It would be so much fun to camp out on the Manitou Island! Maybe a bit too much work for this vacation.

Next Thursday look out for some info on the National Cherry Festival.

Bathroom Closet Clean Out!!

A few weeks ago, while walking through Homegoods, I spotted two packages of drawer liner paper that were on sale!
I fell in love with the light blue background and colorful paisley print and suddenly felt motivated to tackle a project that I have previously been dreading… the Bathroom Closet Clean out!!!
With my new project in mind I grabbed some small baskets (in brown and pink) and a couple glass containers before I checked out with my adorable paisley liners. I Departed Homegoods with a vision in my head… I didn’t know how to properly achieve my vision but instead of going home first and researching how to properly apply drawer liner in a bathroom environment I headed over to an office supply store for some heavy duty spray adhesive. Thanks to my hard work at the RNC I was sure that this studd woudl do the trick.
I was too ashamed of what it looked like before so I cleaned everything out before taking this "before" photo

As you can see we needed to do away with the hideous and disgusting pink shelf liner.

The process with fairly easy… I just sprayed the shelf and/or paper and stuck it down. I had to cut down a few pieces to properly cover all surfaces and was extremely happy with my finished product.
In terms of organization...

I decided that all medications and other items used by all in the family would be best stored in small plastic “shoe box” containers with labels to clearly display their contents. The containers were organized into the following categories:
- First Aid
- Sunscreen
- Cold/Flu Medication
- Pain/Fever Medication
- Allergy/Sinus Medication
- Extra Dental Supplies
- Nail Polish
- Extra Hair Care products
- Misc

I also designated shelves for Matt, Emma and myself.

In the bottom of the closet I put all cleaning supplies in a large plastic bin and clean towels in a great green basket.

I love that everything has a designated spot now in our bathroom!

My 10 Favorite things under $25

Here are a few of my current favorite things under $25.00

Crate and Barrel

Camea Lidded Storage Baskets
$19.95 - $29.95
You can ask Matt… I’ve become slightly obsessed with baskets lately. I love that this model has a hinged lid allowing for easy access and allows you to place other items (or baskets) on top.
I bought two great baskets from Homegoods last Sunday. The baskets fit perfectly under our living room coffee table and before bed I will do a quick sweep for the room and place any of Emma’s toys/books in one basket and anything that Matt and I have left out will go in the other. The plan is to pull the baskets out at least twice a week and to put everything back in the proper places… theoretically this will make me less stressed out about cleaning up each day… we will see how it works out.

5-Piece Photo Coaster Set

$16.95
I’m currently in the market for some coasters in our living room and when I found these glass coasters which hold a 2”x2” photo I cannot help but feel like my search is over. What a GREAT way to display fun photos of Emma that I can change out multiple times a year. The espresso-stained wood base is also a perfect match for the furniture in the room.

Palm Dup Light Orange-Dark Orange Placemat

$3.95 each
I love this placemat!! I’m thinking that this would be perfect for outdoor dining this spring and summer. This placemat also comes in three other fun/bright colors… just in case you’re not feeling my orange vibe.

Elsie Floral Napkin

$4.95 each

After seeing the above placemat I couldn’t resist these napkins. They are 100% cotton and I’m loving the soft floral print!! These would also look great indoors with some blue dishes that I bought a few weeks ago.

Linen Sheer Aqua Curtain Panel

$16.95 - $24.95
What a GREAT price!! I’ve been looking for new panels for our spare bedroom and could not believe that these 100% linen ones are as low as $16.95 per panel. The ones that we currently have in the room are so dark and really do not match the décor or the space. I think that these will be included in the budget for my next paycheck. If you are not a fan of the aqua they also come in yellow white and natural.

Popcorn Bowl

$9.95
In the Fleming – Park household we observe “movie night.” Each Saturday you will find us all snuggled up watching a movie of Emma’s choice… 85% of the time it is a movie about a dog. A huge part of out movie night is the popcorn!!

CB2

4-Some bud vase

$9.95
What a great way to display some beautiful spring buds! Wouldn’t this be a great addition to a night stand? Who wouldn’t want to wake up next to beautiful flowers?

Pottery Barn

Vintage Stamp Sets

19.99
Lately I’ve had the desire to become a little more creative. I think that Emma and I would both get some use out of these fun “vintage” stamps. A great work friend gave me a handmade card after working on a joint project together and I have to say that it meant a lot to me that she would take the time to craft something just for me… Also I am in love with stamp she used inside “Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!”

Coastal Curiosity Dinner Napkin

$21.00
So I mentioned my new light blue dishes earlier… These napkins are a perfect match! I love the coastal theme!

Target

Room Essentials® Traditional Gallery Frame

$14.99
This is a great black frame for an amazing price. I’m going to start framing a few of the photos that I take and I’m thinking of hanging them in our hallway.

I’m on my way…

Yesterday I posted my list of thirty things that I would like to accomplish/experience before I turn thirty. Number 17 is to take a Dance/ Hip hop lessen. By coincidence my best friend Holly e-mailed me yesterday about a Summer Hip Hop Cardio class that she had signed up for. This morning I immediately went on the website and signed up.

The classes will be on Thursdays from June 7th – August 15th at Born 2 Dance in Vienna. At first I was a bit worried about signing up for a summer class because I’m guaranteed to miss a few sessions due to vacations. However, their website put me at ease because they allow you to make up for a missed session any time before the August 15th end date. Another neat thing is that I am able to make up the class with one of the following other classes:

Exotic Dance
Break Dance
Zumba
Pilates
Workout classes (i.e. Belly Dance Workout, Salsa Aerobics, Bollywood Workout, etc.)

I’m really looking forward to trying something new and the best part is that I’m doing it with Holly… Guaranteed girl time each week!

Do you think that an appearance on my FAVORITE show could be in my future…

Thirty By Thirty

Here is my Thirty by Thirty (in no order)

1. Get Married
2. Become a Home Owner
3. Take Emma to Disney World
4. Go Scuba Diving
5. Become a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
6. Go on a Winery Tour
7. Get a Dog
8. Take a Cooking Class
9. Run a 5K
10. Plant a Vegetable Garden
11. Take a Photography Class
12. Spend a Minimum of 4 days Hiking and Camping with Matt
13. Take Emma Camping
14. Cook a Full Thanksgiving Dinner
15. Do a Family Photo Session and use the Picture for a Photo Holiday Card
16. Go to Europe with Matt
17. Take Dance Lessons… Maybe HipHop???
18. Give up Fruit Snacks… this will be a HARD one for me
19. Take a Family Vacation with another Family
20. Enlarge a Photograph that I’ve Taken and display as artwork in my home
21. Become a Government Employee… One can dream
22. Find a cheap & hideous piece of furniture to refinish/reupholster & make it BEAUTIFUL
23. Create a Fitness Goal and stick to it
24. Redesign and decorate an entire home… on a budget
25. Get my Event Planning Business up & running 26. Become active in the PTA
27. Give Emma a brother or sister
28. Become organized enough to scrapbook
29. Cook at Home for a full Month... another SUPER Hard one
30. Go two months without buying clothes

Fancy Nancy Tea Party

Emma’s 6^th Birthday Party is tomorrow!!

It is so hard to believe that I am a mother of a six year old. How did that happen? I feel like just yesterday I was getting ready for her 1^st birthday.

As many of you know I’m obsessed with the need to throw Emma an elaborate party every year. I’m sure that I have this need because by nature I’m a planner! My need to plan could almost be classified as a fault. Back to Emma’s party though… two years ago my little four year looked up to me while at her Pirate Party and stated, “Okay, next year I want a circus party and when I turn six I want an all girls party.” Apparently she is a planner as well…

So by request, Emma will be having a “girls only” Birthday party this year. We have invited five of Emma’s friends to join us for a tea party. This is not your ordinary tea party however… it is a FANCY NANCY tea party!!!

Here is the game plan for the party:

Emma’s party will consist of a lot of fuchsia (a fancy word for purple) and Magenta (a fancy word for hot pink). I’ve had so much fun planning her party. I’ve picked out lots of pink and purple Ribbons, Streamers, balloons, flowers, fingernail polish, fancy food and colorful Cupcakes. As all our little Fancy Nancy's arrive we will read some of the Fancy Nancy Books. Next all of the girls will Design their Tiaras and put on their jewels at a dress up station. After the girls are all dressed up they will go to Charm School, where they will learn to curtsy, to walk with proper posture with books on their heads, to drink with their pinkie fingers lifted and learn some fancy vocabulary and French words. Then they will be escorted into the Posh Pampering Salon for their manicures and make-up which will consist of Finger nail Polish and lip gloss. Finally they will head to the Fancy Café for some yummy food and Colorful cupcakes The girls will be going home with a Fancy Nancy Book and other fancy accessories.

Picture forthcoming!

To Paint or not to paint...

As I mentioned on an earlier post Matt and I have put an offer on a short sale in Annandale.

Being the planner that I am I’ve already started looking for some design ideas and I’ve come across the most amazing/inspiring blog Young House Love. John and Sherry bought their 50-year old ranch home in Richmond and began working their magic on it. I’ve decided that I really like their design style and I LOVE the fact that they go into so much detail when writing about their own DIY home projects. Matt and I are planning on tackling most of the renovation projects on our own once we get the house and I will keep you updated on here…

In our (fingers crossed) soon to be home there is a HUGE brick fireplace in the den off the kitchen. The space is a room which will be utilized a lot and the idea of having this huge dark wall is a bit of a turn off for me…

John and Sherry had the same predicament with their property. See their before and after picks bellow.

Before den…

After Den...

It’s hard to believe this is the same room. They had another dark brick fireplace in the living room that received an equally stunning makeover.

Here is the living room fireplace before...

Living room after...

Now for the big question… if we get the house should we paint the fireplace??? We will have to completely paint the house before move in because there were smokers living there previously… THOUGHTS?