What a crazy week, y’all! There was so much stuff.
Do you ever have those weeks that you have to just breathe? That was this week for me. At work, I’m working on my Art to Remember fundraiser. Several of my classes regrouped, so that has been a nightmare. I’m on the struggle bus, trying to figure it all out. I had an open house on Tuesday night and taught a class on Wednesday night. Thankfully, my Arts Council meeting was canceled on Thursday. This introvert has reached her fill! Although I fuss and quickly become overwhelmed, I love it when my week is filled with happiness. When you feel stressed, always count your blessings. It does help! I’d highly recommend walking, too!
Here are my favorites from this week….
The Blackstone- We began the week by cooking brunch on Sunday morning. We desperately needed a new grill, so we splurged on the Blackstone with the air fryer. So, yes, we are the new co-owners of a Blackstone. He purchased every accessory known to man, and I bought him an apron so that he would look professional. Haha! I’ll gladly kick in some money if he cooks. I’m clueless about grills, but I wanted a good one. Although we had pledged not to buy more “stuff,” we failed. We are now the proud owners of MORE STUFF. On a side note, we do LOVE the Blackstone. We (he) cooks on it every chance we get.
New Landscape Lighting—We finally replaced the outside landscape lighting. Kudos to Eric for buying and installing the lights. They seem to be hit or miss (possibly because of so many cloudy days). However, when they work, they are a win. I love the lighting because it helps me feel safer when my house is lit. I pretend to live in a mini-castle, making me feel like a princess. Feeling like a princess is non-negotiable. Here are the spotlights and wall wash links to the lights we purchased. I am so happy with them! We placed the wall wash lights under the windows and put the spotlights on the trees and columns. Home ownership can be a pain, but it’s my greatest joy. Sometimes I look at my home and I feel so proud knowing that I did it on my own, on a teacher’s salary.
Art Supplies- I had a parent gift me with art supplies! When you give to my babies, you give to me. I am so grateful! There is nothing in the world I love more than making my students happy and inspiring them to be unique through art. When they are happy, I am happy.
A Painting Party- On Wednesday, I taught a pumpkin painting party at Hinnant Vineyards. I love Hinnant because they are my extended family. We had a lot of laughter, and although I was so tired, it was such a pleasure! I enjoyed every second! Look at these beautiful pumpkins! I’m grateful to everyone who came out. I was able to see one of my favorite former students, as well as former classmates! It was a great “girl time”! The ultimate happiness is sipping wine while you are teaching! We should be allowed to sip wine while doing our day job!
Yes, I said it.
An Unexpected Day Off- I didn’t know a hurricane was out there. I’m barely keeping up with life, much less the weather. I was so surprised when we had an unexpected day off. And boy, did it rain! I’d never seen my yard so soaked. I spent the day organizing, figuring out outfits for our upcoming cruise, and trying a fantastic new cocktail, an Apple Cider French 75. French 75’s are my favorite, and I am obsessed with this over this fall edition. It’s my favorite fall cocktail yet! I admit it. I’m a lush when it comes to gin. It’s my happy drink. Much to my dismay, I did break a champagne glass. I did say the “f” word a few times. But honestly, that’s normal for me. We all have that “go to” cuss word. As usual, Amazon saved the day. I was able to order more, but I’m so mad at myself! That wasn’t an expense I’d planned to make. Now we will have five glasses. I have one to spare! These are great glasses. They are heavier and more significant than others I have. And if you are interested, here’s the recipe I found on Instagram….
As this week concludes, please say a prayer for my student who was diagnosed with leukemia this week. I won’t post a picture because I want to respect their privacy. I teach with his grandmother and adore the family. They have a hard road ahead of them, and I’m sure they’d welcome any prayers you could send.
A reminder……always count your blessings.
