tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44732306907448819002024-03-13T15:06:13.474-04:00A Girl in the WorldKendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.comBlogger537125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-75308412365227836132012-10-18T20:49:00.000-04:002012-10-18T20:49:05.981-04:00Bargain Outdoor Dining Area<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our deck leaves a lot to be desired. The boards are warped and the color is strange, but we're not quite ready to renovate it yet. In the meantime, I wanted an outdoor dining area that would let us use the deck, but not commit us to really expensive, permanent outdoor furniture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After getting some inspiration from Scarlett, another designer at <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/">Julie Couch Interiors</a>, I went to <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/">The Home Depot</a> and bought a $99 unfinished pine picnic table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I sanded it smooth and drilled a hole through the center for an umbrella. After that, the table needed 1 coat of outdoor primer and 2 coats of outdoor paint.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8DH5V4qQW0/UICf0hOsIuI/AAAAAAAACjo/bo6Pb5JorME/s1600/Picnic+Table+Before+10-18-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8DH5V4qQW0/UICf0hOsIuI/AAAAAAAACjo/bo6Pb5JorME/s400/Picnic+Table+Before+10-18-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went with Ralph Lauren Warwick Lodge, which is one of my very favorite paint colors. Luckily my grandparents had already given me an old umbrella stand (I love when things are free!), so I only needed an umbrella. Tuesday Morning ended up having the best deal in Nashville and I was able to find a neutral taupe one for only $39.99.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3q6MgpE7elI/UICg6jjBdyI/AAAAAAAACjw/Djiav_fd4YY/s1600/Picnic+Table+After+10-18-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3q6MgpE7elI/UICg6jjBdyI/AAAAAAAACjw/Djiav_fd4YY/s400/Picnic+Table+After+10-18-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm really happy with the end result! It feels finished, but I like knowing that I can always change it out for something more permanent down the road.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INbM-jLOaRE/UICiMofL05I/AAAAAAAACkA/0xgSFan5zpM/s1600/Picnic+Table+After+II+10-18-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INbM-jLOaRE/UICiMofL05I/AAAAAAAACkA/0xgSFan5zpM/s640/Picnic+Table+After+II+10-18-12.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But until then I'll enjoy hanging out under my umbrella! Are you working on any outdoor projects this fall?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-59629458898497872112012-10-15T21:45:00.000-04:002012-10-15T21:45:23.972-04:00Vintage Wedding Stamps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man, I've been gone from the blog for a looong time! I needed some time away to appreciate the fun in it again. I hope all of you had a wonderful summer. I've missed you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As some of you may know, I have an Etsy shop where I sell vintage stamps. I was so excited when one of the brides I worked with this summer sent me this awesome picture of her wedding invitations featuring my stamps. Thanks Michael and Jenn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can find my Etsy shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kendallsimmons?ref=si_shop">here</a>.</span></div>
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<br />Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-75855576663234561232012-06-15T20:37:00.001-04:002012-06-15T20:37:29.422-04:00Thanks for the Support Everybody!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks everybody for the support for our <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/my-first-place/show/index.html">My First Place</a> episode! It was very strange to see ourselves on TV, to say the least! For anyone who missed it, it's supposed to air again on July 2 at 6:30pm Eastern time. You can find info about our episode on the HGTV website <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/my-first-place/bid-leads-to-winning-strategy/index.html">here</a>.</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-38051746063410754622012-06-06T21:50:00.000-04:002012-06-06T21:50:18.102-04:00Our Episode Is Finally Airing!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kane and I started filming our episode of My First Place in April 2011, and we wrapped it up in September of 2011. It's finally airing on Sunday June 10 at 1:30 Eastern/12:30 Central! Everyone be sure to check it out! Here's a link to the <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/my-first-place/bid-leads-to-winning-strategy/index.html">Episode Guide</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's had to believe we've been in our house for almost a year. Time flies when you're having fun!</span></div>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-26940367461371468612012-05-02T20:38:00.000-04:002012-05-02T20:41:00.982-04:00Birthday Postcards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to share a really fun project with you by artist <a href="http://maurameyers.com/">Maura Meyers</a>. She recently purchased lots of fun vintage stamps from my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kendallsimmons?ref=si_shop">Etsy shop</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Check out how she used them! She took a piece of her artwork and cut it up into 30 postcards. She's mailing one postcard to her boyfriend every day for 30 days leading up to his 30th birthday!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Once he receives all 30 postcards she's going to tape them together and paint the image.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What a fantastic birthday keepsake! I'll be filing this away in my rainy day file. I love the creativity! It's so much more exciting than a standard birthday card!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can see her other artwork on her website <a href="http://maurameyers.com/">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks for letting me share your inspiring project, Maura!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-22361545523450980172012-04-30T21:50:00.000-04:002012-04-30T21:50:36.699-04:00Our First Flowers<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never had a green thumb. So I'm taking baby steps toward learning to grow flowers. I started with three flower pots on our back deck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I added the rocks and the potting soil...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broke up all the roots...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And watered them all in just like I'm supposed to. Here they are! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And exactly one week later, they are still alive! So far so good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have any of you started any great outdoor projects this Spring?</span></div>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-71969161011038687092012-04-15T18:54:00.002-04:002012-04-15T18:54:34.873-04:00Updating a Fireplace - A Work in Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the <em>lovely</em> fireplace in our Den. Don't you love it? An awkward mantel and a brass insert...I don't think I need to go into the reasons why I hate it. One good thing is that it's not actually crooked in real life, that's just my bad photography.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within a few weeks of moving in we removed the mantel and ripped out the brass insert, which left us with this. Marginally better than what it was before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we proceeded to leave it sitting like this for months. Needless to say we haven't made the Den a priority at all. But, the fireplace is the first thing that we see every time we walk into the back door so it was high time to start fixing it up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This room is always a little dark, even with five windows. So I'm planning on painting the walls Benjamin Moore White Dove, and the fireplace the same color in order to lighten everything up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I started by giving the brick a good cleaning with a damp rag. There were years worth of old soot in the nooks and crannies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once it was as clean as I could get it I applied a coat of Kilz Original oil-based primer to seal in all of the dark stains on the brick so that it wouldn't bleed through my light paint. I got as much coverage as I could with a masonry roller, and then finished getting in the crevices with a brush. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then I followed that up with two coats of Benjamin Moore White Dove satin latex paint, using a masonry roller and finishing with a brush.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such a difference! I'm really happy with the change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I just need to:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Prime and prep the strip along the top of the brick where the mantel used to be to get it ready for paint.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) Get this old gas log insert removed and the gas line capped by a licensed professional. I don't want to take the rist of blowing up my house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Scrub out the firebox as best I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Accessorize! I have a few things in mind that I can't wait to get together!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and paint the wood paneling in the rest of the room, which is going to be a huge job. Have any of you started any new projects around the house? How about any outdoor projects now that the weather is so pretty?</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-66355694965936403172012-04-07T14:40:00.000-04:002012-04-07T14:40:33.513-04:00Lauren Dunn Art Show - Julie Couch Interiors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night we celebrated our new relationship with local artist <a href="http://elledeestudio.com/">Lauren Dunn</a> at the <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/showroom/">Julie Couch Interiors showroom</a>! Julie and the rest of us on <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/team/">staff</a> hosted an art show to feature a selection of her paintings. We're very excited to represent her work in the shop! We have paintings available for purchase, and will also be able to arrange custom commissions to suite your needs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We had a great turnout. Thanks to all of you who attended! Here are a few shots of the showroom before the event started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are my favorite pieces that we featured. Her churches (like the one in the background) are always wonderful, and I couldn't resist the hydrangeas in the foreground either!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For more information about <a href="http://elledeestudio.com/">Lauren Dunn</a> and her work check out her website <a href="http://elledeestudio.com/">here</a>, or follow her on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Dunn-Designs/372196508491">here</a>. Or just drop by <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/parade-dining-room-wide/">Julie Couch Interiors</a> and see her work in person!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-70970667925097169802012-04-02T19:46:00.000-04:002012-04-02T19:46:00.251-04:00A Night of Music and Friendship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey everybody! For those of you who are in the Nashville area, I'd like to invite you to a fundraiser for Kristi Jo this Thursday evening. Kristi's a fabulous friend and coworker of mine. We'll be at the <a href="http://www.tinroofbars.com/Home/Nashville">Tin Roof</a> on Demonbreun Street from 6-10pm. It's $10 at the door and all proceeds will go toward Kristi's cancer treatment expenses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Check out <a href="http://friendsofkristijo.org/">this website</a> for more information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'd love to see you all there! </span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-62074055727594379482012-03-23T11:52:00.002-04:002012-03-23T11:52:51.268-04:00Big Changes Around Here...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Me-WPg33W6k/T2yapCGvwmI/AAAAAAAACfo/2QEFKKtr3Pc/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Me-WPg33W6k/T2yapCGvwmI/AAAAAAAACfo/2QEFKKtr3Pc/s400/untitled.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image from <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/parade-dining-room-wide/">JCI</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a lot of my family and friends already know, I started a fantastic new job in January! I've been at it for a little over two months and I'm SO happy with my decision to make a change.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm now a designer at <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/">Julie Couch Interiors</a> here in Nashville! Julie is beautiful, talented, fresh and energetic. She's pulled together a great creative team and I feel very lucky that I get to work with them everyday. You can check out the team <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/team/">right here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Be sure to look through our awesome portfolio <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/parade-dining-room-wide/">here</a>. And Julie also did a fun <a href="http://decoratordozen.com/?p=3820">Q&A about me</a> on <a href="http://decoratordozen.com/">her blog</a>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image from <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/parade-dining-room-wide/">JCI</a>.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For all of you that are local to Nashville, be sure to stop by our showroom and see us. We have a great retail space filled with beautiful furniture and home accessories in addition to our full service design studio. You can find our locations and hours <a href="http://www.juliecouch.com/showroom/">right here</a>. I'd love to see you all!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-48956264888428638222012-03-20T09:42:00.002-04:002012-03-20T09:42:36.837-04:00Thanks for the Wishes!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, I know...I've been gone from the blog for a really long time! I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I needed a little time away. I was craving that extra hour that I gained every night by not blogging, so instead I've spent it with Kane, and spent time re-starting lots of home improvement projects!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There's been a lot of spackling, sanding, caulking, nail hole filling and painting going on around here. All of the things that must be done but take lots of time and don't give you much "wow" factor when they're finished!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks to all of you for the birthday wishes yesterday! I'm excited about 27!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-9221945424598431652012-02-20T22:05:00.001-05:002012-02-20T22:05:40.997-05:00Book Review - Wildwood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCTLJQPSL3c/T0MGuMtRnMI/AAAAAAAACfg/e4jWSIeexSs/s1600/Wildwood+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCTLJQPSL3c/T0MGuMtRnMI/AAAAAAAACfg/e4jWSIeexSs/s320/Wildwood+book+cover.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found <a href="http://www.wildwoodchronicles.com/books">here</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a fun, fun read! I picked up <a href="http://www.wildwoodchronicles.com/books">Wildwood</a> at <a href="http://www.parnassusbooks.net/">Parnassus Books</a> because of <a href="http://www.designsponge.com/about">Grace Bonney</a> (of <a href="http://www.designsponge.com/">Design Sponge</a>) and her recommendation of it. It didn't disappoint! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The characters are sweet and the setting - the 'Impassable Wilderness' outside of Portland, OR - is magic. But what I love about it most is that it's a collaboration between a husband and wife author and illustrator, <a href="http://www.wildwoodchronicles.com/authors">Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis</a>. How great is that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've missed you all a bunch! I hope your week is off to a great start! Are you reading any great books right now? </span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-41980867279627347792012-02-12T16:30:00.002-05:002012-02-12T16:30:58.815-05:00Nashville Antiques and Garden Show<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent a bit of time at the <a href="http://www.antiquesandgardenshow.com/">Nashville Antiques and Garden Show</a> this weekend, and as always I found lots to love. I started the weekend by attending a <a href="http://www.milesredd.com/">Miles Redd</a> lecture on Friday (inspirational!), and then walked through the show with my Mom on Saturday. Here were a couple of my favorite things!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did any of you attend the show? Did anyone find something inspirational while enjoying your weekend?</span></div>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-87413218799222576052012-01-25T20:14:00.000-05:002012-01-25T20:14:12.991-05:00Homemade Valentines<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of buying Valentine's Day cards this year, I made some of my own. I picked up this stamp that reads 'I'll always cherish' in the dollar bin at Michael's a while back and finally found a reason to use it. I got a black ink pad in the same dollar bin, and the red glitter glue was also a dollar at The Dollar Tree. I love a good value!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are any of you making things for Valentine's Day?</span></div>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-7086782068813601822012-01-18T19:51:00.001-05:002012-01-18T19:51:56.134-05:00Design Books I Need in My Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq7ggN47K0U/TxdnFghm9iI/AAAAAAAACd4/UyOnIH_KD2Y/s1600/Rizzoli+Axel+Vervoordt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq7ggN47K0U/TxdnFghm9iI/AAAAAAAACd4/UyOnIH_KD2Y/s400/Rizzoli+Axel+Vervoordt.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Images found via <a href="http://www.rizzoliusa.com/subject.php?subject=interior-design&v=all">Rizzoli</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was perusing design books in the course of my work today, and decided I need all of these for myself!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope that you're all having a beautiful day!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-80063317062846564962012-01-17T20:18:00.002-05:002012-01-17T20:19:21.573-05:00Inspiration: Black Lacquer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QerXVg6hfdw/TxYcLSMaz6I/AAAAAAAACdw/xPL1Ght6O_8/s1600/Canadian+House+and+Home-tommysmythetrendhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QerXVg6hfdw/TxYcLSMaz6I/AAAAAAAACdw/xPL1Ght6O_8/s400/Canadian+House+and+Home-tommysmythetrendhouse.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://houseandhome.com/design/photo-gallery-tommy-smythes-victorian-makeover?page=8">Canadian House & Home</a>.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today these black lacquer walls are an inspiration. If you're going to have a black and white room, you might as well go all out and throw in a zebra rug!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-52932177408996202152012-01-14T19:40:00.003-05:002012-01-14T19:40:44.842-05:00Two Unfinished Projects<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started out this morning hoping to finish a project. I was in the mood to have a productive day. I decided to use a blank canvas and some embroidery floss that I had around the house to make some art. Then I ran out of embroidery floss. This is as far as I got...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, then I decided to paint our Kitchen. Then I ran out of paint. This is as far as I got...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So then I went out and bought more embroidery floss and another gallon of paint. Here's to hopefully finishing something tomorrow! :) I hope you've all had a great Saturday!</span></div>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-40335563623685943062012-01-12T21:48:00.000-05:002012-01-12T21:48:49.159-05:00First Snow of the Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6TbXDCHgSM/Tw-aoCAZLZI/AAAAAAAACdY/fGjzK2iDsKo/s1600/snow+we+heart+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6TbXDCHgSM/Tw-aoCAZLZI/AAAAAAAACdY/fGjzK2iDsKo/s400/snow+we+heart+it.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm like a little kid today! Snow's accumulating on the ground for the first time this winter and it's beautiful! We've got house guests for the night and warm soup in our bellies. Doesn't get much better than that!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-50639087180106389552012-01-11T17:53:00.000-05:002012-01-11T17:53:21.001-05:00Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lIXnRCl16k/Tw4Sky1V8jI/AAAAAAAACdQ/k1pH_Bqcbxk/s1600/The+Hunger+Games+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lIXnRCl16k/Tw4Sky1V8jI/AAAAAAAACdQ/k1pH_Bqcbxk/s400/The+Hunger+Games+book+cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hunger_games.jpg">Wikipedia</a>.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't done a book review since September, so I think it's time for another one! I read <a href="http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/">The Hunger Games</a> trilogy by <a href="http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/the_hunger_games_69765.htm">Suzanne Collins</a> before Christmas and was really impressed by it. They're in the 'Young Adult' genre, but like Harry Potter and the Twilight books, they're suited for adults as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The main character is a teenage girl named Katniss who lives in Panem, a country located in North America where the United States once was. Her story is dramatic and exciting, and addicting! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I finished the three books in about four days, so that alone tells you how entertaining they are! <a href="http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index2.html">The first movie</a> comes out in March, so I'd recommend reading them before then! You can see the trailer <a href="http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index2.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Have you read anything great lately?</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-845936861911986392012-01-10T18:39:00.000-05:002012-01-10T18:39:00.751-05:00Dreaming of a New Kitchen...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Kitchen renovation is still a while away, but I've been daydreaming about it today. If I'm honest, my actual train of thought was: "Maybe if I had a Kitchen I wanted to spend time in I'd manage to cook a little more." :) This image is similar to what I'm after...simple black/white/grey scheme. And I love the idea of two different cabinet colors.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5CN9JLYNvEk/TwzIzuTNdNI/AAAAAAAACdA/QZAARm1L9Cw/s1600/black+and+white+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5CN9JLYNvEk/TwzIzuTNdNI/AAAAAAAACdA/QZAARm1L9Cw/s400/black+and+white+kitchen.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://shelterinteriordesign.blogspot.com/">Shelter</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plus a comfortable place to hang out. Preferably in leather, like this sofa.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XGEvOdDvN7w/TwzJ6bm4gWI/AAAAAAAACdI/GzmAqFMhLh0/s1600/leather+sofa+in+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XGEvOdDvN7w/TwzJ6bm4gWI/AAAAAAAACdI/GzmAqFMhLh0/s400/leather+sofa+in+kitchen.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com/">Pink Wallpaper</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and a functioning dishwasher. But for now, I'll make due and be thankful that I have a Kitchen! What does your dream kitchen have?</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-15319635917422466782012-01-08T16:18:00.000-05:002012-01-08T16:18:01.780-05:00Twitter, Pinterest and Etsy, Oh My!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lPDHjKLthaE/TwoHZXcaIcI/AAAAAAAACc4/97GQQCO2vmg/s1600/twitter+icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lPDHjKLthaE/TwoHZXcaIcI/AAAAAAAACc4/97GQQCO2vmg/s1600/twitter+icon.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found <a href="http://www.blogsdna.com/95/twitter-icons-for-blog-and-twitter-bird.htm">here</a>.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone be sure to check out the additions to the column on the right side of my blog. I've added links to my <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/KendallKSimmons">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/kendallsimmons/">Pinterest</a> accounts, and also <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kendallsimmons?ref=si_shop">my Etsy shop</a>! Thanks for all of your encouragement and suggestions that I add these. I'm just a little slow with teaching myself how to do these things, that's all! :)</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-2935025266072006972012-01-06T16:22:00.000-05:002012-01-06T16:22:41.181-05:00Living Room Before and After<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first time that I've posted about the Living Room design of our new house. I've been waiting for ages because I was without a rug and a coffee table. But, in the last two weeks I've found both pieces so I'm finally ready to post!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's what the room looked like originally when we bought the house last summer. I think these photos speak for themselves!</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMKSixO3yw4/TwdQY0hpGII/AAAAAAAACco/zlRbERx4cOw/s1600/DSC_0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMKSixO3yw4/TwdQY0hpGII/AAAAAAAACco/zlRbERx4cOw/s400/DSC_0997.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZqJn4Z8r9w/TwdQb9uorqI/AAAAAAAACcw/N28NmZDTfSc/s1600/DSC_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZqJn4Z8r9w/TwdQb9uorqI/AAAAAAAACcw/N28NmZDTfSc/s400/DSC_0996.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the room today. It's the epitome of 'design on a dime', to say the least! But it's cheerful and colorful which is exactly what I was after.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_SWqHHYtcrk/TwdGWL-YpTI/AAAAAAAACbQ/ARKrYyrAOko/s1600/DSC_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_SWqHHYtcrk/TwdGWL-YpTI/AAAAAAAACbQ/ARKrYyrAOko/s400/DSC_0826.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sweet <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/shagreen-boxes-c511/?pkey=cjewelry-boxes-storage">faux shagreen box</a> is from <a href="http://www.westelm.com/?cm_type=gnav&cm_sp=GlobalLinks-_-Topnav-_-WestElmLogo">West Elm</a>, the metal picture frame was $5 at Wal-Mart (gasp!) and the glass lamp is one of a pair that I bought years ago at a rummage sale. I like to use this glass (which was given to me by Kane's grandmother) as a make-shift vase.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nhUyw_QgUqg/TwdGaA9fBtI/AAAAAAAACbY/Arkp0V9Y8TE/s1600/DSC_0859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nhUyw_QgUqg/TwdGaA9fBtI/AAAAAAAACbY/Arkp0V9Y8TE/s400/DSC_0859.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Books are my main accessories, since that's what I seem to buy more of than anything else!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EJiMGhTfUOE/TwdKqu4ndOI/AAAAAAAACcg/SQWmffsTYaA/s1600/DSC_0856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EJiMGhTfUOE/TwdKqu4ndOI/AAAAAAAACcg/SQWmffsTYaA/s400/DSC_0856.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_oXBIA-pNgY/TwdGdLulYXI/AAAAAAAACbg/uhAfKQSt8do/s1600/DSC_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_oXBIA-pNgY/TwdGdLulYXI/AAAAAAAACbg/uhAfKQSt8do/s400/DSC_0851.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found the vintage blue-painted coffee table for $69 at <a href="http://www.gaslampantiques.com/">Gas Lamp Antiques</a> here in Nashville. Any of you in the Nashville area who haven't been should check it out. I never leave empty handed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My copy of the Lady Gaga coffee table book was also a bargain find at <a href="http://mckaybooks.com/">McKay's Used Books</a>, for $23.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McOy_BMZi6A/TwdIN2SfkaI/AAAAAAAACbo/QwxT7tSxiTw/s1600/DSC_0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McOy_BMZi6A/TwdIN2SfkaI/AAAAAAAACbo/QwxT7tSxiTw/s400/DSC_0808.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRaAYPbC_Wc/TwdI4bCfWFI/AAAAAAAACbw/5oRGWInMh-4/s1600/DSC_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRaAYPbC_Wc/TwdI4bCfWFI/AAAAAAAACbw/5oRGWInMh-4/s400/DSC_0799.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Zig_Zag_Chenille_Hemp_Rug/950/">blue and natural chevron-patterned rug</a> is from <a href="http://www.homedecorators.com/">Home Decorators Collection</a>. I'm very pleased with the quality for such a reasonable price!</span> </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDSN_VF_9B0/TwdI-EO1iKI/AAAAAAAACb4/u1gcnqlDowI/s1600/DSC_0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDSN_VF_9B0/TwdI-EO1iKI/AAAAAAAACb4/u1gcnqlDowI/s400/DSC_0800.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nlt3fCF7yQ0/TwdJBOHSbXI/AAAAAAAACcA/QKp6KDUJPiA/s1600/DSC_0848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nlt3fCF7yQ0/TwdJBOHSbXI/AAAAAAAACcA/QKp6KDUJPiA/s400/DSC_0848.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, the last two photos are of the opposite side of the room, which is still a little bare. I have plans for lots of art in the near future! I'll post more on that later.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCBcT71rgZA/TwdJ2-cWVHI/AAAAAAAACcQ/GzelXeVMoJQ/s1600/DSC_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCBcT71rgZA/TwdJ2-cWVHI/AAAAAAAACcQ/GzelXeVMoJQ/s400/DSC_0815.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TiUtNDlvyrc/TwdJ57GKMKI/AAAAAAAACcY/u9_IFngXpbg/s1600/DSC_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TiUtNDlvyrc/TwdJ57GKMKI/AAAAAAAACcY/u9_IFngXpbg/s400/DSC_0812.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-21299540576667618192012-01-04T22:38:00.001-05:002012-01-04T22:41:43.005-05:00We Have a Winner!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congrats, Leslie from <a href="http://happinessinacircularmotion.blogspot.com/">Pink Tulips</a>! You've won the calendar and notepad from <a href="http://riflepaperco.com/">Rifle Paper Co.</a> and the set of vintage stamps from the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kendallsimmons?ref=si_shop">A Girl in the World Etsy shop</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I selected the winner via <a href="http://random.org/">Random.org</a>, which generated number 19.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks to my followers that have been around for some time, and welcome to everyone who's new! It's been a fun giveaway! Let's do it again sometime, ok?</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-22251278032130990632012-01-03T22:08:00.001-05:002012-01-03T22:08:39.113-05:00Reminder: Last Day of Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rac6h2Lf_Eg/TwPB374r17I/AAAAAAAACbA/U0CfxY2nYW4/s1600/Rifle+fruit+calendar+giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rac6h2Lf_Eg/TwPB374r17I/AAAAAAAACbA/U0CfxY2nYW4/s400/Rifle+fruit+calendar+giveaway.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHMZHCvUl8o/TwPB7JNfVNI/AAAAAAAACbI/VNOu1UMOfck/s1600/Rifle+Floral+Wreath+notepad+giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHMZHCvUl8o/TwPB7JNfVNI/AAAAAAAACbI/VNOu1UMOfck/s400/Rifle+Floral+Wreath+notepad+giveaway.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Images found via <a href="http://riflepaperco.com/">Rifle Paper Co</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget to enter my <a href="http://riflepaperco.com/">Rifle Paper Co</a> giveaway! It ends tomorrow evening, January 4. Go to the post <a href="http://kendallsimmons.blogspot.com/2011/12/100-follower-givaway.html">right here</a> to enter. Good luck, everybody!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473230690744881900.post-68760545843037635622012-01-03T00:11:00.000-05:002012-01-03T00:11:32.302-05:00Resolutions for 2012<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel like I should start this post with a recap of my <a href="http://kendallsimmons.blogspot.com/2011/01/better-late-than-never.html">2011 resolutions</a>. You can see that post <a href="http://kendallsimmons.blogspot.com/2011/01/better-late-than-never.html">here</a>. Here's a brief summary of how I did:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1. <strong>Read more books</strong>. I suceeded quite well with this one. It feels good to have recaptured one of my favorite personal activities. And I also discovered one of my new favorite authors this year. <a href="http://kendallsimmons.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-reviews-two-in-one.html">Ann Patchett</a>. I'd recommend any of her books, and also <a href="http://kendallsimmons.blogspot.com/2011/12/parnassus-books.html">her new bookstore</a> that she's opened here in Nashville.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. <strong>Paint more</strong>. I painted a handful of things, but I'd say that in general I wasn't successful. Maybe this year...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. <strong>Take a really great trip</strong>. Didn't work out. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. <strong>Develop and expand my blog</strong>. I'm counting this as a success since I have lots of new followers and also because after two years I still love doing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5. <strong>Buy a house</strong>. This was the most important item on my list, and we did it!! Kane and I love our new home and have already made so many great memories in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, 3 out of 5 ain't bad! I'm going to call our first full year back in Tennessee a success. Now for my 2012 resolutions:</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USNnABL9rL8/TwKGPrYORjI/AAAAAAAACaE/5nsLlLASFj4/s1600/2012+resolutions+we+heart+it+paint+swatches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USNnABL9rL8/TwKGPrYORjI/AAAAAAAACaE/5nsLlLASFj4/s400/2012+resolutions+we+heart+it+paint+swatches.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/13231675">We Heart It</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Make a career change</strong>. Don't get me wrong, I love being an interior designer. I just need to approach it from a different angle. I've got something in the works that I'll keep you all posted about!</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqEhVKH5Rwc/TwKHGaaq0II/AAAAAAAACaQ/2jnOVGWhouA/s1600/2012+resolutions+we+heart+it+exercise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqEhVKH5Rwc/TwKHGaaq0II/AAAAAAAACaQ/2jnOVGWhouA/s400/2012+resolutions+we+heart+it+exercise.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/19492330">We Heart It</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Improve my health</strong>. Leaving New York meant better mental health for me, but it's also lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. I need to work on staying more active this year, and finding a routine I can stick with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Take a great trip</strong>. This is a repeat from last year. We didn't accomplish it because, well, we bought a house! But I've got a good feeling about this year. We'll have been married for 5 years this fall, and it seems like the right time to get away.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MsV94kFoNt0/TwKMWdUZEzI/AAAAAAAACa0/rnDtlWxQdy0/s1600/2012+resolutions+we+heart+it+hammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MsV94kFoNt0/TwKMWdUZEzI/AAAAAAAACa0/rnDtlWxQdy0/s400/2012+resolutions+we+heart+it+hammer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/16756912">We Heart It</a>.</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Make as many improvements on our new house as possible</strong>. This one is self-explanatory. We love the house, but it needs a lot of love!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Image found via <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/19917121">We Heart It</a>.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Expand my blog and Etsy shop</strong>. This is also a repeat from my 2011 list. I still enjoy blogging after two years, so I'm going to continue giving it my best. My new <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/kendallsimmons?ref=si_shop">Etsy shop</a>, also called A Girl in the World, will hopefully become an outlet for all the creative little crafty projects I always want to try. It's an experiment. We'll see how it goes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This turned into a really long post, but it feels good to put goals in writing. I want to hear what all of your goals are for 2012! Big and small. Be sure to leave a comment letting me know!</span>Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535142827889539978noreply@blogger.com7