Category Archives: Inspiration

I never promised you an herb garden…

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Hi Y’all (sometimes I like to pretend I am from the south)

I hope you had some amazing weather this weekend like we did here in Napa Valley! My weekend was busy, but very rewarding. I helped at Ky’s school Gala, it was awesome and very successful. Today, I worked this morning on one of my favorite clients who now lives in San Francisco. She went from being long and brunette to being a beautiful blonde ( sorry I am a little prejudiced) with shoulder length hair.  Then I came home and painted 4 projects and a few other things. I will have a lot to share this week! The front porch is getting a spring/summer makeover and here is a little preview.

Teal/Lime green and cream planter

I re-purposed 2 of out old terracotta pots and painted them with some spray paint and used lots of blue painters tape for the stripes. Well speaking of re-purposed now onto the feature presentation.

Our fun and sweet neighbors invited  us over for dinner the other night and I caught one glimpse of the new edition to their backyard and fell in LOVE!!! Seriously I wanted to steal it kinda love. It was an herb garden, but not just any herb garden. Les had re-purposed old barn wood and fence boards to create this masterpiece.

Re-Purposed Barn Wood Herb Garden

Isn’t so cool! Rustic but cool!

Thyme 2

Herb Garden view 2

It is right outside their kitchen door, a perfect place for easy harvesting while cooking. He promises me it is easy to make…. and he will make me one so that is why I am singing “you never promised me a rose herb garden” but he did. This story is to be continued when I have pics of my new Herb Garden.

Les's herb garden

Have a happy Monday, and you will be hearing more from me soon!

Take Care

Amy

Life as a working winecountrymama

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Hi Everyone

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. I have been working hard on my PT and getting back to work at my day job as a hairstylist. I feel so much stronger and am loving working without the chronic shoulder pain. While it is so amazing seeing my clients and doing something that I love to do everyday again, I have to say it has been a challenge for me. I feel like my head is spinning all the time. I think I got used to being alone all day and now trying to still keep up the house, groceries, work, paperwork etc. is so much harder. I know it will get easier each day I am very thankful for that.  When I was reading one of my favorite blogs Centsationalgirl and saw her quote today it made me feel so much better!

Image

I put it immediately up as my screen saver. I need to remember this.

I am working on some DIY projects to share in the upcoming week, but first I am working on something else for you…….

My husband and I started a class called Financial Peace University it is a program developed by Dave Ramsey. It is a great program! We have been working on our budget, looking where we are and are not spending our money etc. So because my brain isn’t swimming enough already, I am trying to come up with ways to spend time with friends and family while maintaining  our (low for now) entertaining budget. I am excited to say my next post will be all the ideas that I have come up with, or if you have any ideas leave me a comment. I also want to include some other money saving tips so please share!

 

Take Care

Amy

My Brain says “AHHHHH” after Organized Home Challenge #2

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Well it was a busy week visiting Kaylee down south and an “impromptu” garage sale today after cleaning out the shed yesterday. I have to admit I didn’t have a lot of time for week 2′s challenge from http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/kitchen-cabinet-organization.html but I did have time to shape up my pantry. I absolutely LOVE the way it feels when I open the cabinet doors. My brain says “ahhhh” when I look inside. It makes it really easy for the kids to find their snacks. I have found that having the plastic bins with labels make it really easy when I am baking or cooking. I have also been using plastic bins in the refrigerator to corral the different groupings of food like one for dressings, one for lunch meat etc.

Kitchen Pantry view 2

View 2 of Kitchen Pantry

A couple tips that I found that work so well. One is ditching the cereal boxes and use these plastic airtight containers and second  these glass jars from The Container Store rock! I used chalkboard contact paper and cut the labels with my Cricut. A fun thing I did, see the chalkboard container I put our instant oatmeal packets in,well I took a tin (cookies came in it) and spray painted it with chalkboard paint. It worked so well I am going to use this technique for more organization  throughout the house. I love me some chalkboard spray paint. I accidentally did week 3 challenge this week “pantry food storage” so this coming week I will do week 2 challenge by cleaning out my pots and pan cabinet and my lazy susan. Look for that post this coming week, along with a new project that I am totally in love with!

52 Week Organized Home Challenge

Was she singing to me?”

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This morning in the car after dropping off Ky at school a song came on the radio. It was a familiar song and I knew the words. Then about halfway through the song I REALLY started to listen to the words and I think Ms. Carrie Underwood was singing to me.

It’s so easy to get lost inside

a problem that seems so big at the time

it’s like a river that’s so wide

it swallows you whole

While you sit around thinking about what you can’t change

and worrying about all the wrong things

time’s flying by

moving so fast

you better make it count ’cause you can’t get it back

"Amy listen to me"

Well even if she wasn’t in the trunk of my car singing it to me (she mighta been busy accepting a Grammy or something) the words sure made me stop and think.  Even though this time off work is so stressful financially, and healing and repairing my self has been physically and emotionally draining, I need to count my blessings. I will look back in a couple years (well maybe 5-10 years) and think it was just a grain of sand not the mountain I am thinking it is now.

Have you ever had a song hit you POW over the head like that?

Also I am soooo excited to share 2 projects I have been working on. One is my first experience with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and I am truly in Lurve. My kids better not stand still too long I might try and paint them. It is so easy to use and looks great. My second project is a creation I am making out of an old window I got at a garage sale for $5. I can’t wait to show you.

So everyone make it a great day!

PS If you see Carrie trying to crawl out of the back of my suburban let me know or just push her back in ;)

Amy

Welcoming 2012 and Good Bye 2011

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Studies have shown that the simple act of writing down goals greatly improves the odds of accomplishing them. So as I am writing my goals for 2012 and reflecting on 2011 I am thinking 2 things.

First, setting goals and creating a map for the New Year is great way to attain your goals. Number two is no matter how much you plan, life seems to throw you a few curve balls here and there.
Do you set goals for the New Year? If so do you keep them in your head, file them in a document or write them down on paper?
Well if I tried to keep them in my head I would forget them all by January 2cd. I love my computer and Ipad but there is something therapeutic about taking a pen and paper and methodically writing them out. They seem real, more attainable and definitely more concrete.
Well here are my goals for 2012:

  1. Do not spend money on anything that isn’t necessary or pre-budgeted for.
  2. Learn to say “NO” sometimes and realize it’s OK
  3. Be more compassionate and encourage my children to be more compassionate
  4. Spend more time outdoors. Especially in our backyard
  5. Learn more about blogging and photography
  6. When life throws curve balls learn to bounce back a little easier
  7. Breathe new life into my Family Room and Kitchen on a very tight budget
  8. More dates with my husband
  9. Organize, Organize and more Organizing
  10. To have more “mini-Martha moments”
  11. Keep up with bookwork, paperwork and Ky’s homework
  12. Embrace the different stages in life my children are at

There you have it my 12 Goals for 2012

What are yours? Do you like to write them out or just fly by the seat of your pants and hope for the best?

Happy Holidays and New Year

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Happy Holidays & New Year

I wanted to send out a letter of appreciation and update to all of my amazing Clients. First may I wish everyone a healthy and happy 2012. I am so appreciative of all your well wishes, support and love over the past couple of months. Trust me, every time I am at physical therapy and pushing myself I am thinking of you, my family and everyone’s encouragement.

Here is a little re-cap if I haven’t caught up with you. I had shoulder surgery on September 23rd. What started out as a “little” surgery became a “bigger” surgery once they got in there. They had to repair and reattach my ligament and clean up some other things in my shoulder. So what I thought was only going to be a 2-3 week recovery turned into a much LONGER recovery that I was not prepared for at all. This has created a huge emotional, financial and physical strain on me and my family. Without the support of Ron, my parents, Ron’s parents, my children, friends and all of your great cards and well wishes I don’t know how I would have gotten through the last 13 weeks. I feel so blessed. Thank You.

Well speaking of stress I want to also thank Debbye, Nicole and Ali for helping with all of my clients. Talk about adding to their workload but they all stepped up to help me. I want to Thank You for being flexible and working with their already busy schedules. Also I want to apologize if you were one of the ones in a lost appointment, email, text or voicemail. Sometimes the past 3 months have felt like an out of body experience, with my mind not always 100% (like it was 100% before the surgery hehe) PLEASE reach out to me if you got lost in the craziness.

I have been up to a few things while I have been off. A LOT of 1 handed crafting, starting my first blog, learning a little more about photography, online hair classes, and spending some very special time with my family.

What is ahead for the New Year? Well the good news is if I am very dedicated to my physical therapy they expect me to have 100% range of motion and use of my shoulder and arm. Yipeee. The reason if is underlined is because in order to make a full recovery they do not want me to go back to work until the 1st week of February. This is really hard for me for many reasons, but mostly because I miss The World’s Best Clients! However I think  I should follow the doctor’s orders. So if you have any appointments you have questions on, or need to make one please  email  me at:

email: amybertdavis@gmail.com

Please go check out my blog at: www.winecountrymama.com

You can subscribe and get my updates there.

I miss everyone so much and am looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Love and Happiness

Amy

PS: you can also follow me on twitter at @amykaydee

Davis Family Holiday Card by Kathy Kellebrew Photography