Dan has proved his handy-ness this weekend as we prepare for the new counter top installation.  Because we are replacing our existing drop-in sink with a farmhouse style sink, there was a lot of prep work to be done.

Here you see our (messy) old sink that is ready to go-

Plumber Dan unhooked the faucet, drain, and disposal-

Then it was easy to lift right out-

I couldn't believe how easily the counter came off after we cut the caulking from the wall-

(Thanks to our friend Dave for coming to help do some demo because my job is clearly to document the action.)

 Now half of the old counter is outta here!

A little handy work to prepare the cabinets for the new 100lb sink-

Thankfully, we only washed dishes in the powder room one night.  We are stylishily back up and running (even though we need our counters in to aesthetically support the new faucet)!

Love it already!!

Christmas Time is Here!

Our sink is in-  and it's BIG!

We picked out the perfect tree...

and she is glowing brightly!

Stockings are hung and the mantle is trimmed-

The front stoop got a holiday makeover-

And Abbey got a new friend- Elfie!

Another whirlwind weekend has come and gone-  This time we had a wedding in Greenville, SC.

Luckily, on our way to Greenville, we drove right through Charlotte and were able to pick up a coveted item at Crate & Barrel...our Antique Brass Fireplace Screen!  We searched high and low for this piece and found the last one in stock in the Southeast at a mall in Charlotte.  Obviously we have good (and popular) taste + I did see this same screen noted in Country Living last month:)

What a difference it makes, covering up the eye-sore that was our gas logs.  And how cozy it is when it's burning and keeping us toasty...

We've also decided to pull the trigger and move forward with our major kitchen makeover.  We knew when we bought this house the one big thing we wanted to do was to update the kitchen counters (see ya later old stained laminate), sink, and faucet.  I can't believe we're actually doing it but we got a deal we couldn't pass up on granite + installation so Christmas is coming early in this Towler household!  

Here's a sneak peak at the granite we think we are going with-

Uba Tuba

And the faucet we purchased last weekend-

Lastly, the white farmhouse sink is coming in this week so stay tuned!

Tons of new projects and ideas are ready in Cool School so don't forget to check it out-

  

Last week when my co-worker offered up FREE Bon Jovi tickets, I just couldn't turn them down.  She'd secured 8 tickets through the United Way (the benefits of working for a non-profit:) and Dan and I wound up as 2 of the lucky recipients.

So Wednesday night we made our way to the PNC Arena (also home to the Carolina Hurricanes and the NC State basketball team), found our lower level seats, and caught a pretty great show!

In other news our fall weather is in full effect lately.  The only thing making our out-of-control leaves acceptable is using them for our entertainment...

I spy Mickey...

It also makes for some scrumptious recipes-  like this Sweet Potato and Bacon soup.  

I was inspired by the latest cover of Cooking Light that had a similar recipe showcased.  I couldn't find the exact one online so I just googled it, loosely followed the directions found on this site, and ta-da.  Delish!!

And as we prepare for Thanksgiving, I put some of my Martha Stewart free printables to use with this Thankful banner- hung at the mantle to remind us all season of how much we have to be thankful for.

My school projects and activities continue- To see what we've got going on, check out the new tab at the top labeled Cool School.  It'll be updated as we complete new and exciting creations!

I've just wrapped up my first month at Tammy Lynn.  October was a blur, but it was also full of exciting learning opportunities as I created activities and lessons for my students who are all diagnosed with multiple disabilities (including functional blindness).  The focus is on alerting as many senses as you can while engaging the students in meaningful learning experiences.  After the Frankenstein faces (that the students helped create by using voice output devices to dictate the facial features) we continued our Fall/Halloween theme.  Here's a sample of just a few fun projects...

1. Candy Corn Puzzles-  adhered with velcro in three pieces, students can count/sequence to 3 with a communication device, work on fine motor skills to grasp each piece, and tacitly explore the corresponding foam numbers.

2. Monster Puzzles- each monster picture is cut in half to allow you to velcro together (fine motor skills!) either matching colors or funny mismatching monsters while counting and feeling the pipe cleaner numbers I sculpted.

3. Candy Corn Counting- laminate templates then trace the numbers in puffy paint so students can feel them.  Before we counted the candy corns, I emptied half a bag into a tin tray that we shook to hear, played with between our fingers, and smelled (students that can eat small candy can also taste).  Then they used their communication devices to count the number while we helped them pick each candy up and place it in the correct jar.

4. 5 Little Pumpkins- Check out the song and video that go with this super cute project.  After singing the song, students count the pumpkins with their communication device to glue on their popsicle stick gate (a great tactile idea).  Then, I had them recount while we added the glitter glue numbers that are another tactile addition once dry.

Looking to November and Thanksgiving I have tons of inspired plans to keep us discovering even more.  I'll give you a sneak peak at one activity I found that we will be completing in the coming weeks...

Make sure you enlarge the picture and read the details of this kid-friendly Thanksgiving story representation.  Fabulous (and generates conversations at home)!

Outside of the classroom, the inspiration continues at home with the addition of another barn wood project-

And new curtain rods + curtains in the dining room-

A special thanks to Ferguson for again supplying the materials we needed to accomplish this terrific industrial look.

October also had us at the State Fair for a concert-  pretty nice seats for the Eli Young Band.

It was a successful first Halloween in the neighborhood, too.  We even got compliments on our artsy pumpkin.  Thanks Martha:)

And finally, the fire pit has been the perfect way to spend time on these cool fall nights!

First up today-  Check out this super cute project my class completed last week to go along with our "monster" theme.

Frankenstein faces from paint samples!  I wish I could take credit for this idea but you know it came from Pinterest.  For all the details + more spooky paint sample crafts you can click here.  The compliments we've gotten just keep coming as these green ghouls are proudly displayed outside the classroom for all to see!

Speaking of Halloween, we surprised Abbey yesterday with another Pumpkin squeaker toy.  She loved it so much last year we couldn't resist.  Here's hoping it lasts a bit longer this time around...

              Last year's pumpkin                           New pumpkin

Up next, our sewing table finally got a facelift with a quick and painless paint update this afternoon.  We snagged this dainty vintage Singer sewing table from none other than The Queen of Hearts about 2 years ago (a steal of a deal of course:).  We did a little research after we noted the model number and discovered its roots date back to the 1960's.  It was evident we had the original finish on our hands- yellowed and dingy with lovely golden trim.

Now that this baby is residing in our master bedroom, the yellowed color was not just dated, it practically blended right in with our Havana Cream wall color.  I'd decided a while back that when we finally got around to this project, using the accent wall color would be the perfect way to tie everything together.  So today, after removing the sewing machine and hardware...

and sanding it down, it was ready to take on a new role with a Marina Isle makeover-

I'm loving the updated style!

Especially back in one piece in the bedroom-  looking good.

    

The latest Country Living came in the mail over the weekend and we couldn't hardly wait to recreate an idea that we found within the first few pages!

Here's a quick snapshot of the inspiration page- I also wanted to link you to an on-line close up but the website doesn't have current crafts listed yet...

Recast a Cutting Board as a Tablet Holder it reads.  Cute, simple, + free (we have all the materials we need on hand).  I'm in!  Luckily we had a piece of leftover molding from the barn wood project so we cut that down to size first.  Next, we pulled out an old cutting board then gave both the board and the molding a fresh coat of white paint.  Resourceful Dan thought to use a miniature table leg (that broke off of a side table in the move) as the back stand.  We chose not to paint the leg, hoping it would add interest to the piece.  Drill it all together and you're set to go.

It's terrific!  Fits right in next to the stove (and elsewhere on the counters) to aid in following recipes with an elegant profile.  You know how I feel about style + functionality- this is it to a T!