JEN LANCASTER AND HER FUNNY BOOKS

I'd like to share a new author friend with you! She and I have never actually met, but I feel that we would totally be BFF's if she knew I existed. Not that I'd stalk her or anything, that would be wrong. Here's a video clip she made discussing her new book, "Such a Pretty Fat". Her website is here. The book that I just finished is called "Bitter is the New Black", and tells her story from dot.com money-making wench to unemployed, humbled lover of dogs. There were so many funny one-liners in this book, I found myself grabbing for a tissue to dab at the Diet Coke running from my nose on more than one occasion. Now with school starting, there will be less time for reading, but I'll definitely make time for these books!

FROM JUNKY TO FUNKY!

For all of you who are really done looking at my dog's boy parts (I didn't even clear that photo that I used in my last post with him first, how rude), I thought I'd post something different. This table has been with us since my husband and I were married 14 years ago. It has seen many things: Cherrios, sippy cups, craft projects, building blocks, and the occasional magazine. It was well loved by crayons, feet, and sometimes bottoms. It used to sport a fashionable (not) padded bumper around its perimeter to keep little heads from smooshing when they ran into it. It had that weathered look without spending even one day in the sun. But still, I knew it had potential beyond what it had already given to us. So I give you the transformation: from COFFEE TABLE to GAME TABLE!


The kids and I sanded, painted, and then painted and sanded some more, and it was a fun family project! Hubby even got in on the action--he marked off the squares for us to paint The checkers and chess pieces will be stored in the drawer in the front, and my next project is to find (or make) comfy floor cushions for sitting on while playing. I'm going to check out some after-summer clearance sales on outdoor cushions at Pier One or World Market. Does anyone know when summer officially ends here in Arizona?!