DIY Dining Chair Makeover

Matching hasn't always been a priority of mine. I don't have a matching set of dishes or towels. Instead I've chosen each dish and each towel individually (you can see some of my dishes in the picture). I just pick things I like. And it just kind of goes together. So I decided that I didn't want my dining chairs to match either. I went to thrift stores and picked out 6 dining chairs that had been lost from their mates and just needed a little love. I gave them all a good sanding, a coat of fresh white paint, and new seat covers. And voila! My one-of-a-kind dining chairs. (I ordered the table online and it said it would fit 6 chairs. I guess I should have looked at the dimensions because this is not a 6 seater. But it will work for now.)

Before:

After:

Adopt Me!! - Stella, our foster kitty

Zach and I caught a case of kitten-fever. Instead of adopting a kitten, we decided to sign up with our local animal shelter (Austin Animal Center) to foster pets in need. Stella is our 1st foster kitty. She's about 6 years old and very sweet. She lovesss to be pet. If you stop petting her she'll nudge you with her head to remind you how much she likes it. She's a little shy and has yet to venture very far from our guest bedroom even though we leave the door open for her. When she came to the shelter her fur was very matted and parts of her fur had to be cut out. She has a big spot on her neck where fur matts were removed (but it's growing back!).

If you're interested in adopting, you can view her on the Austin Animal Center's webpage at http://www.petharbor.com/pet.asp?uaid=ASTN.A621990 .

Technologic

'I just can't figure it out.'' was my grandmother's response to me teaching her to use the new DVD player that we bought her to replace her old VHS player. It really wasn't hardly any different than the VHS except that the DVD had the menu that allowed you to choose a chapter, bloopers, extras, etc. This was about 5 years ago and I was 20 at the time. I remember thinking to myself ''When I get older I'm going to make myself learn the new technology.'' My grandmother (who is now 85) may have a slight aversion to new technology, but I think she tried to make herself do it anyway; she has since learned the DVD player, uses emails and even has a Facebook page (which she doesn't use, but hey, she signed up).

I never imagined this would be an issue with me since I've grown up with technology, but for the past couple of years I've had problems jumping on the digital book train. I'm not much of a collector, but I guess you could say that I collect books. Half Price Books is a line item in my budget. I had refused to go digital until recently when my husband bought me a Kindle Fire. It took some getting used to, but now I love it. I can read at night without having to turn on a light and wake up my husband. And I can download books immediately and even rent free digital books from the library. My Kindle is small enough that I'm able to carry around dozens of books in my purse with no problem. I imagine that soon, if it isn't already happening, students will have digital text books. That'll be a load off their backs, literally. I'm glad I've made the jump. 

But there's still something about holding a paper book in your hands...