Surprise!

Today I checked my RSS feeds for the first time in a few days and when I went to check Tara Whitney's Blog and catch up on all the posts I missed, this is what I came across! 

Happy Day! I won a contest!  I will be receiving a beautiful necklace made by Lisa Leonard!

YEAH!!!!!

What is so funny is that I only entered one time.... and as most of you know I entered SEVERAL times when Rach and Caroline had their giveaways!  So, you never know! 

I will post a pic of me wearing the necklace when I receive it!

Lachiem!!!

Tap Class

For those of you who don't know:

 I am teaching an after school tap class for 12 at risk 2nd grade girls.  We have been having class for about 5 weeks I think and it has been wonderful!  The smile on those girls faces when they get to make noise with their taps is priceless. They are doing really well at learning their steps, following directions, and even keeping their feet quiet while I am talking!  I had one little girl write for her teacher that her favorite thing to do at school and at home was tap dance!  That was wonderful to hear!  I am really hoping that this will give them hope and encouragement to try new things and be creative.  Most of them come from homes where they aren't encouraged to work hard, do their best, get exposed to art, or smile and get and give hugs and encouraging words....but in our class we smile, laugh, encourage each other, give hugs, be positive,work hard, and get creative.  Hopefully the Lord will use our 45 minutes once a week to make lasting impacts on these girls futures!  

I love black and white films, big band music, 50's and 60's music, Fred Astaire, Ellenor Powell, Frank, etc,etc......and these girls no nothing about any of that so I take some time each week to remedy that!  Tristan made me a DVD of lots of old black and white tap clips from old movies and I show a clip every week.  The girls love it and constantly remark on how old the videos must be!  I came across a wonderful video of Ellenor Powell in my search for clips and just have to share it with the blog world.  I wish I could have made a career out of tapping like she did!  Also, I am such a fan of Ms. Powell that I hope to one day name a daughter after her!

 I hope you enjoy the video and that it reminds you to pray for all my little girls! 

Click Here to watch the video!

Woodsy Table Scape

If you didn't know yet that I LOVE to decorate.....now you do!  I LOVE IT!  And beautiful pictures of creative ideas inspire me soo much.  I ran across this pic on a blog a follow called ReNest, and fell in love.  Somehow I will re-create this table, in my own way with things I can find here at my home.....somehow...somehow(part of the fun of decorating for me is figuring out how to do things....especially when it involves using something to decorate that usually doesn't have a function relating to decor).

Here is the link to the blog post: Woodsy Table Scape

Tea

Another must have tradition for the fall is the drinking of tea....and espescially the drinking of tea in the company of people you love! 

Here is Tristan and I enjoying some of that warm goodness together.

Check out the contest Caroline Joy Photography is having...tomorrow is the last day to enter.

Holly...she's the perfect fall treat!

My sister(she is actually my sister-in law.....I hate to put the in-law part on any of my sister-in-laws titles because they are all like real sisters....or what I imagine a sister should be since I don't have a blood sister....by the way...if you include all the Russo girls I have 7 sisters....pretty amazing huh?) Holly came to visit this weekend and we had a wonderful time.  She reminds me of fall.  She has gorgeous Auburn curly hair like Anne of Green Gables, and Holly herself goes perfectly with any fall color!  She loves fall just as I do and enjoys the smells, the colors, fall attire, folk music, the fall weather etc....so I would have to say that spending time with her is one of my favorite fall traditions.  

I love you Holly!!!!

Don't forget to check out:

Caroline Joy Photography

for an AWESOME give-away!

Fall Folk

Caroline,

     I LOVE folk music and my favorite folk band(www.waterdeep.com) usually plays every year in October at Common Grounds in Waco.  A few weeks ago Tristan and I got to go to their show.  It was Tristan's first time to see them live.  It was a wonderful experience.  I have to say that Folk music in the fall is one of my favorite "fall traditions".  I always feel folk really comes alive in the fall.....the colors, the smell, the weather...are enhanced by the music and vise versa!  Below is the only picture we got  at the show before the camera died! 

Don't forget that my fall posts are entries are for caroline joy photography's give away and you can enter too!

I have to say Caroline that it has been fun blogging about my Fall Fave's...but I can't wait for it to be November 4th!

Another Fall delight...

Caroline,

   I also LOVE to burn candles during fall(well...all year really but especially during the fall)....candles that smell fallish at that!  There is something about the flickering light and the smell that just makes a place feel cozy!

Catch your chance to wrap up in Autumn--Anthro style--at http://www.carolinejoyblog.com

Check out Caroline Joy Photography:

www.carolinejoyblog.com

Momma, this is for you!

I keep telling my mom about all my garage sale finds and my little crafty creations, and she has been asking for pictures of the changes that have made around my house since August.......so here they are momma.  I hope you enjoy it.  But, just promise me you will come see it for yourself very soon! ok? : )

First off we re-arranged the bedroom a bit:

This is our new bedspread.  I bought it from Goodwill for 6.00.....It's old and looks like I bought it from Anthropologie!

This is the buffet that we found in that front yard weeks after I had wanted and seen it at an  Estate Sale.  It was 15.00 and Tristan put some extra money, time, and beautiful craftsmanship to make it look like it does today....I LOVE IT!!!!
These are pics of Fall decor in the Dining Room.  It's been up for about 3 weeks but won't be up much  longer though because though I love fall....I LOVE Christmas even more!!!


The Buffet again!



The next pictures are the ones momma that I know you have really been wanting to see: 

The Living Room.  Which we actually live in now...with each other and with friends.  It's been perfect to have the extra seating because we have had 15 people filling the room every week for lifegroup.  That white couch it the one Tristan surprised me with that he bought for $20.00.  He's amazing isn't he?
The white chair from Pom Pom has an old suitcase filled with my growing collections of things for little ones.
Finally got photos on the wall.

Thanks for those NEST letters momma....I love them!  Oh...the bench on the right is the crushed Gold Velvet one that I was telling you about that I got at a garage sale for $20.00 in Abilene while Tristan was taking his GMAT.

This is the canvas painting Tristan and I made together.
The used Ikea sofa we found on Craigslist.   Oh and the lampshades on the two lamps are the ones I had showed you that I wanted....I found them on Clearance......so thankful I waited.  God cares about every detail huh?

This is MY special chair for reading(all sorts of things....including Let's Make a Memory ) and crocheting...I love it.  It was to me the final piece to make the room sing.  I had passed up, or missed purchasing several chairs...but kept praying for the right one.  To some this may not be the prettiest chair you have ever seen...but like the other items God brought our way it was an answer to prayer.  It rocks(perfect for rocking babies some day), and swivels...is super comfy and was only 5 dollars.  And, the old man we bought it from was a kindred spirit. I think of him often when I sit in it!  Oh....the stool in front of it came from an estate sale for $1.00.   

We are so blessed and so thankful for all these finds.  Our God is good, sweet....thoughtful!  We have seen that over and over again in our marriage....which by the way...as of tomorrow will be 2yrs old in 2 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Like I said.....He is good!!!!

Pecans

Caroline,

Another fall fave for me....is something I have only started doing in the past few years since I have had a house in Brownwood....PECAN picking!  I love being outside in the grass and watching the buckets begin to overflow.  Also, nuts are healthy snacks, great to use for cooking and UBER expensive, so it's wonderful to get them for free(so to speak).  The picture above is one of me from today outside picking pecans!  Fall bliss!!!

www.carolinejoyblog.com 

Contest!

Blog readers I am entering a contest for a gift card that Caroline Joy Photography is giving away!

Caroline,

    My favorite fall tradition is to DECORATE for fall!  When the weather changes, I am ready for the colors and decor to change in my house as well.  Just for you(and as a teaser for my mom of decor changes I have made to my house) Caroline is a picture of me decorating for fall!

Check Caroline Joy Photography out at: www.CarolineJoyBlog.com

Day Two-Northwest Roadtrip 2009

So day two and  the morning of day three was spent in Canon City Colorado at Tristan's oldest sister's.  Heather is an amazing hostess.  We woke up and she had  an Amazing breakfast fixed for us out on the back porch(see video below for a description of the meal).  It was delicious and sitting outside was amazing.....I can never get enough of the Colorado air.  We spent the day in Florence, Co going to little shops and such and then Tristan and I set out for a hike.  It took us forever to get to the base of the trail and once we were there it started to rain with lots of thunder and lightning which is amazing to watch when you are surrounded by mountains.  So we headed back to Heather's(check out her blog at http://heathershoresincolorado.blogspot.com/)and got cleaned up and headed into Colorado Springs with Heather.  She took us to an English Pub that the insides of it were very old and were imported from England.  It was beautiful.  There were people from all sorts of places and lots of families.  They passed out song books and a piano man led us in music.  The whole pub was singing it was so much fun. Without us knowing Heather went and told someone that worked at the pub that Tristan was GREAT at playing and singing the piano man.....so the actual Pub piano man(who even dressed like a real pub piano dude) came up to our table and asked Tristan to play...after a lot of coaxing Tristan agreed.  He did an amazing job and the whole pub was singing along and VERY impressed with Tristan's talent.  If only Stacy Baliey wold have been there with her harmonica it would have been just perfect!  We had a very peaceful time in Colorado...but our visit there was just to short!  We love you Heather, thanks for the perfect hospitality! We love you!  




The two things below are videos...if you can't watch them in your e-mail go to the actual blog(tristanandmelissa.blogspot.com).

Excuses

So, I haven't blogged in a while because it takes SOOO long to do it! I am still trying to figure out a way to upload the pics and videos quickly.  As of right now it is not a quick process and I pretty much refuse to post without media. I just don't have an hour a day to devote to blogging at this time....and until Tristan and I figure out a quicker way to do it....just hang in there.  I am returning!  And, updates in the future will include the rest of our NW trip, Bethany and John Ryan's wedding(although I have very little pics), fall happenings, and new pictures of my house!

Until then check out one of my new favorite bands on youtube: Pomplamoose(it means grapefruit in French)

Love you all,

Melissa

accident.

do that first video on that last post was the wrong video...sorry!

Videos from Day One

These arae some videos from day one. For those of you who I have receive these blog posts in your e-mails be sure to visit the blog to watch the videos if they don't come through in the e-mail.
tristanandmelissa.blogspot.com

This first video is of us finally getting out of town. We were excited!!!


Momma, Daddy and John Ryan...this video is for you. Can you guess where we are by our song? We REALLY were sad that you guys weren't with us. Yes, we are making new memoires on our own but it sure doesn't replace the old ones. And we have A LOT of old memories driving these roads with you guys.





This video is of us crossing into Colorado.....I thought I would burst with joy! I LOVE COLORADO! I didn't even care that it was night time and I couldn't see the mountains....I was just happy to be there. There is just something in the air there I tell ya...it's magical!
The only sad part was that I realized it was the first time I had been to Colorado without my parents...after 27 years of traveling to Colorado almost EVERY year it's pretty crazy that I had never been there without them. But, don't worry we are learning how to have fun without our families...but it sure is hard.......so on day two I will share the new memories Tristan and I made together as our own little family unit. Bethany, don't read into that! : )

P.S. Today is Bethany and John Ryan's San Angelo Shower....and Tristan and I are not there.....we are mourning! But, then I just think about the fact that we get to have Bethany forever and I am not AS sad that I am missing this memory. Did ya'll know I ADORE Bethany? Well....now you do! I love you B!

Day One

So....after a lot of dreaming we eventually decided we were going to make this trip no matter what. Tristan has made this summer a summer of making my dreams come true and this trip is no exception to that.  We are having the time of our lives!  

These photos are out of order....I still get it wrong every time.  oh well!  Day one we traveled 12 hours and drove from Brownwood to Canon City Colorado.  We left Brownwood at 1:00pm and arrived at in Canon at 12am Mountain Standard Time. It was an exciting day for us being that we were finally on the road.  We realized it is an easy drive to Canon  and that we need to make it more often.

OUT OF TEXAS!!!!!
Me
Tristan sleeping
Sweet potato lunch in the car...yum!
My Gnome, he travels with me everywhere. I love him.  Thanks John Ryan for the Gnome
My 25  road trip cent glasses that I got from a Garage Sale.  Perfect!
This is when we started.....when we finish this trip it will say something like 5,000!
Sweet Potato again..
Us.

With love...all the way from Seattle, Wa.....

Tristan and Melissa