Deutschmann Family Reunion 2011

I think we all desire for a full life of love and family... I know Nora and C.J. Deutschmann have experienced that and continue to do so!

You can still see the love, comfort and safety they feel together...after 71 years!

And here is their full family!!! (well...most of them!)



Here are the baby pictures of their 14 babies, displayed proudly in the hall! It has always been a game to try to name each baby...not an easy task.

Their home!

My family!

My girls!

Can you imagine...

My Grandma and Grandpa met and fell in love. 71 years ago, Grandpa built this house for Grandma and they proceeded to fill it with children! 14 to be exact!!! (Yes...14. That was not a typo!) And their love still grows! Last Saturday, the family celebrated with a reunion at their home! Those 14 children have expanded to include 34 grandkids and 37 great grandkids. Needless to say, it was quite a shindig!

Here is everyone that was able to attend in front of the house! One more thing to note...This house isn't in a normal neighborhood. It once sat on a simple street on alot of acreage since my Grandpa ran a Florist passed down from his father on the land around the house. Since, they sold quite a bit of the land and the land and street around it has become one of the busiest in St. Louis (think Blockbuster, McDonalds and a bank as neighbors).

The Deutschmann Florist is now closed. My uncle George that ran it after Grandpa retired (even at 93 he was down there planting ivy!), has retired and it is time to sell the rest of the property. It is also time for Grandma and Grandpa to move to assisted living.

This is a view from the greenhouse of the party in the backyard of the house.

Grandma and Grandpa enjoying a meal with the family! 95 degrees and in a cardigan!

Grandpa....is that scotch?

Riley being silly!

View out the front door.

View out their front door...times have changed.

Yes...one of my crazy uncles!

Just a few great grands!

Sack race!

Aunt Kathy (the oldest of the 14 kids) and her grandson.

The basketball hoop we used as kids!! Still there...

Cousins!

Dad and Pat

Mom, Dad and Mike in front of the house.

Hey...look! Mom, Dad and Mike in front of the house again! Whoops. I am so bad at that!

Grandma and Grandpa on their wedding day!

Top Ten Favorite Smells

MY TOP TEN FAVORITE SMELLS... (kindof a boring thing to you, but fun for me to think about)

10. Sam's Club...don't know why, but it just smells INDUSTRIAL.

9. Lillies of the Valley. My favorite flower.

8. New carpet. Must be the realtor in me.

7. Sweaty baby feet...gross but so sweet.

6. A salty beach mixed with sunscreen.

5. My dog (not after getting wet, fresh home from the kennel or being outside...just when he is normal)

4. The barn...grew up around the stables, so manure mixed with saddle soap and leather is a good smell.

3. My husband in cologne dressed up to go somewhere fun.

2. My kids out of the bath covered in lotion with wet hair in jammies.

1. My husband after a shower with just deodorant and zero product in his hair or on his skin.

My Inspiration

Finally found it. My inspiration. My builder has been asking me how I picture the inside of the house, and I couldn't really EXPLAIN it. Sitting in an Open House a couple Sundays ago, I came across a blog called House of Turquoise. The Bloggess posts basically anything house or design related that is the color turquoise. Now, let it be understood that turquoise isn't my decorating color of choice, but the style of one home that is posted on her blog is EXACTLY what I was thinking. Farmhouse/Beachy is what I call it. Clean with pops of color. (The basement is darling, but not my style...think first and second floors). You can check it out two ways...

Google: www.houseofturquoise.com/2011/06/day-one-dream-home-tour.html Just be prepared because there are five different posts (days 1-5) and they are all amazing! The pic above is care of House Turquoise taken from Hiya Papaya.

Or Go to the homeowner's website (she is a photographer) http://www.hiyapapaya.com/ and click on Whatnots.

Enjoy!

The Tiny Highness Turns Five!!

Finley Tate turned five on July 27th!!! I cannot believe she is already five, but have enjoyed every second of having her in our family. She came out of me with dark skin and black hair, and now she is a curly blonde haired, blue eyed, fair-skinned sassy girl!!

My cakes are always ugly...but they taste good!! :)

Hugs from Paw Paw!!

Whoops! Double picture...enjoy that smile twice! :)

Riley and Finley reading Riley's homemade Rye-Mark card.

What is my problem? Another double picture...Must be in a hurry!

Bailey and Finley celebrating!

Hogan enjoying Finley's new "crowns".

I love you Finley!! XOXOXO

Rock, Paper, Sambas

We have rock!!!!

Lots of rock...

And paper...hardie board soon to come. It took me an eternity to decide on a color, but decided on cobblestone.

And Sambas. Hogan got his first pair yesterday!!! I have always loved these on little boys (and big boys too). My little guy is growing up!

Push yourself...

Not much time to blog tonight, but saw this sweet picture and quote and thought it was an interesting thought for the day. It reminded me of the half-ironman that I accomplished last year and how training for it with a job, 4 kids and a husband, and a crazy-busy life was very demanding. But it was worth it!! Crossing that finish line was amazing and such a proud moment! Push yourself. Go beyond your comfort zone...say sorry, make brussel sprouts, try a new Church, go to a movie alone, call an old friend, sign up for a race, ask for a raise... GODD LUCK!!!!!

How would you want to be remembered?

Today was the funeral and burial of one of my husband's best friends. He was the loving husband of our dear friend Coni and the awesome father of Garrett and Ethan.

My husband was blessed to be asked to speak at the funeral. He and four other men had five minutes each to sum up his buddy. It was beautiful how many lives he impacted and how beautifully articulated the guys were when describing their feelings. It made me think of how I would want to be remembered. I don't want to be just a "good enough" wife, mother, friend, daughter. Derek was remembered by so many that were touched by his life. He wasn't just a "good enough" husband, father, friend or son. He was great at them all. I know I learned from him today that you must give your all all the time to the people you love and care about. Being a good guy, a nice guy, doesn't determine your length of time on the earth, but it does determine whether you live or die. I have no doubt Derek Anderson is livin' it up in Heaven. Not because he was a nice guy, a good guy or because he attended Church, but because he had a strong relationship with Jesus.

I am proud to say that my husband's faith grew because of Derek. They would meet almost weekly to read the Bible and pray as accountability partners. It is funny how God places people in our lives for a reason. I truly believe Derek is an angel to my husband...someone he needed in a tough time.

So Todd had to sum up Derek today in five minutes. How do you do that? How do you sum up one of your best friends in a few short minutes? How do you do them justice? How would I tell Courtney that she is a completely selfless person, always giving even when she has nothing left to give. She never forgets a birthday or a special occasion. Always builds you up and makes you feel special...always. How could I tell Sanna that she is so strong and stoic through alot of tough times and how she has always been there for me. How she makes me laugh and how we know each other's emotions before we say them...(you yawn when you are confronted or uncomfortable :) Melissa - You are always taking care of me and worrying about me. You are unfailing in loyalty and never fail to be there in a second when I need you. Cole - We have an unspoken friendship that is more a sisterhood. You are so giving of your time and such an amazing person, always helping everyone else before you ask for anything for you. In tough times, you know exactly when I need to talk and when I need to be left alone. Thank you for that. Julie - We share alot of views in faith, and I know that you are such a great person all the way around. You give and give, you always stay positive and have a way of listening and calming me when I need to be settled down. Steph - You and I have been friends for a very long time...you were my first Kentucky friend. I know our lives are busy and times goes by and we don't talk, but we always pick right up again. You are such a good friend, even when I haven't been, you always pick up the phone. You are my old faithful xoxoxo. Now, I could go on and on with friends (family would be a WHOLE other blog post) but the lesson I learned today more than any other thing, is that we shouldn't wait until our loved ones are gone to express how we feel. Tell them now. Over-use "I love you". Hug too much. Laugh alot. Skip the dishes and read a book to your kids. Let them have cake too late at night. Forgive. Listen. Lend advice. Be how you want to be remembered.

Girls with Goals

Today I want to mention some local girls that I know that have small (and large) businesses! What a better place to network than a blog?! Here are some of them...I am sure I will think of more, but here goes....

Jane Morgan - http://www.thesassysister.com/

Kelly Throneberry - www.mythirtyone.com/kellythroneberry
(Atlanta area- my sister sells Thirty One as well - www.mythirtyone.com/lindsayhogan

Stacye Love - my builder, but also a very talented interior designer AND she has her own line of tennis bags!!) http://www.stacyelove.com/

Amanda Clark - Independant Design Consultant and Willow House rep - coolkymomma@gmail.com

Meghan Tinker - Rep for Stella and Dot (adorable jewelry!) www.stelladot.com/meghantinker
Meghan and her husband Alex own 4Flights Wine Boutique in Norton Commons...very cute and a good selection!

Whitney Brown (with Meghan Tinker) started http://www.shopgirlslouisville.blogspot.com/ which is a very cute blog specializing in great finds in the Ville! Check it out!

DeDe Holman - AMAZING photographer http://www.dedeholmanphotography.com/

Looking to add to your family...looking to balance your family? http://www.chooseagender.com/ ask for Jessica Flynn

Also, need a place to board your horse? Injured horse that needs more care than you know how to give? My sis has a horse farm called Cornerstone Farm. Email her @ erinnovelli@hotmail.com

Marcia Gray - Kelly's Kids rep #114799 www.kellyskids.com Adorable, wearable kids clothing

And I might as well add that if you are looking for a realtor in Louisville or Shelbyville, CALL ME!!!
I am with Semonin Realtors and I am always up for business!! :)

My obsession with all things LIGHT.

Right now light fixtures are an obsession of mine. I couldn't sleep last night because visions of pendants danced in my head. It is a puzzle trying to pick unique fixtures that I will not get sick of that will also flow well with the rest of the house. Below are some 'FINDS' I am debating...



This one is from Shades of Light - The De Vine Wood Ball Chandelier. It will hang in my powder room...a great focal point while you are resting on the commode.
The next one is an example of the style of exterior lights I have chosen...'onion lights' as my builder would call them. These are from Brechers and are One Light.

Below is a fixture from Restoration Hardware that I am debating for either the foyer or the sunken living room. I love that it doesn't obstruct the view but is heavy enough to fill the space required by the room.

Below is the fan that we have chosen for our family room. It is a monster, but we like air to MOVE in our house! :)

The next is from Restoration Hardware and I am debating two of them for above the dining room table in either the below color, a cream or maybe black. They are very large (25 inches across, but I really like them).

My island will have three of the below pendants... or similar. These are Restoration Hardware, but I have found less expensive ones at Brechers.

Taking a risk on the next selection. I am envisioning a very WHITE laundry room with two of these adorable pendants. The color is more "robin's egg blue" in real life versus the teal that it appears. The laundry room is off the beaten path of the house, and I am feeling daring in bringing in more color there and in the office, which is adjacent and only entered through the laundry. They are from Barn Light Electric and just charming in my humble opinion.

Speaking of the office adjacent to the laundry, the next fixture is a hanging pendant that I intend to put hanging centered in the office. It is so charming and sweet. The cabinets will be a pale blue and I am having dark stained wood tops. The hanging drum shade is from Shades of Light.

So that is where I am at. Still alot more to decide!

Black Paper and Cracked Windows

We are under black paper. It looks like a house now...which is kindof a TEASE, because it will be ages before it is anywhere near move-in.
While we were on vacation, the windows were installed. Unfortunately, before they were all installed, six that were leaning up against the wall fell over during a severe wind storm...and broke.

Still working on how to handle that situation.... On top of that, it is DECISION time! Lots to think about regarding plugs, switches, plumbing, fixtures, etc. It doesn't stress me out at all...I was warned it would. I just feel very blessed to be able to be building this home, that I think everything is just the icing on the cake!

Last but not least, the screen porch roof is on. I LOVE the outdoors, but I LOATHE mosquitoes (see Captiva Posts). I am extremely excited about the porch. I am looking forward to turning on the fireplace, enjoying a glass of wine and listing to the neighbor's rooster. Country livin'...here we come! :)

The Ooh La La Spa Surprise

Yesterday, I came home from a meeting and found my girls giggling with the babysitter. "Mommy! We have a surprise! Close your eyes and come upstairs!"

Upstairs I found the "Ooh La La Spa".

Where manicures and pedicures could be ordered...

Finley was on hand to apply my homemade banana and milk mask...(yes...itchy). Riley soaked my feet in something with salt and gave me a pedi.

And then my hair was done by Finley. A headband and ponytail with a scruncy...VERY 2011.

It was sooo cute and such a mess! I couldn't help but smile at how creative and adorable it was! Reminded me of the days when I was a kid (I sound old..."back when I was young..."), when we didn't have a Wii or DS and we just played.