Candace Cameron Bure is My Imaginary BFF

ABC Photo

So for about two years now I have developed a serious admiration for Candace Cameron Bure, or had a "Candy Crush" if you will.

It all started when I came across a photo of Candace, Bob Saget and Jodie Sweetin at an event. I thought two things:  “Man I miss the days of TGIF!" I miss coming home after intramural volleyball and heading over to my best friend’s house for a slumber party and a night of Full House, Family Matters, Step By Step and Boy Meets World while playing Mall Madness and Dream Phone. Who didn’t love Friday nights back then? (Buzzfeed has a list worth checking out here)

Credit: ABC

The other thought I had when I saw the photograph of the cast members was:  “Dang! Candace looks amazing!”

I immediately started to read up on her.  To my surprise she had become a wife, mother, author, and public speaker. I was especially pleased to find out that she was a devout Christian. This seems to be a rarity in Hollywood. Unfortunately, it has become an even bigger rarity for me to find a likeable one, but she lives out her faith in such an authentic way.

There are so many reasons to love her and so I've compiled a list of the top reasons why she makes such an awesome imaginary BFF:

 1. Her joy is infectious. If you watched her on Dancing with the Stars or have ever seen her in an interview, you know this to be true. Her bubbly personality and joy for life are what makes her so stinkin’ adorable!

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   (ABC Photo/Adam Taylor)

 2. Her boldness. I appreciate the fact that her faith is so real to her that it encompasses all that she is.

3. She is honest about her boundaries because of her beliefs. She has set boundaries for costume designs, love scenes and language in scripts all out of respect for her God, her husband, her family and anyone else that may see her as a role model. This hasn’t always been understood by the public, but I think people respect her for it.

4. Her style. Who wouldn’t want access to her closet? Her daughter is so lucky! Candace is an example of how class and modesty can be sexy. She just gets better with age and makes me look forward to turning 38. Seriously – she looks better than ever!

5. She hasn’t always been "the hot girl." I think it's why so many of us could relate to DJ Tanner. DJ was a regular girl like me that could be awkward around a crush, had trouble fitting in with the cool girls in junior high, and struggled with self-image. But by the end of every episode, DJ was still this awesome girl who had a loving family and of course Kimmy by her side. Maybe it's me, but the fact that she knew what it was like to be awkward makes her even more beautiful today!

Credit: ABC

6. She challenges herself. Dancing was something new to Candace, but she didn’t let fear keep her from the experience. She struggled through some tough nights of dancing in front of America, but never quit. I think people enjoyed cheering her on because of it.

7. She’s a friend for life. I love that she still goes to New Kids on the Block concerts with Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler) and that Lori Loughlin (Aunt Becky) could be seen in the audience on every Monday night for DWTS. It's obvious that Candace cherishes her relationships.

8. Her discipline. I hadn’t understood the importance of discipline or goal setting until I read Reshaping It All. That's right - she's even capable of making discipline sound fun! I would advise anyone who may struggle in this area to read the book because it helped me with some practical tips for every day.

9. She reminds me of my childhood. Whenever I see her it takes me back to the TGIF days - where I was, who I was with and the terrible styles I was wearing! I treasure these memories and there is something special about the people that trigger them.

So these are the reasons why I think Candace Cameron Bure is pretty awesome. If you haven't checked out her blog or her books (here), I would highly recommend it! 

Credit: ABC

May B-Day

The season is upon us! The last two weekends have been filled with birthday, wedding and baby celebrations.

It all started with this guy's birthday on May 10:

I'm pretty sure he's sick of me showing this old photo, but I think it's adorable! He looks a little older now ;) Here he is with his surprise 30th birthday gift last year:

His 31st Birthday was definitely more low key than last year, but we had to party it up for the big 3-0! His family and I surprised him with a grill that we used for the 45+ party guests that showed up to celebrate with him (in our tiny house)! It was quite the bash! Besides the food and buckets of ice for the drinks, I did a few fun DIY decorations.

I'm sure at this point most people have seen the number/photo collage on Pinterest for birthdays and anniversaries. It's a unique way to showcase the guest(s) of honor.

I started by printing a bunch of old photos of Geoff all varying in size. Then I began to group them into a "3" and a "0."

I taped it all together and put it up on the wall.  You can also use cardboard or poster board if you don't want to tape the pictures directly to the wall. The end result is pretty awesome:

I also cut and strung flags made out of tissue paper (tutorial found here).

The decorations, the great food and the great friends made for an awesome 30th birthday party! However, now that we are over 30, our celebrations have changed a bit. We are at the age where our birthday wish is to have a relaxing day - and so that is what we did this year.

I scheduled a massage and then made a pretty awesome brunch of Challah Bread French Toast (recipe here), watched season 2 of 24 and then went out for dinner and drinks. It was a great day with my favorite person!

How is everyone else spending their post 30 birthdays???

Nashville Flea Market

When Geoff told me we were heading to Nashville, I immediately searched for Flea Markets in the area. Lucky for me the Nashville Flea Market takes place on every third weekend of the month - the weekend we would be visiting! I don't believe there are any flea markets in the Detroit Metro area (please let me know if I'm wrong) so I was excited to get my haggle on in Nashville!

It did not disappoint! Row upon row and shed upon shed filled with vendors lined the Tennessee Fair Grounds. 

It was a beautiful day to explore and everyone is so friendly in Nashville! There were so many amazing finds, but Geoff's truck had limited space for our trip back. I had to practice self control. Luckily, I am very happy with my purchases.

I found a metal "G" to go with the iron "R" that Geoff found for me:

I also found a bright blue oil lantern in amazing shape. I added it to the vignette on our piano. I wanted to display items that are special to us like the communion pieces from our wedding ceremony, a hurricane vase with sand from our trip to Clearwater Beach, and now our blue lantern from Nashville:

My last item is my favorite. I had been on the hunt for a dress form for my wedding gown. My thought was to display it in my office/guest room. I absolutely love my dress and it symbolizes so much to me so I didn't want it to end up in the back of our closet.

I found this amazing dress form for $50 and was able to haggle the guy down to $40. Yay for my first haggle! I cleaned it up a little when we got home and it fits my dress perfectly! It was meant to be:

So that was my experience at the Nashville Flea Market. I wish I could go back this month!

N&N's Nashville Homestead House Tour

So I had about a two week hiatus from the blog because I just got back from an awesome stay in Nashville!

I was lucky enough to tag along for a fence build that my husband’s business had scheduled for friends. On Easter Sunday, we packed up the truck and headed south. 

We not only had the honor of working for amazing people, but we were given the opportunity to experience the wonderful hospitality of their Nashville Homestead.  We really had the best accommodations that Nashville has to offer! 

Nicole has not only inspired me in the way that I style my home, but she has also challenged me to live more open-handed with our home. They are such a blessing to anyone in need of community or just a good meal as they generously share their home with family, friends, musicians, and even a few strangers. 

I am so grateful that Nicole allowed me to post a home tour and I hope their home inspires you as much as it has me.  

The living room is the first room you enter:

Maybe it's the mix of family heirlooms and the many handmade details that makes their home seem familiar and welcoming...

I love the decorative mirror placed above the bar that was a hand-me-down from Nicole's grandmother:

A handmade coat rack, a jewel-toned shade and a portrait of their Vizsla, Baxter line the hallway leading into the dining room:

The most important room is to the right of the front door - the dining room. We shared many tasty meals here including baked oatmeal, french toast, chicken & avocado enchiladas, lamb meatballs and spaghetti, etc, etc. 

The dining room displays Nicole's collection of vintage table cloths and handmade chicken wire frames.

The two downstairs guest rooms share the same charm as the living room and dining room:

Vintage games are hung on the wall:

The chicken coop and hammock can be seen through the window:

We stayed in the other guest room across the hall which stows more of Nicole's grandmother's beautiful dressers:

This cute basket holds the extra guest towels:

The history of the house is felt in the basement where the laundry room, wine cellar and studio can be found:

 I love the stone walls!

Last but not least, we spent a lot of our time outside. This may seem obvious since we were building a fence, but we also went outside for the deck, the hammock, the bonfire and the chickens!

Oh and check out their new fence by Creative Professional Remodeling and our great volunteers:

Needless to say, we had a great time and can't wait to visit Nashville again!