Year End Review!

Wow, 2010 is tomorrow?

2009 was a year of big BIG changes for Jordan and I. Here's a quick recap of what we experienced from January to December (This is what would have gone on a Christmas letter... if I'd written one!)

In January we started sending out resumes big time. Jordan started his very last semester of seminary and it was time to start thinking of our next big move. By February, we'd gotten a few interests and started visiting churches. We went to Mt Belvieu, TX and both knew pretty immediately this wasnt the place for us. A week later, we visited Rockport and both knew pretty immediately this WAS the place for us. A week later, I ran and finished the Cowtown Half Marathon. When March rolled around, Jordan was ordained and went from Mr. Jordan Mims to Rev. Jordan Mims. I dont remember if it was March or April that we revisited FBC Rockport, but it was another great visit that left us really excited about the next step. Also in April, I took a trip to New York City (my first EVER!) with a few of my coworkers. It was a great trip and I look forward to going back one day with my husband. May comes through and our life really begins to look different. Jordan graduates from seminary with a Masters of Divinity. We made one last trip to Rockport as non FBC-ers and were voted in as Youth Pastor (and pastor's wife). We started packing up our little bear cave and by mid-June we had moved and become official Rockport-ians. I started working at Bay Area Medical Center (L&D of course) at the end of the month. We closed on our first home in August and started moving into a space almost 3 times larger (with a 3x larger monthly payment!) than our seminary apartment. We also increased the size of our little Mims family by one furry little member. Mauve isnt so little anymore though! Mr Mims had a massive hemorrhagic stroke (an 8cm bleed!), spent several days in Intensive Care at Methodist downtown Houston and then 7 weeks in SugarLand Rehab Hospital. The same week Mr. Mims was in ICU, Mauve started having diarrhea. Boo. My mom got remarried in October. Then this past month, Casey and Duane got engaged (finally!) and then Jordan's Papa died very unexpectedly and we spent a few days in Augusta. Overall, we have been overwhelmed by the goodness and grace of our Redeemer & Lord.

We already have so much to look forward to in 2010... Duane & Casey's wedding (12/11/10!), Nathanael & Brittany's wedding (6/6/10!), a trip to DisneyWorld, and our 4 year wedding anniversary!!!

We're cookin now!

Due to an unfortunate trip to Augusta (not unfortunate because I dislike Augusta or trips to Augusta, but unfortunate because of the nature of the trip. Jordan's grandfather died very very unexpectedly and we flew in town for the funeral. It was a short trip. It was a sad trip. Papa was a wonderful man of God and we all take comfort in knowing he was a Christian and that he was blessed enough to pass away in his sleep. What a wonder to fall asleep in your bed and wake up with Jesus!), we got to spend some unexpected time with my family. I was thrilled to get to see my parents and sisters (and their +1s! Thanks Erika for that tidbit!). I saw Casey's new bling and it's totally gorgeous. And somehow during our visit, we fit in time for presents (it was a tough squeeze, but we made a little time for gifts...). I told my sister last week before I had any idea we would be in Augusta that I wished I could see her face when she opened up her brand new camera in its fancy VB "camera bag." Well, I got my wish! I think Cas was stoked- I faked her out big time!

And so far on our side, Jordan and I have already gotten 3 cookbooks!

Do you think our family is trying to hint at something? I love the Masters cookbooks and my nana was awesome enough to get me that. Then Jordan got the Good Eats book from Cas & Duane because he loves that show. My awesome sister also bought me that special book in the middle. Casey is pretty great. She knew it was what I wanted!

Aint it purrrty???

Oh but wait....

Hang on a sec...

what is that?

Be still my beating heart. (Even Jordan looks stoked)

Casey is the bomb diggity. (does anyone even use that word anymore??) But wait! There's even more if you flip a few more pages...

Annnnnnnd.....

Love love love love love it.

Special thanks to hubs for being such a good sport and holding my awesomely special personalized with correct spelling autographed by 3 people one of which being Pioneer Woman herself and you should check out her blog if you havent already because its awesome and this is a really long run on sentence with no punctuation!

Penne a la Betsy and Cinnamon Rolls here I come!!! (Taylors beware!)

SBD

Look at my sweet puppy.

Almost asleep. So sweet.

Sweet that is, until you get a whiff.

This dog has the smelliest, stinkiest, most gag-inducing farts you can imagine. I'm telling you, something has rotted in her belly. Ever since we started another new medicine for her diarrhea, she has been farting (or tooting, as I was corrected earlier) non-stop. Seriously- a few times per hour, we'll get a sniff of Mauvey toots. Like a little black furry fart factory. We mentioned this to the vet the during the last visit and they laughed at us. Dr. Stork said it could be a side effect of some of her medicines and it would work its way out. Gee thanks. Very few of her toots have a musical warning- most are silent and definitely deadly. And they're the absolute worst when she's asleep! It's as if relaxing while asleep just opens her butt (bottom) up to let the noxious gases seep out continuously and without restraint. Gross.

Little Stinker. It's a good thing you're cute.

Hollie Jolly Christmas

I love giving gifts.

Love it.

I am really bummed that I wont see these gifts being opened.

Because I've got one or two tricks up my sleeve this year.

Should be good.

I may not have a Christmas tree this year.

And I may not have lights on the house.

And my stockings are not hung by the chimney with care.

But I've got some pretty presents stacked up, ready to be shipped out.

And of course Mauve had to help.

BAFWAP '09

Sunday night was our First Annual BAFWAP: 2009 edition (Bring A Friend Win A Prize). Jordan and I encouraged our high school kiddos to bring their friends with them to Sunday Night Discipleship. We gave out prizes to the both the kids and their friends. We gave out prizes for Colossians quiz winners. We gave out prizes for sword drill winners. We gave out lots of prizes! It was a great night!!! We met a few new friends and hopefully we'll see them again soon! I love our High School Discipleship nights- it's been a great way to get to know our guys & gals a little better.

Like Stratton! Please ignore the water stain on my ceiling. K thanks.

Sorry Kendall... looks like I caught you a little off guard.

Looks like I caught Nicole a little off guard too!

Sunday night High School Discipleship is such a mouthful. So much so that we're giving the youth a chance to change the name- and win another prize! From now to December 20, Jordan and I are giving every youth a ballot to cast their vote for a new name. At the youth Christmas party, we'll randomly pick from our top 5 favorite names and someone lucky will win an AWESOME prize (among other goodies & prizes)! And by awesome, I mean the choice between a Wii, Xbox 360 or iPod Touch! Crazy good prizes, right? We're also doing the same thing for our Sunday night Middle School Discipleship. We've already given out a few dozen ballots and gotten half a dozen or so back. We hope that it will not only be fun for the kids, but encourage them to come to Sunday night and Wednesday night activities. May the most creative name win!

PS: I havent quite figured out how to load pictures that dont get cut off on the side. Sorry Gracie for chopping you in half!

The family is growing by one!

I'm not talking babies here!

My baby sister is getting married!!! Her boyfriend -no- FIANCE proposed Saturday night and I couldnt be morrrrrrrre excited!!! Cas and Duane have been connected for like for-ev-er. If my memory serves me correctly, they "went out" in like middle school... or maybe it was their freshman year of high school. They split up but remained friends and then in like junior or senior year of high school came to their senses and started dating again. So now here they are- Casey's graduating from college (eek! That makes me feel ollllllllllld!) in May and getting married. My sweet baby sister is all grown up *tear! She doesnt know this, but I will be entirely too involved in her wedding planning and have already forced upon her my minister husband and handmade wedding announcements. (speaking of handmade- i'm putting the last set of Christmas cards in the mail tomorrow!) It's no secret that I'm superduperexcited & honored to be the matron of honor!

While watching Julie & Julia tonight, I find myself wondering what the deal is with my own blog. April 2010 is just around the corner and will mark 2 years worth of blogging. Errrrrrr. I just want a little direction. Maybe I should start cooking and writing recipes. I appreciate all the support from friends & family and I am not looking to delete my ramblings, just revamp them! We'll see what happens.

Oh & I need someone --anyone-- to figure out why I cant find white fudge covered Oreos this Christmas.

I need them.

PS: BAFWAP pictures soon to come!

Additional PS: You must go read the hub's blog about Christmas! It will rock your Christmas world!

Food for Thought

I took this from a MCG friend's blog.

How often do these same exact thoughts run through your head? I can definitely (and sadly) relate.

Seventeen Minutes
It's the thoughts-ordinary, daily thought ---that count
by Andree Seu

These are the thoughts of a woman driving home from the Stop 'N Shop on an ordinary day.
She conjures three comebacks she could've hurled at Ellen if she had not been caught off guard.
She spots the baby shower invitation on the dashboard and schemes a way to be out of town that weekend--then thinks better of it because she has a favor to ask the sender at a later date.
She sizes up a woman standing at the bus stop and judges her.
She stews over a comment her brother made behind her back, and crafts a letter telling him off--and sounding righteous in the process.
she reviews the morning's argument with her husband, and plans the evening installment.
She imagines how life would have been if she had married X (well-worn furrow, this).
She magnanimously lets a car merge into traffic, and then is ticked off when she doesn't get her wave.
She resolves to eat less chocolate starting today--well, tomorrow.
She replays memory tapes going back to the '60s, trying to change the endings.
Somebody rides up the road shoulder and budges to the head of a traffic jam, and she hates the driver with a perfect hatred.
She passes the house of the contractor who defrauded her and fantasizes blowing it to smithereens.
She passes Audrey working in her garden and waves--but thinks, "If Audrey has chronic fatigue syndrome, I'm a Flying Wallenda."
She glares at a driver who runs a red light in front of her, forgetting that she did the same about a mile ago.
She checks her slightly crooked nose compulsively in the rearview mirror, and reassures herself it isn't too bad.
An inner voice tells her to turn off the radio and pray, but she decides that's the voice of legalism.
She brainstorms talking points for her upcoming woman's Bible study lecture on "Ephesians" and considers how she can improve it--and make it better than Alice's talk of last week.
She is angry at God because here she is a Christian and broke, while her good-for-nothing heathen of a brother is rolling in dough.
She thinks how much better her life would be if she were beautiful, and fantasizes all the bungee-jumping, maggot pizza-eating "Fear Factor" stunts she'd be willing to subject herself to to look like Gwyneth Paltrow.
She wonders how her parents will divvy up the inheritance--and how long she has to wait.
she rehearses two good reasons why here sister and not she should take care of the folks when they're too old. She thinks about here childhood and counts the ways her parents have screwed up her life.
The Johnsons drive by, and she recalls all the meals she made for them 10n years ago when Lydia had toxemia during pregnancy, and bets they don't even remember. Hmm, did they even send a thank-you card?
The word treachery flashes through her mind (Mr. Beaver's succint epithet for Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) but leaves no footprints.
An SUV cuts her off, and she decides to punish it by tailgating.
Her heart smites her for this. so she determines to try harder to live righteously from now on. Who knows, God may reward her in some amazing way; Her husband may give her grounds for divorce, and God will lead her to the arms of Mr. Right.
She tries to pray but doesn't get past "Our Father."
There are lots of people that the woman does not think of while driving home with groceries, people who are not important to her social status, or just not interesting.
She doesn't think about AIDS-ravaged Africa, she doesn't think about the death sentence dangling over millions in Sudan, she doesn't think about missionaries, she doesn't think about martyrs in Kim Jong-il's prisons, she doesn't think about ways she could encourage her children.
She pulls in her driveway. Total driving time: 17 minutes.
And if you were to ask the lady, as rustles parcels from the car, what she has been thinking about on the drive from town, she would say, "Oh nothing in particular." And she would not be lying.
Imagine believing that we don't need a Savior.

Letting myself go

I've become a real blogging procrastinator.

Here are a few things running through my mind now:

1. I have a lot more people to buy Christmas gifts for and time is running out!

2. I have to finish my Christmas cards like yesterday! I usually have them done by mid november!

3. ...Maybe I should put up Christmas decorations this year...

4. I almost have my bathroom together and it's super-duper exciting! Pictures to follow!

5. I wish there was a new Grey's on tonight!

6. I have a lot of things to do and blogging about my thoughts isnt one of them.

Here are a few things that have been happening around here lately:

1. Mauve spent Thanksgiving with her doggy friends Drake & Maggie.

2. We spent Thanksgiving with the Rhoads and Jordan's parents.

3. I've spent every waking minute i'm not at work making my Christmas cards. Retaking our pictures really set me back.

4. When I'm not making my Christmas cards, I'm making Christmas party invites for the FBCR staff.

5. Then of course there's work. Labor & Delivery has still been slow recently and I'm being put on call so often I'm running out of vacation time. I'm a little emotionally torn by this- I love not having to work, but I also love a full paycheck.

Here are a few things I want for Christmas:

1. Kitchenaid stand mixer

2. Pioneer Woman Cooks (kinda goes with #1 right?)

3. The Letterpress from Lifestyle Crafts

4. A new pair of jeans (but only when I'm 10lbs leaner)

Here are a few things Jordan wants for Christmas:

1. a Grill

2. A huge TV

3. Some new sneakers

Here are a few of my favorite blogs as of recently:

1. Blog Giveaways (I shouldnt be sharing this, as it will decrease my chances of winning...)

2. The Hubs (because he writes even less often than I do.)

Here's the main reason I'm ready to lose the blog:

1. I've run out of things to talk about and have come to making lists.

They grow up so fast... *tear

Oh little Mauvey.

You arent so little anymore...

One of your first baths. You were so easy to get clean, and you actually smelled good for at least a few hours afterward. I could scoop you up in a towel and carry you around the house.

Not so much now.
Bathtime is a chore. You are patient and never try to hop out of the tub or shake everywhere, but regardless, bathtime is exhausting. By the time i'm done scrubbing, my back is aching and i'm a sweaty mess. You no longer fit in a towel, but instead are much more interested in eating the towel. Oh, and I dont even try to sniff for a pleasant odor, because it is never there.

Our first picture of sweet Mauve. You couldnt have been 10lbs in this picture- a little peanut furball.

I attempted another picture holding Mauve, but 50lbs of squirmy, licking dog doesnt make things easy. You're 22 and a half weeks old, and you love long walks (not on the beach- you're not allowed to go on the beach), digging up the backyard, your "baby"- a stuffed squeaker mouse, and getting in the middle of things when Jordan and I are trying to tie our shoes. You still havent quite gotten the hang of how to behave when visitors come by. Despite your issues with diarrhea and allergies, you're a pretty great doggy.

I cant think of a title.

While I was in Fort Worth this past weekend, Jordan took a day to visit his Dad.

Doesnt he look great!??

Mr Mims will go this coming week (Thanksgiving week) to his first evaluation for the TEAR challenge therapy program. This is the outpatient program Jordan and I were hoping he would get into, and the jury's still out as to whether or not insurance will cover it. It will begin as 4 hour days, 5 days per week, and then I think as progress is made, they back down to less time and less days per week. It focuses on physical, occupational, and cognitive therapy. Ms. Aretha, George's day time caretaker will drive him back & forth to therapy each day. He will officially start the program (if he is approved) the week after Thanksgiving. We are super thankful that he is being evaluated for this program and has reliable transportation to get there each day! Our God is faithful to provide all our needs!!

Operation Christmas Card Photo was revisited yesterday. We received copies of our first photos in the mail (PS- I LOVE Winkflash.com. They have the cheapest cheapest cheapest rates of any photo website I know of- and have all sorts of interesting sizes. I've only ever used them and I will continue to! Winkflash did not pay me for this. Just so you know.) and they were oriented the wrong way. I figured I could work with this, but I'd end up having to crop off half of Jordan's head or half of the dog. This = no bueno. The orientation thing was definitely my bad, and because all of the great pictures we got during photo shoot #1 were vertically oriented, I called our buddy Blaire up again for photo shoot #2. I havent seen official copies of #2, but I think they're doubly cuter than our first pic! After all was said & done yesterday, Jordan turns to me and goes, "I'm glad we retook pictures. I hated the first picture. I looked like a troll and Mauve looked possessed."

Maybe he didnt say "troll" exactly.

PS. I went for a run yesterday after taking nearly 3ish months off. It turned into more of a jog/walk and I'm pretty sore today. It's apparent: I'm painfully out of shape once again.

I spent last weekend in lovely DFW. It's been 3 months since my last visit, so I was long overdue for a haircut & color job! I just cant seem to bring myself to try out someone new- I just love my girl Jessica! I even had to track her down, because since my last visit she moved to a new salon. After shedding a good pound of hair, I feel like a new woman!

What else did I do last weekend? A lot of this... (thank you Curtis for the lovely snooze shot...)

...a lot of shopping (but never enough!)

...visits with old friends

...eating out - but not at Chili's!!!!!

It was a great weekend. I wish I'd been more proactive and took more pictures with my sweet sweet friends. I'm so glad they put up with me and all the running around I did. It made me sad going around to our old apartment and remembering all the great times we had with friends there. I miss our impromptu dinners and communal cook outs and borrowing eggs & sugar on a moment's notice. By no means do I miss our literal apartment! I L.O.V.E. our house (heck, only a cardboard box could be worse than our old bear cave!). Our friends who are still in seminary are set to graduate this year and soon I will have no reason to return to our old apartments. Please lift up our seminary friends in your prayers today: Greg, Kelli & Eli, who are settling into life in Tulsa, OK; Josh, Mendy & Jeshua, who are also settling into life in Madison/Harvest AL; and Joel, Stacy & Noah as well as Shannon, Amber & little baby Dylen (who has yet to make her grand entrance into the world) who are almost finished with the seminary chapter of their lives.

PS. I have some competition now! See the world through the hub's eyes!

FTGH

Meet Mauve, the Golden Dog

This stupid diarrhea has GOT to stop. Lets backtrack a bit, shall we?

Jordan's dad had a stroke on Tuesday, September 15. Mauve and the squirts started the subsequent weekend. That means we've been battling diarrhea on & off for almost 2 months now. We go to the vet. We get some meds. The squirts subside temporarily. The squirts come back. We go back to the vet. We get different meds. The squirts subside temporarily. Do you see the pattern here?

So just prior to our trip back to Augusta, we made a trip to the vet, got some meds and took it upon ourselves to start Mauvey on dog food made for sensitive systems. I dont know if it technically qualifies as hypoallergenic food, but we figured it was worth a shot.

(and as a side note: the sensitive systems dog food is made with salmon as the primary source of protein. Salmon. Which makes the kibble smell like meow mix. And makes my house and my dog's breath smell like dead fish. What smell is only marginally worse than dead fish? Doggy Diarrhea.)

So she finishes off the meds and the bag of sensitive dog food and not knowing whether it was the food or medicine that caused her blowouts, we switched her back to the old food. Within hours, the diarrhea was back. We figured immediately that it had been the food all along! All the while we were complaining, it was the food that she wasnt tolerating! We were so relieved and went out immediately and bought a new bag of sensitive systems food. The next day her diarrhea had dried up.

(here's another side note: it just so happens, we had to open a new bag of her old food when we switched back. One serving later, the bag was rolled closed for good. So if anyone nearby has a dog that eats Purina One, we have the 44lb Sam's size bag in our garage. FTGH.)

So then comes Wednesday morning. Once again, Mauve has had diarrhea in her kennel. No new foods, no table scraps, nothing crazy or out of the ordinary. She proceeds to have diarrhea at least 3 times Wednesday and then poops all night long too. So it's back to the vet we go. It's determined that she has a very sensitive stomach and Dr. Harrell thinks she's formed an intolerance to her doggy treats. So it's no more treats for Mauvey. Dr. Harrell says if the diarrhea doesnt clear up after eliminating the treats, she will change Mauve to a very restricted diet. I'm thinking... the dog eats sensitive dog food, no treats, and no table scraps-- how much more restricted does it get? Also, while being seen, Dr. Harrell notices she's been biting at several small places on her legs & belly. After doing some skin testing, it is determined that she doesnt have mites or fleas or something icky, but rather she is allergic to something in her environment. Perfect.

So, Jordan heads home from the vet with a bottle of medicated dog shampoo, a prescription for Flagyl (for the diarrhea), an antihistamine, and a much lighter wallet. She is to be shampooed twice a week and be fed yogurt with each meal. She is to have no treats, but only dog food, yogurt and water.

I've had human patients that aren't this needy.

PS. Mauvey's not really for sale. She's too cute to stay mad at.

The world needs commercialized Thanksgiving songs.

So here we are a week into November and I have barely scratched the surface of our 2009 Christmas cards. Thankfully our friend Blaire came by today and got some pictures -one of which we hope to use for our card! The pic above is just a little teaser!

So Mr. Mims is now home. He was denied anymore coverage in the rehab hospital by his insurance company because they were unable to prove he was making progress (I think that's what happened...). I was misinformed and had some wrong information in the last post. If he were to come home (which he is now), insurance will pay for home therapy but will not pay for a skilled person to stay with him during the day. They also have the option of putting him in an outpatient rehab facility, where he will go for a few hours each day and then go home. The only problem with outpatient therapy is finding a way to get him back & forth everyday to downtown Houston and home. As I said in the previous post, he is not ready to transfer to Mentis and according to one of his therapists, could need another 3-4 weeks of therapy before he is able to complete the tasks necessary to qualify. Nobody knows how easy it will be to approve a transfer to Mentis after he has already spent some time at home, so I dont know if this is even an option anymore. We still need lots of prayers for healing as Mr. Mims still has a very long recovery ahead.

I deleted Google Analytics.

5 days later and it still said I had no traffic on my blog? Dummies.

I hate you Google Analytics (and a George Update!)

I've had good ol google analytics hooked up to the blog for several months now, checking to see what kind of traffic I'm getting. It's been helpful -and interesting- to know where folks are looking in from and whatnot. Until this morning. For the first time ever since getting analytics, my visitor total read 0. Zero. Zilch. None. Nothing. Nada. Zip-o. I contemplated axing the analytics just to keep from seeing that again!

Apparently, Jordan and I (and Cas!) are the only ones who appreciate the youth Ministars!

I chose some fabulous fabric for the bathroom and the curtains are now d-o-n-e! I've shown them to one other person besides my hubby and she said they were very Donna Reed (hint!). Once I get towels and some fab matching accessories I'll take loads of pics, so check back soon!!!

I also have an update and prayer request from Mr. Mims. His stay at SLRH may be ending soon- but not because he's fully rehab'd. Insurance has only agreed to pay up to TODAY. This means, that unless his rehab doc can convince the insurance company that he needs more time (which is true!!!), he will be forced to go home sometime in the next couple of days. They would then only be left with the option of home rehab, which would have to be paid for out of pocket. Mr Mims still isnt at the point where Mentis (the neuroskills center) is an option. We need a lot of prayer that he will be able to stay in the rehab hospital!! He is able to transfer to and from a wheelchair (to the bed, to the toilet, etc.) but not without assistance. He can also move and squeeze his left hand!! He is making great great progress every week but is nowhere near ready to come home and care for himself! Both Mr. & Mrs. Mims are stressed about what will happen next. I will post again when I hear anything! Your prayers are appreciated!!!

Away to me Pig (Name that movie!)

Looks like the hiney flu may not be so far from home!

Jordan came home from Dallas on Wednesday and woke up Thursday morning feeling achy & icky. After laying around for a while, he finally went out Friday night and bought a thermometer. (I have no idea where ours went... it was a cheapy old shake-down variety). He had a fever of 103! I dont know why he waited until it was too late to go to the doctor (6:30! On a weekend!!), but thankfully I was able to pull some strings with a SUPER NICE doc while I was at work and got Jordy started up on some Tamiflu.

Disclaimer!!!!: We arent 100% sure Jordan even has the flu. He's been battling some congestion since our trip to GA and this could be bronchitis. He hasnt been swabbed for the flu- we are just being proactive with the antivirals!

So in honor of my sick hubs- check out his current favorite YouTube video!

There's a leak in my motivation tank.

Oh I had so much planned for my 2 work-free, hubby-free days.

I got up Monday and looked out the window and saw this:

So what did Mauvey & I do all day? This:

And so now it's Tuesday night, work begins again tomorrow and I have nothing to show for my days off... except maybe a butt-sized dent in the couch and an empty DVR.

Ps. Mims update coming soon- promise!

Calling all Designers!

I'm ready to tackle a few more window mis-treatments. I've loved my guest room treatments so much and they were so easy, I had no choice but to dive into another project. Jordan will be leaving Monday for a conference in Fort Worth (jealous!!!), which gives me 2 days by myself to play with Mauve (she's learning to lay down...slowly) and be crafty! I want to do my Master Bathroom window next. This may be an odd choice, but hear me out- we have no towels for this bathroom. We've been using the powder blue/khaki colored towels which belong in the guest bathroom. I dont want to buy towels & mats (hello! Slippery!) until I figure out what I want the room to look like. We dont have the ability to put up a shower curtain because our shower is a stand- up variety. That leaves the window & its curtains.

So lets review:

{The Bedroom}

{And the Bathroom}

I want the Master Suite to be cohesive, so I'm going for a yellow/neutral bathroom. I've found a few different swatches of fabric that I really like. Opinions are needed!

#1

This is a swatch I found online at Calico Corners. It's a little pricier than I'd like, but still pretty cute. I'd want to order a piece for myself and check out what it looks like with the gray walls.

The next 3 fabrics I found at Joann. I like this because (a) they're on sale right now at Joann and (b) I have 2 Joann gift cards. I went to a salesperson to get a swatch cut of each and she so graciously cut me a 1 inch by 1 inch square. Gee thanks Joann saleslady. So I took the bolts of fabric back to the display with me and stealthily took pictures of each bolt with my iphone.

#2
I think this guy is my favorite. The great swatch I got has a spot of black on one corner and the rest is cream colored. Makes the whole matchy matchy thing reallllly easy (not!). Gee thanks Joann Saleslady.

#3
This one is my least favorite, but it coordinates perfectly with #4

#4
I kind of want to use this in the bedroom, although I'd love a stripe in the bathroom too. I think it's an easy enough pattern that it wont clash with the duvet in the bedroom, but still have a little more personality than solid treatments. If I used this in the bedroom and fabric #3 in the bathroom, it'd be that coordinating tie-the-two-rooms-together thing I'm going for. Only #3 isnt my favorite.

One thing is for sure, yellow/neutral modern fabrics arent the easiest things to find. Leave a comment or some facebook message-love and give me some tips! I'm also still looking for an idea of what to hang above our bed!