Books a Million... and getting psyched for the retreat!!

So exciting!!  I had time to load up all kinds of pics today.  So, here we gooooo...

I was in Books a Million this past Sunday evening, and I walked past this display of top recommended personal growth books.  And...wow!!  on the top row, I have 5 of the 7.  ON the second row, I have two.  ON the third row, I have 3 of 6.  You get the idea... I have a kickin' library.  I knew I did, but now I KNOW for SHO I do.  I have people who gift me books often, and I totally dig that, and then, I will buy a book if I hear something about it, or for some reason even get an urge that it is something that I need to invest my time in.  

Another thing I do in the bookstore that is sorta obsessive is take pics of ideas.  This is the cover of a magazine.  I NEED my house to look like this!!  Riley... you coming down early for the retreat?!  Can you work magic like THIS!?!?

Actually, I already have Hayden helping me get the beds ready with spring flowers.  I LOVE this time of year.

Hey... who can build this for me?  Anyone in West Monroe read my blog and think they can build this?  Give me a holla!!  I need this!!

This book looked like  a cover of a book I am going to write someday.  I am not sure what the book is going to be about, but i have a feeling it might have a whimsical cover like this.

And then I sent this book cover to a couple of guys in my office who I think will also write books someday, and this looked like one either of them could write.

I liked the look of this too.  And since I paint and doodle, maybe this is what mine will look like.

Just for kicks... anybody have an idea of what I'd need to write about?  Do you have a feeling of what I SHOULD write about.  I have tons of ideas.  Narrowing them down will be the hard part!

I don't have this one, but it has just made it to my "next to buy" list!

I went in with THIS!!  I had a huge basket full of things to work on and read.

But I STILL went and found magazines that inspired me and spent time dreaming.  I need some crates painted this color too... for whoever reads my blog and wants to build that wall bookshelf!!  AND these please.

Riley, I've been collecting these for ya.  We're gonna do the fresh flower thing the whole weekend!!  I'm figuring on your being the decorator at the retreat!!

I NEED these too!!  1121 to be exact.  These need to be in my front yard!

DUDE.  How gorgeous?  I just got my clothes arranged by color in my closet.  I can't imagine how great my world would be if I could organize my magazines in an ombre like this!!!

VOILA.  a better view.  TWO bags full!

I've never used this product that I saw in a magazine, but I think I need to buy some.  these would be GREAT in our journals!!  And I LOVE the flower petals cut out of old books!

Yeah.  This will also be a display at the retreat or in my art room.  I LOVE these twine-wrapped branches.

And what an EASY project.  I think I'm gonna do a class in the studio to make these.  I just NEED them!! I might do a pastel-y color for my girls' rooms, but I love the arrow motif.

And then, I settled in, with a caramel frappe, might I add, and looked at the "dreams" of my MMPT employees.  We'd had our annual company retreat the day before, and I asked them all to dream big.  Let me know what they'd LOVE to see in their work lives.  After all, how can I help them if I don't know what they really want?!  I got this many dream slips back.

I went through them one by one.  I really wanted to marinate with each one.  I love my staff.  I truly want to see them succeed.  I'm excited for their and our futures.

I had my girls with me the whole time.  They hung out in the kids' section, and would periodically, sit and read with me in the coffee area.

I just love an afternoon at the bookstore.  Don't you?!

MO