Summer love

The last day of school (field day)

Buzz cuts

Daddy has the pool open for the summer and today was our first day to try it out

The heat is often unbearable in the south. But even so, the summer is my favorite season during this stage in my life. I mean to say, I love what summer brings for our family. I have a friend that always dreads the summer time. Here's a list of my favorite things that we do most often in the summer. I love cooking out with friends, swimming, playing in the sprinkler and hose, fresh veggies from our garden, lots of colorful flowers around the yard, amusement parks, trips to the beach, catching "lightning bugs", sidewalk chalk and outdoor paint, movies in the park, fireworks, popsicles, outdoor concerts, more trips to see family, and more date nights with my husband. I can't believe it's already here! What's not to love!?

Belated Mother's day?!

I'm finally back! I think our information will be able to be saved from our old hard drive, but we had to send it off to another computer guy. At least I have my computer fixed! So many things have happened in our little family over the past couple of weeks. But for tonight, I'll post some very belated Mother's day pictures. We had a great weekend with family.Funny thing, our only picture with my husband's mom is with me...

and our only picture of my mom is with my husband. We were so thankful to be able to celebrate with them both. Happy Mother's day, Mimi and Nana! Thanks for loving us so well!

Bad news

We came home on Sunday from celebrating Mother's day to find our computer...broken. The hard drive would not work at all. Our friend is working on it, but he says "it doesn't look good". Y'all, if he can not fix my computer it will be so devastating! I have three years of poetry, homeschool research, newsletter articles, and so much more saved only on that hard drive! And this is the worst part...ALL of my digital photographs from the last two and a half years are saved ONLY on that hard drive! I have not had any of them developed or burned on to cds! The only pictures I will have of our family are my pictures from this blog. Please pray for my computer. It looks so silly to type, but I can not bear the thought of losing all of those memories! I'll update when I hear the news.

My mother's day gift

I am so excited! Here's a picture of what I just found on etsy:Of course, the names will be different, and mine will have brown script, but I think this wall decal will look great in the middle of my picture collage. So my project has come to a hault until my order comes in. I can't wait! I have loved etsy.com from afar, and this is my first chance to place an order there. Go look and enjoy! It is a great website full of home made items by lots of talented ladies!

Spa time with my girl

Spa morning- April 2007

Spa morning- May 2008

There was no project time around here today. But even better, Lydie and I had a spa morning. I found the picture above from the first time we had a little dress-up time together. What can I say? Girlfriend loves make-up! With Jaybird at school and Toot at a friend's house, we had the entire morning to be girls together. First, we donned endless amounts of lotion. Lydie is obsessed with lotion. She laughs with glee when I get out the bottle. I tried a sunless tanning lotion today. I'm not big on these types of lotions, but I do not want my legs to blind innocent bystanders.
Next, we decided to focus on our feet. She and I got a lotion rub down. And I got toe nail polish. She begged and screamed and cried for her toe nails to be painted. But alas, Daddy threatened me if I painted her little 19 month old, small as can be, toenails. My girl has the smallest, most adorable feet ever. She still wears a size 3! So we'll have to hold off on the polish. Maybe when you're a little bigger, baby girl.
Then Lydie and I put on make-up together. And she let me try pigtails on her hair, which obviously was not happening. So we settled for a red bow. I should just be thankful that bows have some peach fuzz to grab on to. And lastly, her watchful eye studied the curling iron as I took time to curl my hair. Normally, I wash, dry and go. But honestly, I need a hair cut so badly that I am embarrassed of my split ends, thus the curling.
After two and a half hours of pampering, we had thirty extra minutes before we needed to pick up our boys. So we spent half an hour in the book store. I never went into a book store for pleasure when the boys were babies for fear that they would pull out every book on the shelf. But despite Lydie's wild spirit, she respects the books and seems to enjoy the feel of the bookstore and library as much as I do. What a marvelous morning!

Wall collage

Every day I ask the boys to spend one hour outside and thirty minutes reading quietly while the baby is napping. Sometimes they play outside longer if the weather is nice. During this time of day, I rush to do my "chores" and then work on a little project. These projects keep me sane, somehow.
Today's project: photo collage on the family wall. I didn't get far, but it was fulfilling just the same.I only hung two things on the wall. But I like the way they turned out.
I took a regular black frame and glued red and white ticking fabric to the mat. I needed a subtle punch of color.

I found this little shelf at a yard sale last week. It was only $2.50. I took some scrap fabric and tacked it to the back. I am a sucker for toile! I think this little shelf will be the highlight of the collage for me. And it is a great place to put all of these little frames that were cluttering our bookshelf!
If time permits tomorrow, I will try to add three more frames and order a black and white picture for the frame above. With little ones, everything in life is a p-r-o-c-e-s-s!

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

...these are a few of my favorite things! Do you find that this time of year is crazy with gift-giving? There seem to be endless holidays, birthdays and special occasions. Personally, we had two birthday presents, three Mother's Day presents, and three presents for events at school to buy...all this week! I want to spend, spend, spend, but we can not afford to do that right now. (Have you seen the gas prices lately?) Here's an example of a less expensive alternative to packaging presents. You may like it, you may think it is tacky. But there is nothing more discouraging than finding the perfect gift, at the perfect price, and then spending $5 to wrap it!

This gift is for the secretary at Jackson's school. She has been there for at least a decade and this is her last year. So tomorrow the school is honoring her at the spring musical. I decided that I needed a gift for $5, packaging and all! I found these kitchen towels on sale at Kohl's for $2.99. The wrapping was free from my art closet. (Wow, I guess I actually came in under budget!) I took a simple brown lunch bag, embellished with a bird stamp, and tied it together with ribbon left over from a sewing project. I made a home-made card with scrapbook paper. Cut it in a small rectangle, trim two corners, punch a hole at the top and you have a tag.It looks funny in the final picture because I was trying to cover our name, but you get the picture. (No pun intended.) Hope you all find good bargains this spring, too!

My measly decorating advice

Room color
My friend emailed and asked about advice with choosing a paint color. I would consider three things:
1.Function-What is the function of the room? How often are you in the room? I always pick a neutral color for our family room, for example, because we are in that room the most. I want to be able to change the accent pieces frequently because I get bored with that room quickly. It is easier to have a neutral paint color that will match many different accent colors in "well-loved" rooms.
2.Mood-What type of mood are you trying to create? Warm and inviting. Cool and relaxing. Bright and cheerful. Playful. The color has a pretty powerful affect on mood.
3.Lighting-Look at paint swatches in the sunlight, especially yellows, reds and browns. (Bigger rooms with more windows are obviously more appropriate for darker colors.) Don't trust the neon lights in the store!
*Just for the record, I buy cheap paint. I know a decorator would frown on my paint choice. But I have fallen for Wal-Mart paint. I have used it in two rooms and loved the quality and finished product. Both my bedroom and family room are Wal-Mart's brand. Their paint costs around $11.50 per gallon. If you want higher quality, Behr has seasonal sales at Home Depot. For example, we bought $250 worth of paint when we built our last house. We shopped during July 4rth weekend and received a 50% rebate. We painted our entire house for $125. Also, check out the paint's website for coupons.

How to get started
Another friend asked me how to make a house look more like a home.
-I always decorate my kitchen and bedrooms first. Then I work my way down to the bathrooms. In this house, our playroom and bathrooms are the last rooms on my list that need a personal touch. With three little ones, it has taken me two years to paint and decorate the other rooms.
-Pick an inspiration for the room. I usually choose a painting, but it could also be a rug, clock, or anything you love. In my kitchen it was a platter. Draw out your accent colors from this piece.
-Buy your paint and paint first.
-Accent pieces may tell a story. On my mantel, there is symbolism in each item that I have chosen. Bundle of grass-gardening/outdoors/my husband's dreams, books-learning and reading, pitcher and bowls-family meals, etc. Or your decor may just represent things that you find interesting or lovely. If you have the time, enjoy the process and pick up little things here and there that have meaning. I love to go to thrift stores and yard sales for these types of items.
-Pictures- I include pictures of our family in almost every room. It is completely unnecessary, but it makes me happy.
-Creativity- If you enjoy creating your own artwork, don't be shy. It's frugal and "home-made" is in! Or you may like home-made, but not your own. Check out etsy.com.
-Remember that the center of a piece of art should be at eye-level. There is nothing worse than having to stoop or crane your neck to enjoy something that is meant to be a focal point.
-Display things with symmetry and balance in mind. But at the same time, don't try to be too matchy. If you are confused about how to display accent pieces, just look in a Cottage Living or Southern Living or any other interesting decorating magazine. There will be plenty of examples.
-This leads to my next suggestion...don't be afraid to look for inspiration in magazines or other blogs. Cut out and save the decorating ideas that you like in a folder or file. I began doing this when we were searching for our first home nine years ago. You will begin to see a common thread and your decorating style will be revealed. Then when you have the time to decorate a room you will have plenty of ideas from which to be inspired. Imitation is the biggest form of flattery! Many a wall in my house is a reproduction of someone else's creativity. You don't have to be an artist to have a home that you enjoy!

The Silhouettes
Some have asked for instructions for creating silhouettes. They really are easy. The hardest part for me was getting a good profile picture! The rest was simple. Look here for more information.

Happy decorating!

Our "new" family room

Project complete! Last night we had a bit of an ordeal painting our family room. We can not paint these days until the children are in bed because of our active toddler. So, we opened the paint at 8:30 and I decided that the color would not do. It reminded me of the shade of my "pancake make-up" that I wore on stage in ballet. The brown was so awful. So I had to make a trip to the paint store. I returned at 10:00 with the loveliest shade of tan. But...this time we loved the color, loved the way it complemented our furniture, but hated the way the robin's egg blue accents looked with it. So, I had to make a plan B. I was N-O-T going back to the paint store. And I was determined to complete the room. So I found a new inspiration piece and replaced the blue accents with red. Let me forewarn, these pictures are terrible. I had a crying baby on my hip, so I had to move quickly! Here's my inspiration:(the colors are much more vibrant without the flash of the camera)I fell in love with this painting in Jackson Hole last year and my Dad bought it for me and had it shipped to our house. So it is very special to me and I am so glad to hang it where I will look at it often.

I had to repaint my frame red. Here's what it looks like above the mantel with some other new accessories. Although I will probably play with the way our mantel looks over the next few weeks, I love the way it turned out.Here's that entire wall (this paint color is more true to form. I took this pic during the day without a flash):

My silhouettes found the perfect home on the adjacent wall. This wall has two windows with our armoire in the middle, so this little wall space was perfect.Aren't the little hangers cute that I found for the ribbon at Target? Here's what I put in the wall space at the other end of the wall.Here's the other wall. (taken at night with a flash)And this wall is blank.
I am creating a unique collage of pictures and other little wall hangings. This wall will be a work in progress over the next couple of weeks. I pulled those little red accent pillows out of the linen closet. I am so glad that I did not get rid of them!
Voile, our new family room. I only spent about $50 on this room (not including the sofa). I had everything I needed except the white platter, a stamp for the platter, paint, and some hooks. For those of you that have asked, not including the two trips to the store, this room took about 6 hours to pull together. That includes painting, making the art work, rearranging and hanging. But I'm sure I spent several hours over the past couple of months creating a vision in my mind, as well.
A few of you have asked me specific decorating questions. I am not sure that I am the best source. But I do have a lot to say! I love personalizing our home. I will try to create a post with answers to specific questions later this week!

Great movie suggestion

Unfortunately, Lydie came down with a fever last night and I was too pooped to paint. But today we patched the nail holes and taped the molding during her nap. It was a way to trap myself into commiting for tonight. So we are about to get the kidsl in bed and get started. My hubs is on board with me, so we should knock it out early tonight. I will not know what to do with myself if I start and finish a painting project before midnight! I will post pictures tomorrow. Still deciding on the perfect spot for the silhouettes!On a side note, Thursday night we stole away a few hours to be alone on a date. We saw the most thought-provoking movie I have seen in a long time. Please go see it! And if you have children that are 12 and older, it would be a shame not to take them. We saved dinner for after the movie. Instead of doing our usual discipleship date (How is your walk with the Lord? How can I help? What are your struggles/triumphs?), we chatted about the movie. It was really powerful. Especially for us, as Andy is a scientist. So go on and spend the money on this one...it's worth it!

Stirring the creative juices

Today is project day. It's a day where I do minimal housework and try to finish an art project. I have been wanting to mimic Heidi's silhouettes for a long time. We are painting our family room tomorrow night and between the paint and the new sofa, I am feeling inspired to use a new color scheme altogether. I painted our brick fireplace in September and I chose one shade lighter for the walls (the bottom half of the walls has white wood). The picture below of the blue frame shows the color of the fireplace. So, now 8 months later, I am getting around to the family room again. I am changing the color on the walls from cream to tan, and using yellow, robin's egg blue and white as accent colors.
My inspiration:(I got this painting for hosting a Southern Living Home party a couple of years ago. I wish I could say that I am the artist.)

My finished art project from today:


Here are some things that will adorn the mantel:
I have been stirring all of my creative juices and coming up short in decorating ideas for this room. So, again, I am using Heidi's ideas...thanks, Heidi!
Hopefully, there will be a finished room by Saturday morning!

Be still my beating heart

I had to quickly document an amazing moment with the baby so that I will remember to put it in Lydie's baby book. Tonight after I rocked her and sang a few lullabies, she said, "Night, night Mommy. I shove shoo!" She has said I love you before when she is mimicing the boys. But she has never spontaneously told me. My heart melted.
One other precious phrase that she has been saying this month is "Whez da boyeez?" She puts her hands up and shrugs her shoulders when she asks. It is the cutest thing ever.

"Here dies another day
During which I have had eyes, ears, hands
And the great world around me;
And with tomorrow begins another.
Why am I allowed two?"

- G.K. Chesterton

New discoveries

Lydie is in full toddler mode. Wow, is she ever our busiest and most emotional child! Oddly, I adore her for it! Case in point, this morning she found the q-tip drawer. I would not have even noticed, except that I heard her say, "Wow!" And then I found this scene in my bathroom:

A letter to my son

Dear sweet son,
Today you reminded me again (and again and again) how blessed I am to know you and call you my own. You have one of the sweetest hearts I have ever known. Thank you today for waking up your sister and comforting her so that I could dry my hair. You never cease to put a smile on her face with your presence. I think you might have that gift with babies. I love the way our baby yells, "Ja-see!" when she sees you or your picture. Do you know what a gift your kindness is in her life? (Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb; sweetness to the soul and health to the body.") I have noticed that despite your bubbly and happy disposition, your thoughtfulness sometimes leads you to have a melancholy mood. Lately, you have been so frustrated with yourself and your little struggles that you have been discouraged. The other night you said in tears, "Mommy, I just feel like the only reason I was created was to make bad choices." You have your Daddy's bent towards seeing your faults and discrediting your gifts. (Your Mommy struggles more with pride than with self-loathing.) It is so hard for you to see yourself as God and I do! You are my little one that will sleep beside our bed on the floor when you have a nightmare because you don't want to interrupt our sleep. Your Daddy did the same thing as a boy. This morning, and every morning that I am diligent in using my time, I will be praying that you would know who you are in Christ. I pray that you will begin to see how precious you are to us and your heavenly Father. I pray that your security and identity will be in His work, unwavering and strong. (Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you...") I am trusting God to use your intellect, compassion and zeal to give you a fulfilling, wonderful life of living with and for Him.

Right now, you seem to identify more with Daddy. You told me just last night, "Mommy, I made mental columns of all of my favorite people. For family, Josh is up at zero 'cause he's my brother. Daddy is #1. And guess what? I made you #2. That's pretty good, Mom." And #2 is good enough for me. I am so glad to see how your Daddy faithfully spends time with you every day and how you adore him for it. You are very blessed to have this relationship, Jaybird. Not only is Daddy fun and willing to do nasty things with you that I won't do, but he is constantly looking for opportunities to point you to Jesus... and you are soaking it up. The questions that you ask amaze us. You want so desperately to serve God well. We have to remind you often of grace, and you are beginning to understand. I was just thinking today as you held the door open for me and picked up the baby, "Wow. Some beautiful, godly lady will be so blessed one day to call you her husband." But I would not dream of saying that to you because you do not care to talk to girls right now. You say they are pretty and they make you nervous, and that's just fine with me. Like I said, you are a smart boy. I am so proud of you, little guy. You are funny, extremely smart and full of compassion. You are an old soul. At seven and a half you have accomplished so much through the power of Jesus. I can only imagine what He has for the rest of your life! Don't waste a day of it!

Pictured above: Jaybird with "#1"

Faux first-time-mommy

No, she did not wear this smocked dress to the park. She is, after all, a third born

Today has been a great day with the children. I got to spend two whole hours at the park with just Lydie (and many quality moments with the boys this afternoon, too). The park time was a rare treat for my little third born and me! I never realized how quiet the park is from 9-11 am. Every child seemed to be a toddler. And every other mom seemed to be pregnant. I felt like a rookie mommy again. I forgot how first-time-mommies ask so many questions to complete strangers about child development. I heard, "Is she talking yet?" "How long does she nap?" "What percentile is she on the growth chart?" I remember being the same way with Jaybird and a little with Toot. I remember a time when getting to Gymboree and playgroup were the biggest stresses of my week. I am not saying those things aren't legitimately stressful. But it is funny how demands change your perspective. I loved my faux first-time-mommy day! What great memories it stirred!

Life goes on...

Lydie discovers paint

Lots-o-laundry

Projects

Lydie's first masterpiece

"Try to be one of the people on whom nothing is lost." ~ henry james

"Bakc " home

We are home again. The services for my grandmom really made the end of her life here on earth more of a celebration than I had anticipated. We had our share of mourning, but there was also laughter and so many good memories! I was reminded of how lovely and generous my grandmom was to everyone. There were gobs of stories of little gifts, words of encouragement, and acts of service that she gave to so many around her. The pastor of her church even shared how she had given him and his wife their wedding cake as a wedding present. They now have children in college, but the story still made him cry a little as he shared what it meant to them. I was very inspired and encouraged.
My favorite part of our time with family was when there was a dove release at her graveside. The man who trains the doves let the great grandchildren hold a dove. Then he released a big flock and they flew around overhead. When the children released their dove the flock overhead found the dove and they all flew away together back to the trainer's house. This sweet man used the symbolism of the dove to relate to our grandmom going to heaven to be met with loved ones and the mystery of how she gets there. It sounds a little corny, but it was the sweetest moment for the children!
My little Toot took "note" and below is what he wrote: (It says, "Back home".) Thanks for the encouraging comments and emails. I feel very blessed!

Request for prayer

Leaving today for my grandmother's funeral. She passed away peacefully with both of her children by her side. Please pray for me, as my husband is out of town and I am getting ready to leave. Trying to pay bills, empty trash, pick up the house, bathe the kids (and myself), pack suitcases, iron funeral clothes, and talk with family is very, very difficult, especially with little sleep from last night. I am also trying to delegate all the things I was suppose to do at church tomorrow to prepare for our spring women's ministry event. Please pray for comfort for our grieving family and cooperation from my three little ones. I am so tempted to be overwhelmed and huffy with these little children around me, but as I am praying for strength and patience I remember that all these things are just tasks. I know I can do it with His help. I know I need to put on those big girl panties again, but man do they feel WORN OUT!

Dukin' it out

Quotes from an argument between the boys:
Toot (age 5): Mom, Jaybird is ruining my childhood.
Mom: Baffled/trying not to laugh
Toot: Mom, do you know the word childhood? It means the days that I am a child.
Jaybird (age 7): Toot, you don't understand. Mom, he thinks I'm being bossy. But really, I am trying to LEAD him through childhood.
Mom: Nodding head/trying not to laugh
Jaybird (after Toot left the room): Sorry, Mom. I thought we had worked this out. Sorry you had to get involved.

Emotional

Lydie is learning to identify her (MANY) emotions. Here is my girl expressing the following feelings on cue (and let me tell you, she has all of these emotions and more on any given day, hour, minute). Should I be concerned that she can strike these poses on cue? Girls are so different, no doubt! This is Lydie's sad face. We see this face less and less often, as she is finally realizing that she can not always have her own way. She has discovered how to fake cry over little boo-boos. She comes with a loud, fake pouty whine and says, "boobooboo!". She got red marker on her hand and tried it today. She laughed and laughed when it rubbed right off. Oh my!This is Lydie's happy face, sort of. We see this face more and more often as we work on her boundaries. Girlfriend does not like boundaries!

This pose is my favorite! This is her surprised face. She hates to be surprised, so we actually never see her make this face unless she is posing for a picture. I guess the boys taught her this one. It looks like she's "home alone".

The past month has been one of big changes for my little girl. She has really been testing us! I am thankful for God's faithfulness and direction in my parenting. This little girl would be a disaster without firm discipline. (This past week away from home, routine and our usual rules I saw a lot of behavior that was not desirable!) It is so exhausting to parent a toddler, but I am already seeing the fruits of my labor. She is learning to obey simple commands a lot quicker (the ones she hates like no, come here now, did I say no already?). She tends to try to play on my emotions...already. But at the same time, she is our most affectionate child. A hug and a kiss will cover a multitude of sins in Mommy's book! And she is a fast learner, which is helpful. And after all, she has no idea who she is up against! Where does she think she inherited that stubborn streak of hers? Oh, and she probably inherited the emotional streak from me, too!

We're home!

We're back from seeing family. What a tiring week it has been! I was at the hospital a portion of every day this week, with the exception of one day that we set aside to take the children to a museum. My precious husband watched all three children with little help from anyone else! That's a big accomplishment for a working dad that is not used to the particular demands of motherhood! I am so thankful. He gave me a wonderful gift to be able to see my grand mom and spend precious time with my mom, dad, brother and many other family members. I heard family stories that I have never heard before. Who knew that I have a great uncle that loves all the things that I love...oil painting, music, etc.? This week provided me with the first opportunity in over eight years to have meals alone with my Daddy. Why would he want to be alone with me when he has three grandchildren in town? :) We had conversations that were deep and rich (and touched on topics beyond that of a 7, 5, and 1 year old's interests).

I also saw some things that saddened me deeply. My very active, very spunky grand mom is sick and feeble. I have no idea how she is still alive, except that she is so strong and determined! She has had no kidney function, no fluids or food, and been on oxygen all week. Her days are shortly numbered now. She sure is determined to talk, and tells everyone "you sure are sweet" and "I love you lots" over and over again in her southern accent. This may be the first time I have seen her without makeup, jewelry and flawless hair. We are all amazed that at 85 she has zero wrinkles. I am not exaggerating, her skin is incredible. Anyway, I loved every minute I spent with her this week and with my family. We finally had to come home yesterday. Home has never seemed so sweet. I missed my bed and our dinner table. I also missed time alone with my four sweeties. We all just looked around and smiled today at lunch.

I'll have to post about our other drama this week in a later post. My husband's mother was also hospitalized this past week and had surgery this morning. When it rains, it pours, I guess!

Grandmom

We have canceled our trip to the mountains to be with my grandmother. She was in perfect health until this year when she had a stroke. Since then, there has been one complication after another. She currently has a mysterious infection that has caused her kidneys to fail and her pulse to soar. She is pale and on oxygen. So we need to spend what appears to be her last days with her. Please pray for our family. She is a believer, so I am very happy that she will be with Jesus soon. But if she does pass away, the rest of us will miss her so much!

A treat!

Friday was Jaybird's last day of school before spring break. We are all so happy to have a break from schoolwork and carpool! I wrote yesterday about my husband's surprise spring break gift for the boys. Well, today he "gave" me mine! He is hiring a cleaning crew to clean the house Monday morning before we leave to go to the mountains. He knows me well...what a treat! So today we decided to spend the entire morning doing whatever we wanted instead of our usual Saturday morning house cleaning routine. I looked at magazines, read in my Bible and current book, looked at homeschool curriculum and played with the kids. This is what our house looks like when I take a day off:Who turned the ottoman upside down? I think it became a make-shift horse or spaceship.
See that olive green chair in the corner with that soft blue blanket? That's where I sat and watched the three tornadoes run through the house!

Boys will be boys

At our house these days, Ind*ana Jones is all the rage. Yesterday, as a very special treat and celebration of the beginning of spring break, my husband bought the boys leather fedoras. These hats are so cute and have already served as little imaginary bridges to new adventures. I hope the new movie in May will be kid-friendly. The boys will be heart-broken if they can not see it! We will probably have to wait until it comes out on DVD and then skip certain scenes. Thank you, Ind*iana Jones, for making words like "archaeology", "King Tut" and "ark of the covenant" regular meal time words at our table. This is a very fun stage! (And a great break from Star Wars and pirates!)Best buddies The boys wanted me to take pictures of a "fight scene". That punch was a little too close for comfort for me, but Jaybird thought is was great!

The good ol' days

Spider man costume is rolled up at the leg and down at the waist to create a "creek swimsuit". *Notice the camo rain boots for a complete ensemble.

"These rocks make for good troll hiding spots. I believe in trolls and fairies." -quote from Jaybird

Afternoons like ours today may be the ones my kids refer to as "the good ol' days". They invited two brothers over to play in the creek out back. They went on all kinds of adventures such as troll hunting, spy games, and Indian wars. They even painted their faces and bodies with the red clay from the creek banks. There were small obstacles like one scrape, one thorn scratch, one fall, and one bee sting, but it didn't slow them down. Should I call and apologize to the other Mom that came and found her two boys with clay-stained, wet shorts, muddy shoes and no shirt? Nah!

Sofa love

Yard sale season is back! And just in time because I am finally decorating our playroom and finally adding personal touches to our family room. This past Saturday I was looking for shelving for the playroom and I found this jewel:We bought our old floral sofa in 1999. By 2002 I was not happy with our choice, but we had gone from a family of two to a family of four. So we kept the sofa for years and moves and children. I have grown to hate that floral sofa! (This is the loveseat that matches) It is so uncomfortable and the floral colors leave very few decorating choices. So on Saturday when I saw a sign that said, "See our sofa inside" hanging by the garage sale sign I became curious. They were asking $75, and in my excitement I forgot to haggle. I wrote them a check on the spot! I invested another $75 to have the sofa cleaned and scotch-guarded this morning, for a grand total of $150. It is big, comfy, a great color and worth every penny! If you know me you probably know what I am thinking now...paint color, accessories! I can't wait to work on this room over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more pictures!