The Fool That I Am

Sometimes I’m kind of ridiculous.  Especially when it comes to social situations and anxiety.  I’m weird that way.  I’m not good with people or awkwardness or casual conversations.  I don’t answer my phone very often because I despise talking on the phone.  Those loooooooooong uncomfortable pauses are painful.  I leave most situations, meetings, phone calls or conversations feeling like a complete idiot.

I’m not sure why.  I just don’t excel at being social.  I feel strange and out of place.  I attribute this to growing up on a farm in the country and to going to a school where I met everyone I graduated with in the first grade.  There wasn’t much practicing starting casual conversations.  Everyone knew you completely, since you were born.  True, a new person would move in once every three years, but I guess that’s just not enough practice.

I’m definitely better than I used to be.  I don’t panic quite as much.  I try to keep my mind calm and remember people’s names.  I’ve finally been able to make some good friends here (after eleven years).  There are a few more people I can be *slightly* comfortable around.

It’s hard to explain exactly the feeling I get when I am thrust into the spotlight of casual social interaction.  That’s why I am so thankful for Jason Gray and his aversion to social situations also.  He speaks my deranged public phobia much better than I ever could.  Take a listen.  (And please remember that neither Jason Gray nor I am not responsible for the video links You Tube chooses to feature at the end of the video.  I’ve watched it twice and the links aren’t the best.  Maybe don’t click on them, ok?)

Yes, I have hidden behind lobster tanks.  And grocery displays and parked cars and my kids.  Sure, they think I’m tying their shoe, but really I’m hiding my face.  I don’t want that awkward conversation.  I don’t know how to drill through it to get to the good stuff.  You know, the part where I’m my real self and you are your real self and we talk about real things without needing to smile about everything and make each other feel good.

I don’t know how to get there from “Hiiiii!  How ARE you?!  It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”  I’m inept.  So, if I’ve ever ignored you at the store, this is why.  And I’m sorry.  Thanks for not running over and making me endure that awkward conversation.  Thanks also for not getting mad at me and thinking I’m a huge snob.

And for those of you who have come over and forced me to have that awkward conversation, I know I’ll be thankful for that someday.  I really will.  I appreciate your boldness and friendliness.  I need that (most of the time).  And, just so you know, most of my very best friends now were those people who made me interact.  They forced their way in.  They found me behind the lobster tank and asked me what the heck I was doing down there.  And for that I am exceedingly grateful.

See, I really want to be known

But I’m not quite as strong as the fear

That you won’t understand the fool that I am

That’s how I ended up here

-Jason Gray, How I Ended Up Here

(Album: Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue)

Oh, and if you liked what you heard on the video and want more of Jason’s music, visit his website HERE or shop his albums at the Centricity Music Store.

 

Turning A Little Into A Lot

My husband and I have lived in many different houses.  Many.

The first house we owned was 1700 square feet of crap when we bought it.  We got it through a HUD program.  The carpeting had been torn out down to the subflooring.  It stunk of meat that was left in the unplugged freezer and there were Austin Powers stickers all over the beautiful woodwork.  My husband and I were expecting our first child and we were not swimming in gold coins.  Not even copper ones.  We did what we could with what we had and eventually we made it a home (and made it smell good).

Our second home was 3000 square feet of space.  We thought we’d love space.  Turns out it’s just more toilets to clean and carpets to vacuum.  We got used to it, but it clearly wasn’t us.  Sometimes I miss the space, but I never miss the cleaning.

Eventually, after quite a few moves we ended up planting our family of five in our current house.  A tiny 1980′s ranch.  And when I say tiny, I mean it.  Our ceilings are 7’9″.  That’s right, they’re not even 8 ft. ceilings.  The main bathroom is smaller than most people’s closets.  Literally.  It takes me all of three seconds to clean the floor in there.  And there are 8 windows in the whole house.

And we love it here.

We don’t have loads of rooms to fill with furniture or walls of windows letting in southern light.  We don’t have vaulted ceilings or a mud room or built in anything.  We don’t have walnut floors or a grand entryway.  We don’t have a lot to work with when it comes to space, time or budget either.  Not much expendable income for redecorating, remodeling or furniture shopping.

So we try to take the little we have – little space, little house, little budget – and do a lot with it.  As re-decorating goes, this is definitely the slowest way to approach it.  I think the glaciers moved faster.  I wish I could just go out and buy new couches, paint, lighting, antiques and be done with it.  But that’s just not possible or in keeping with our personalities.

Slowly (and I mean molasses-in-January kind of slowly) we are making over this little beauty.  When we have time, we tackle a big project like knocking out a wall to open up the kitchen.

Ta Da!!

But usually it’s just me here, doing small projects to slowly turn this house into OUR house.  We want to lovingly and thoughtfully add our personality to this tiny little builder grade dwelling.  My list of to-do’s is much, much, much longer than my list of completed projects.  I’m pretty sure I’ll never be finished.  And my personal style is evolving and forming as I go.  Most of what I do either involves stuff I already own or things I found at Goodwill.

Yes, I want this:

Source

And this:

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And this:

source

And ESPECIALLY this:

source

But when it comes down to it, what I really want is what we have.  And I want to make it ours.  I want every inch of it to be dripping with love and marks of our family.  I want our history and character and passions to shine through.  I want people to walk in the door and know who we are and what we are about because our house tells our story.

It’s going to be a long story.  A good, long story.

It won’t be told quickly.  It won’t look like a catalog.  It probably won’t be anything you’d want your house to look like.  And that’s ok, because it isn’t your story.  It’s ours.

Little by little, deliberately, slowly, methodically…we will take this tiny house and tell our story with it.  Our “little into a lot” story.

Because, really, this is what I want:

Blue Monday

Happy Blue Monday everyone!  Or should I say “Sad Blue Monday!”?  Today, according to a UK researcher, is the most depressing day of the year.  With his exceptionally haphazard list of criteria ((W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) the need to take action), his formula for labeling this day the saddest of them all looks something like this

[W+(D-d)] x TQ
M x NA

= Super duper bummed out and feeling kinda crappy

However, even though I think his equation is a bunch of hooey (“Low motivational levels” and “Need to take action”…thanks researcher for the unmeasurable components), I must say that I’ve been feeling kind of blue.  My equation looks more like this:

[S+(D-G)]x[(V+P)F]
H x DV

= Super duper bummed out and feeling kinda crappy

My criteria are just as unreliably measured, but more appropriate for me.  They are as follows:  (S) Sick family members, (D) days sick per family member, (G) Days Grandma has helped out, (V) broken van that leaves me stranded at home, (P) broken printer I want to throw against the wall that ruins my projects, (F) Friends I don’t ever get to see, (H) awesomeness of my husband, (DV) Days until vacation.   If I threw in insecurity about the future, pounds of laundry, pounds of love handles and inches of rain, I think “feeling kind of crappy” would turn into “feeling kind of (a word I don’t want to have published on this blog for my kids to read)”.

So far 2012 has kind of beaten me down and left me feeling a little hopeless.  I get glimpses of goodness, like when I hear my kids in the other room roaring with uncontrollable belly laughs.  Or when I step outside at dark thirty to head to the gym and I glimpse the full moon and my face is bathed in the light and I suck in my breath and stare.  Or when my husband gets out of bed early just so he can make me some good coffee (as opposed to what I make for myself).

These things are good and I try to live in these moments.  But more often than not I feel like one of those dreams where you are trying to run away but your legs just won’t move and the more you try to move the more you realize that you are frozen in place and no matter what you do or how much you think about moving you can’t.

That’s where I’m at.  Frozen.  Unable to move.  Hopefully dreaming, but probably not.  But mostly just confused.  I have about a bajillion things I want to do/see/experience/learn/plan/try/read/etc… and yet I have no plan.  I have my dreams pulling at me from one side and my bank account from another.  My creativity from one side and my family from another.  My desire to write, create, travel, read, be a good wife/mother/daughter/sister/friend/blogger/ministry leader/neighbor/learner/servant, have a welcoming home, care about my community, dive into our church…they all tug at me from different directions and here I am stuck in the middle not knowing how to respond to any of them.

What I need is a plan.  A way of simplifying, at least for now.  I need to figure out how all of these things connect and how to use them to help each other.  I need to get rid of the clutter in my life (in my head and in my house).  I need to refocus on what I see as important.

And I need to surrender.  To count the grace and not the suffering.  If I count the suffering, the problems, the anxieties I am led into a pit of hopeless despair.  They are never ending – as boundless as the sin of our evil hearts.  They will weigh me down until I can no longer breath, let alone stand.

But if I count the blessings, the grace, the things to be joyful and thankful for I am led into peace and trust and gratitude.  And then everything is enough.  Even me.

Here is the beginning of my plan:

1.   Finish January with gratitude.

2.  Cut myself some slack.

3.  Quit thinking I have a clue what I’m doing.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

I figure that’s a good start.  Goals, plans and strategy will come.  Maybe.  But, then again, if I can do these three things will I even need a plan?

Layering Texture With Photoshop

I’ve been playing around with different patterns and textures lately, trying hard to figure out how to properly add texture to an image in Photoshop and make it actually look good.  I think sometimes I use the wrong image (pictures taken of your kids as they sit in a mess of toys in your living room won’t work) and sometimes I use the wrong texture (chevron, anyone?).  But most of the time I just don’t have the patience to try and try again.  And, like all of you who use Photoshop already know, that’s what it takes to figure Adobe programs out.

However, I’m getting better at it so I thought I’d run you through it so you can learn this super cool trick too.  It makes your images look professionally edited and enhanced.  Not useful for all images, but great for some.

Here’s what I did.

Let’s start at the beginning.  I opened up this image in Photoshop:

Then I opened up this image:

I noticed the first image (of the kids) was much larger.  So I selected that image and clicked on the “Image” menu, then selected “Image Size”.  I reduced the image width to 1000 pixels (making sure the height and width were locked so it would properly scale).

Next I selected the pattern image. I didn’t want a blue hue in my picture, so I selected “Layer” went down to “New Adjustment Layer” and selected “Color Balance”.  I adjusted the balance until I got a hue that more matched the background trees in the kid image.  I moved the arrows closer to “Red”, “Magenta” and “Yellow” until I was satisfied with the hue – and I clicked “OK”.

I ended up with this:

Once my pattern was the correct hue I clicked on the arrow in the toolbar.  Using the arrow I drag and dropped the pattern onto my kid image.

It was still smaller than my kid image and looked like this:

So I used the arrow tool again to grab the corners of my pattern image and drag them to the corners of my kid image, effectively covering up the kid image completely.  Once covered I clicked on the arrow again to apply the transformation.  Then, with the pattern layer selected in the work flow bar on the right, I clicked on the drop down menu that currently said “Normal” and selected “Overlay” instead.

That made my pattern much more opaque, turning my image into this:

I didn’t, however, want my kids to look like they has a flesh eating virus, so I had to erase the layer from their faces and bodies.  First, with “Layer 1″ selected, I went down to the bottom of the right sidebar and clicked on the button that looks like a rectangle with a circle inside to “Add Layer Mask” (this preserves your texture layer).  Then I selected the eraser tool from the toolbar.  I then zoomed in on them (“View” then “Zoom In”) so I could be more accurate.  I selected a brush that was feathered so my edges would blend better (the 17 px brush, if you must know).  I then slowly began erasing the layer over their faces, bodies and clothes – making sure to be as exact as I could at the edges.

When I finished it looked like this:

I felt like the texture was too strong and made them look like they were superimposed and floating, so I needed to lighten it up.  With “Layer 1″ still selected I changed the “Opacity” to 64% and ended up with my final product.

Exactly the amount of texture I wanted.  Makes the forest look kind of grungy and vintage.  Love me some vintage forests!

Well, there you have it for my first Photoshop tutorial.  Whew!!  I hope I didn’t bore you or scare you off.  Photoshop is a bit confusing – especially for a person like me who doesn’t know the program language (I’m sure I used some lame-o amateur verbage up top…feel free to make fun of me).

And please know, the first time I did this it didn’t work out so well.  Take your time.  Play with it.  The best way to gain Photoshop confidence and expertise is experimentation.  Trial and error will teach you so much.  So don’t let the “error” part of it frustrate you too much.

Warning: Soapbox Ahead!…By the way, that texture pattern was found at a blog featuring free backgrounds, patterns and textures.  If you’re looking for some, search “free blog backgrounds” or “free patterns”.  Please don’t just copy any image you find on the internet that you like and want to use.  People work hard to create great texture and pattern images and we should honor their work and copyrights.  Soapbox finished.

Let me know if you try this.  I’d love to see what other people can do with texture.

Reality Check

Sometimes when people write blogs they make things pretty, stage their pictures and sound as if life is all sunshine and roses.  “All you do is this, this and this and you too could end up with a beautiful new bedroom/kitchen/office.  And your floors will clean themselves and you will never have laundry again.”

Don’t get me wrong, that definitely attracts readers.  Especially me.  I love me a great tutorial.  I like for things to seem easy and peaceful.  I love a beautiful picture with kids playing quietly and no crumbs on the floor.  But, let’s face it people, that just isn’t real.

In an effort to keep things real here I’d like to give a bit of a reality check.  “A Glimpse Into the Life of a Suburban Mom” kind of a thing.  And when you read it, know that it’s not just me.  This is the story of moms everywhere, since the dawn of time.  Even that Crafty-McGrafty-Home-Decor-Genius-Super-Woman-Blogger-Mom.

Picture this:

It’s Friday morning and I’m up and ready to go.  It’s been a long week.  My husband and I are getting over strep throat.  Tuesday I took my three year old in for the strep test.  Positive.  He is contagious so we can’t volunteer in classrooms or go to playgroup at the library.  Wednesday morning, just to be safe, I take my older two kids in to be tested before school.  Ellie, Positive.  Payton, Negative.  Well, at least one of us is healthy.  Payton heads to school, Ellie heads home to quarantine for two days.

Finally Friday comes.  Ellie can go back to school.  Shiloh can be in public.  Finally, a regular day.  And even better, we are heading out of town tonight for the long MLK Jr. weekend with friends and their two little ones.  There are things to do to get us ready (and I’m just itching to get out of the house after such a long quarantine period) so after the kiddos get to school Shiloh and I head to store after store after store.  A lot of errands have built up in the days we had to stay home.

About halfway through our morning of errands I get a call from our doctor’s office.  Miss Nurse would like to tell me that they sent Payton’s strep culture out for a 24 hour test to verify the results and it, in fact, came back positive for strep.  I decide not to mention that it has actually been 48 hours, not 24.  He’s contagious and needs to be picked up from school.  He also has medicine waiting for him at the pharmacy.  Oh snap.

I’m at Walmart getting groceries for our weekend away.  I call my husband as I continue my shopping, knowing that if I don’t shop now, I won’t be able to do it at all.  He says he’ll call our friends and let them know so they can back out of our trip if they want to.  I say I’ll get his medicine at the pharmacy and pick him up at school.

Meanwhile, Shiloh hears that Payton is sick and begins to wail.  “I don’t want Payton to be sick!  Make him better!”  Big tears roll down his face.  He’s sobbing.  I try to comfort him to no avail.  I finish my shopping with my child in tears.  There is no consoling him.  The clerk at check out says how sweet it is that he’s concerned for his brother.  Somehow, that is not comforting as I push my screaming child and a cart full of groceries to the car.

I decide to pick up Payton first because I’m starting to feel guilty that he’s been infecting other kids all week.  I call on the way there and the secretary pulls him out of class.  He’s waiting for me in the office when I get there.  He is now in tears too.  He doesn’t want to leave school.  They were just about to play a math game.  He thinks we can’t take our trip because of him.  I assure him we are going, strep or not, because we need a vacation.  That stops the tears.  A still shaken Shiloh takes his brother’s hand and we walk to the car.  I’m thinking of how we all need a serious nap.

We head to the pharmacy and take a number.  It’s pretty busy so we’re still about ten numbers away from being called.  Shiloh is asking for food.  I look at my watch.  Yes, it’s lunchtime.  “Sorry buddy, I don’t have anything” doesn’t seem to be placating him.  We read magazines for a while and I can tell Shiloh is getting antsy.  Finally they call our number and I give the pharmacist all of our information.  When he checks the computer he says, “I’m sorry.  I see the positive test results, but your doctor hasn’t entered the prescription yet.  We’ll have to call her.  Please sit down and we’ll call you when it’s ready.”

So we sit.  I’m frustrated.  Why would they tell me to come here if the prescription wasn’t entered?

That’s when things go downhill fast.  Shiloh is whining for food.  There is a coffee cart just outside full of baked goods that he wants but can’t have because he’s allergic to eggs and nuts.  His tired three year old mind is having a hard time dealing with that.  He starts to climb on the chairs, under the chairs, over the backs of chairs.  I wasn’t prepared for this.  I have no snacks or toys with me.  I’ve broken the sacred mom rule.

It’s nearing nap time and he’s getting cranky.  I’m getting cranky.  And some people around us are getting cranky.  Shiloh has now started to read a magazine over a strange man’s shoulder.  Payton is worried that we will never be called.  I’m starting to wonder if we were supposed to take a new number.  So I go over and get one.  A115.  They are on A087.  Great.

Shiloh is saying “no” to everything I tell him.  He’s looking delirious and I’m just trying to keep us from diving deeper into chaos.  He starts whining about something and flings himself on the floor.  I pick him up, put his face inches from mine and say in my most serious mom tone, “That is NOT ok.  We don’t throw tantrums to get our way.”  I want to throw my own tantrum.

Just then a number is called.  I pick up our stuff, push my way through the crowd and head to the counter.  I don’t notice the woman I just stepped in front of.  The pharmacist looks at me strangely.  “What is your number ma’am?” he says.  I can’t remember, but I thought it was the number just called.  I then turn around and see Payton running across the room screaming, “That’s not our number!!”  Everyone is looking at me.  He’s right, that’s not our number.  I had cut in front of the woman who really had that number.  I do the walk of shame back to my seat.

Shiloh starts whining and saying “no” again so I pick him up and carry him over to the corner.  I’m in the middle of a very serious explanation of what kind of behavior is expected (as Shiloh pouts at me in response) when Payton’s name is called.  Of course.  I run across the room with a pouty toddler and see that they have his medicine ready.  All I have to do is pay.

Payton, however, is very worried about the number we took before.  He is sitting halfway across the room shouting to me, “They didn’t call the number we took!  What should we do with the number?!!!”  He is seriously concerned and making a scene.  As I pay, I tell him to throw it away.  We don’t need it.  Again, people are staring.  Shiloh is crying.  He has wandered over one window and is wailing next to a very uncomfortable looking lady.

I take our medicine, grab their hands and make a break for the parking lot.  As the doors slide open and we start to head outside they call “A115″.  Payton shouts, “That’s our number!” and turns to go back in.  Payton likes to do things the right way.  I, full of embarrassment and frustration, grab his hand, yank him outside and run for the car.

I hope no one in our family ever gets sick again because I have vowed to never return to that pharmacy.

Lessons learned:

1. Snacks are way more important to have than medicine. Leave the pharmacy, buy a snack, go back for medicine later.

2. Always bring these things everywhere I go: cars, coloring books, stickers, playdough, my ipod.  Mom tools of the trade to keep kids entertained.  Even when you don’t think you’ll need them.

3.  Never, ever, under any circumstances, bring children to the pharmacy. I’m sure that’s what the people around me wanted to tell me.

4.  If it’s unavoidable, if you HAVE to take them with you, stop at McDonald’s first and get them a Happy Meal to eat while they wait.  Especially if it’s lunch time.

 

It’s not always this crazy and they are not always this tired, grumpy and whiny.  Friday was just the perfect storm for me.  Tired kids, tired mom, strep throat #5.  Chaos at the pharmacy was bound to happen.  We headed home and took very long naps.

The ReBuilding Center

We have a fantastic resource for used home products here in Portland.  I’m sure other cities have places like this, but to me it is so very “Portland”.

It’s called the Rebuilding Center.  It is a place to donate usable home building items (plumbing, cabinetry, doors, lumber, etc…).  It is a place to buy used (and sometimes antique, vintage and valuable) building items.  It is a place to purchase new home furnishings made out of reused items.  It is a place that will deconstruct old home and take anything salvageable to re-sell.  It is amazing, eco-friendly, inexpensive and such a fun place to shop.  Just wear a coat, because it’s also mega cold.

The times I have been there I have seen church pews, windows from an old high school, subway tile, vinyl sliders, huge mahogany double front doors with casing, antique crystal door knobs, oil lamps, Victorian design heat register covers and powder blue claw foot bath tubs.  There really are treasures everywhere!

I’ve also seen moldy pressboard cupboard doors, brass looking plastic light fixtures, lead paint covered windows and nasty old plumbing pipes.  You have to be ready to put in the time looking, testing and assuring you are getting the quality you are hoping for.  Most things need a cleaning and some need a load of TLC.  But it’s worth it for what you get.

Take a look:

Shelves and shelves of cabinet doors, none of which are priced.  It’s like a Turkish Bazaar.  They offer a starting price and you haggle.  It’s fantastic!  This is where I spent most of my shopping time.  I have big plans for cabinet doors.

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Cabinet Court. Where you can get almost any kind of cabinetry, vanity, desk, hutch or cupboard.

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Pedestal sink, anyone?  Take your pick!

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Or you could get a basin sink in just about any color of the rainbow. True awesomeness.

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The lighting section. Fixtures and shades for EVERY possible lighting need. There are even mega huge chandeliers that would crush people if they fell.

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There is a whole warehouse for doors. Indoor, outdoor, french, sliding, antique, pocket, hollowcore, hardwood…you name it, they have it.

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Some doors even have their antique handles and hardware still attached. I love these doorknobs!

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ReFind Furniture. Built by artisans from salvaged materials. And, yes, even the floor is salvaged. I wish it was in my house.

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I shopped with some very good friends and my little guy. Those cupboard doors are for an upcoming project ($1 each) and that light fixture is for my guest/kids’ bathroom. Just needs a little TLC and some spray paint.

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The front entrance. Such a cool place! A great example of green building and inovative design.

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I look forward to the days I need to head over to their warehouses.  And with some things I have in the works, I might be heading over there more often.

I love shopping at the ReBuilding Center for so many reasons.

1. I feel like I’m not contributing to the wastefulness of our society.
2. I love that each piece has a history.
3. I don’t want my house to look like a catalog or like every other house – I want it to be unique.
4. I LOVE vintage and antique pieces and they abound here.
5. They are a non-profit that supports sustainability in the community.
6. They support artists.  Check out their Doors For Auction page.
7. The street it is on (Mississippi Ave.) is full of great shops, restaurants and food carts.
8. My favorite coffee shop is just down the street (Albina Press – Thanks Eryn for starting a new obsession).
9. My Favorite breakfast restaurant is just across the street (Muddy’s Coffehouse).

If you live in Portland, you have to check it out.  If you don’t live in Portland, you have to come here and check it out.  It’s totally worth the trip if you can get that pedestal sink in the overhead bin on the flight home.  Either way, click on the link below and learn more about the ReBuilding Center.

This Just Pinned…

As I have been setting goals for the year I’ve put a lot of decorating/crafting/creating to-dos on my list.  And, of course, most of my inspiration comes from Pinterest.

Here are a few of my latest pins:

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

I can make my own kitchen towels with unique colors and designs! I need new towels.

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Source: maryjanesandgaloshes.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

Colors I love for my living room.

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Source: anthropologie.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

Yes, please! Why does everything I love have to come from Anthropologie? Why can’t it come from Target or Home Goods or Dollar Tree?

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Source: houzz.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

A bedspread with a city map quilted into it. I think I want the New York one. Or London. Or Paris.

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Source: designsponge.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

The yellow chevron is so cheery and bright! Perfect for Ellie. It’s her favorite color!

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Source: blog.designsquish.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

How can some people pull this off so well? A bunch of mismatched stuff on old, worn shelves. But somehow it looks like a magical country farmhouse full of life and memories and grandmas and hugs. It is just beautiful!

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Source: houzz.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

A different color for each door. I’m absolutely doing this in our hallway. I love how they used such unique shades.
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Source: homemadeserenity.blogspot.com via Heidi on Pinterest

 

Re-growing green onions.  Did you know this was possible? I’m definitely trying this when I get down to the nubs of my green onions. Sure, they only cost 39 cents – but saving money is saving money, right?

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Hope you all have a fabulous three day weekend!

Sweetness in the Video Archives

While uploading our volcano video to my youtube account I found this gem stashed there from last year.  Seriously brought tears to this mommy’s eyes.   I know I’ve posted it before, but my boy is such a sweetie it deserves a second look.  I can’t believe how much he’s grown in just over a year.  Oh how I love that kid and his sweetness!

 

Spicing Up The Kitchen

My kitchen and dining room windows have seriously been in need of curtains ever since we renovated the rooms in July.  I’ve been sitting on curtain material since September and have finally gotten over my lazy streak and busted out the sewing machine.  I was eyeing these Anthro curtains,

but until we win the lottery, making it possible for me to afford anything from Anthropologie, I’m going to have to make curtains myself.

I shopped around for weeks before finding some orange and white Waverly fabric at Joann Fabric that I thought would be an acceptable stand in for the Anthropologie design.  After some mistakes cutting the width of the dining room panels and a lot of ironing edges I ended up with these:

Bam! Spice!

Gives it a little POW! Right? Like a super hero punching you in the face. It's that good.

Someday I’ll get cute soap dispensers.  I’m not sure why I’ll shell out $40 for curtain fabric but I won’t shell out the $2 it would take to get some pump dispensers at Home Goods.

Dining Room Spiciness. Though it reminds me of a tangerine and tangerine isn't a spice.

Slowly but surely coming together

What do you think?  I was pretty happy with the way they turned out and with the similarity to the Anthropologie fabric.  It gives our windows some character, helps keep the cold out and brings in more color.  Win-win-win.  Just like Michael Scott.

Drab to Fab, no?

The clutter under the bench will be the next thing to go.  I got some cute baskets on sale at Michaels over the holidays.  They will be holding all that junk that’s currently an eye sore under there.

Poor, sad, ugly kitchen soaps. You have to go.

A few of the details:

The name of the fabric is Waverly Fun Floret fabric.  I found it at Joann Fabrics in September.  The orange is slightly lighter than it appears in the pictures.

I found the curtain rods at Lowes last weekend.  They are the allen+roth brand.  A whole slew of them were on super duper amazing clearance.  These two rods were on sale for $8 each and I got the clip rings for $7 for 10.  I also got a 100 inch rod for our living room for $11.50 (regular $49) and some really cool mercury glass looking hold backs for $4.5o.

The dining room clock came from Amazon.com.  You can find it HERE.  I got it as a Christmas gift from my in-laws and I LOVE IT!

Sunday Morning Experiments

My son loves Mythbusters, science and anything having to do with experiments.  So it came as no surprise to me that he wanted to spend his Sunday morning doing an experiment out of his Mythbusters Science Fair book.

He recruited his daddy, who is only too happy to help make things explode, shatter or shoot into space.  After they spend a good amount of time reading up on the experiment and setting up their “lab” we tested the baking soda/vinegar volcano project.

Our hypothesis: it would bubble over the edges of the volcano (made out of a glass bottle and a decorated paper cone) and run down the sides, like molten lava.  What we did not predict was this:

Let’s just say we were shocked at the force with which Payton’s volcano erupted.  Less like Kilauea, more like Mt. St. Helens.  Thank you Mythbusters for the excitement!  Thank you Colin and Payton for cleaning up your own mess!  Thank you Oxi Clean for getting food coloring out of kids’ pajamas, husband’s favorite sweatshirts and mommy’s colorful bench cushions!

What did you do this weekend?