Telling Stories

House to Home...the Entryway

Little things like the entry way seem to trip me up the worst. We had this ugly flooring...

BEFORE:

Ok. This picture doesn't show its true ugliness. The truth is, the floor was fine, however, with our new kitchen floor, it became an instant eyesore. Clearly the two didn't match. (This is our kitchen floor on the bottom...)

For those of you who've emailed me about that floor, it's by Shaw and it's called "Mountain Lodge Durango." Email me if you have more questions!

Anyway, we had just what we wanted in the kitchen...but the entry presented a problem. This is why I love our flooring lady. It would've upped our price considerably to tear up, pull out and replace the entryway floor. Such a small space, but seriously expensive. 

By the time we were picking flooring, we were more money conscious than ever, so we were on the hunt for an alternative to transform this guy...

BEFORE:

(I wish I had a better shot of just the entry. I wasn't composing this blog post in my mind when I was taking before shots.)

Carpet/Tile Lady suggested we have the guys sand it down and stain it a color that would match the kitchen. "Because they're not right next to each other, no one will ever know." 

Genius. I mean, if money is no object, get the matching floor...but if you want to spend your thousand bucks somewhere else (I had a couch in mind...it ended up being a dishwasher and garbage disposal!) this is a great alternative. 

At first, I HATED the way it looked. I was so worried we'd made a mistake, but I think the stain just needed a couple days to settle. And now? I love it.

AFTER:

(Sorry about my pile up of picture frames waiting for homes there in the lower left!) 

We also painted the trim, the walls and changed out this light fixture. I think it made a huge difference, but it was super easy to do!

I wanted to create a good balance of light and dark so I left some of my dark elements in the space and tried to make it all flow right into our living room. Because when you're standing in the front entry, this is the view:

For now, I've decided to use my little chest (which houses important papers, mailing supplies and office type "junk" (paper clips, stapler, etc.) right here because it fits well and it's functional. However, I may replace it with a little antique bench down the road if I can find one.

AFTER:

I put a "mail catcher" basket right on the top just for bills. No other mail is allowed in there. But then, when I go to pay bills, I just take the basket with me and I'm good to go. 

For us, our home is about our family, so we want to fill it with pictures of the people who live here. Next month, we're having professional photos taken so a lot of these older shots will be replaced. I can't explain how excited I am about that!

But in the meantime, this is, I think, a nice way to say "Welcome Home."

 

House to Home...the Kitchen (In Progress)

The room that's given me the most trouble? The kitchen. Hands-down. 

It's the room that's about halfway done. 

The room that had no working appliances (except the stove.) 

The room where I knew our family would spend the most time. 

This is what it looked like BEFORE:

And I wanted to change just about everything about it. 

BEFORE:

While I surveyed the mustard yellow sponge painted wall, I envisioned something completely different. Light, cheerful, happy. All in all, I felt like the house was sad. Literally, sad people must've lived here (later confirmed by our neighbors) and I knew we needed something completely the opposite. 

Kitchen BEFORE:

The initial plan? 

• Replace the flooring
• Change out all light fixtures
• Paint the wall
• Paint the cabinets and trim (we went with a high gloss white...LOVE it!)
• Add crown moulding to the top of the cabinets (side note: I cannot spell that "molding" even though I see it that way sometimes. To me, that conjures visions of squishy tomatoes left on the top shelf of the fridge for too many days, er, weeks...)
• New hardware 
• Eventually, we'd like to replace our table with a round one (ideally a flea market find because I want to paint it. And paint every chair a different color.) 

This isn't a great shot of our eating area BEFORE, but it's all I have...

So, as you may already know from my whining, we did not expect to have to replace all the appliances right away. It was down farther on the list. But what are you gonna do?

So here is our kitchen AFTER(ish):

The thing I love the most? The floor. I am in LOVE with this floor. It's distressed, I'm not sure you can tell, durable, cleans SO easily...I cannot say enough good things about it. 

(That's our new dishwasher over there in the corner.) 

I still have LOTS to do in here, including:

• Hang some artwork!
• Hardware on cabinets
• Replace fixtures
• Paint corner round white
• Pick ONE coffee maker to declutter the counter top!
• New counter tops (we've priced them. The price physically hurt me.) 
• New stove
• New sink (ours is completely banged up)...I'm dreaming of this one:

Swoon.

Oh, and I need to seriously do something about the top of the fridge. Some of those big dishes and bowls, I'm hoping to get moved...to this space...

Along that back wall. With my dream shelves that I'm trying to convince my dad to make for me. Remember those?

Double swoon.

I have big dreams of filling it with beautiful displays. You know, eventually. 

We have a new ceiling fan waiting to be installed over the table. There's not a trace of gold on it (Praise Jesus) and it's really pretty. I know some people are anti-ceiling fan, but if it saves us from turning on the air, it's worth it. 

We are also searching for some sort of covering for the sliding glass doors (NOT vertical blinds)...

So that's the kitchen IN PROGRESS. Still much to do, but so much has been done. It's like a blur, all that work we did getting ready to move in. 

Definitely a labor of love, but so, so worth it. And now? Yes, I even love the new appliances. 

Like I said yesterday...it's starting to feel like home.

House to Home...the Living Room

I've always wanted to renovate a house. I watch "Flip This House" and in spite of the messes they always have to deal with, it still sounded like...dare I say it...fun. Now that we've done it, or rather, are doing it, I have a new respect for all those messes, all the ways they add up, the hidden costs and unexpected problems. 

God bless you if this is something you've made your career. I've enjoyed many things about the process, but the stress nearly killed me!

I wasn't going to post pictures because it's not "finished." There's still a lot of work to be done in our living room...but I figured I could post Before and During photos, and we'll do the "After" later.

(Though really, in a house where a woman lives, is a room ever really finished?)

So, here's the living room...Before:

My main issue (besides the nasty carpet) was the wall color. Everything in the house was in this color family, and it darkened the space SO much.

(That's basically my version of the same photo)...

And here's the view from the other side along with some of my original plans...

Now, it took a couple of weeks for me to get this room cleaned out. It was the catch-all room because it's right off the main entry. There were so many boxes and random pieces of furniture in here, but it got to the point of maddening and I finally got the motivation to tackle it. (I had some genius help too.)

A few disclaimers: 

1. I'm waiting for Adam to hang that monster picture above the couch.

2. Our big TV is downstairs and I don't know if I want the other one in here, so I'm testing out this ginormous square hole in the wall without one...(The fabric background is VERY temporary...just seeing how I like it in the space.)

3. The trim isn't attached. 

4. The couch was the main thing we nixed when we had to buy appliances, so this is our make-do couch. Its's my college couch. The ottoman opens and has a ton of storage, but the couch is my least favorite piece of furniture. In the world. 

Still...I'm liking the space as a whole...

I realized somewhere along the way that I was trying to create this super calm, neutral space but I am 100% married to color. It makes me so happy...so I took a turn back toward what I love.

I am so glad I did. You've gotta create the space you love...it doesn't really matter if anyone else likes it! (Besides your husband, of course.)

It's a bit makeshift but it's still my favorite place to be in our whole house. I have more artwork and photos to hang in here and you can see where we need to get the trim up (it's painted and standing against the kitchen wall!) but we'll get there!

The picture in the center of this photo:

...is my Canvas from Canvas on Demand. When they had a groupon months ago, I knew I wanted to snag it and I finally ordered it a couple of weeks ago. When I took it out of the box, I gasped...

I cannot explain to you how gorgeous this canvas is and what an amazing job they did. The colors are SO vibrant! I highly recommend this company if you're in the market for a unique way to display your pictures! (I already have plans to order more! And gifts? They'd be perfect!)

Still, the canvas doesn't go here. Adam stuck it there to see how it looked, but I'm going to hang it up. The fireplace looks more like this:

(And that big square of fabric will probably be replaced by a BIGGER one.) I want the fabric to look like a background for that little cubby hole. (It's not attached right now.)

I really don't like the fireplace tiles and one of my friends suggested I get vinyl tiles and cover what's there until we know for sure what we want to do...(Thanks, Michele!) I like this one:

(Which is similar to the countertop I want in the kitchen.) 

All in all, the space is coming along. I have a whole list of things left to do and a wish list of things to buy (down the road) but I'm loving it so far.

It's starting to feel like home.

 

Something I'd love to see in my kitchen...

My dad makes the most amazing things. 

He has a wood shop and the things that come out of that building amaze me. It's completely foreign to me how someone can be creative with wood, but he is... even though he'll tell you he's not. 

He makes the most beautiful jewelry boxes...

I think Sophia has conned him into making her, like four. 

So far I have zero. 

A little unfair, I'd say...

He's made tables (they weigh upwards of 3,000 pounds.) A buffet for their kitchen and, in my opinion, the coolest thing: beds for my boys. 

This is Ethan's:

It also weighs 3,000 pounds. 

But isn't it beautiful?

I don't have a photo of Sam's and he's laying in it right now, so I don't DARE go up there and disrupt the bedtime routine, but his has drawers underneath, which eliminates the need for a dresser. 

Considering how small his new room is, this is a good thing. And the bed is just incredible. They'll cherish those forever.

I sort of accidentally stumbled upon something kind of awesome and I've tried to email the pictures to my dad twice now and it's not going through, so I'm turning to blogland to show him (and you) what I'm dying to see in my kitchen...

Not the table...the shelves...

How cool is that? I love the castors. 

And I love that it's got personality. And it's not too deep...which is important since my kitchen/dining area isn't very big.

Photos found here.

I absolutely love it. I have no idea if it would look right in my space, but they say to fill your house with things you love, right?

Well, this? I love. Its price tag? Not so much. 

What do you think, daddy? Pretty easy for a genius like you, no? :) 

Productivity, Setbacks and Indecisiveness

This past week has been beyond full. I admit, it's getting hard to keep everything straight. 

I've been packing up boxes for a month now, and Adam loads them up into the van and drops them off at the house after work. We've moved so much already, so why do I still feel like there's so much left to pack?

In my purging/packing, I discovered my affinity for magazines is bordering on out of control.

That was one of three stacks I found. I packed them up in a box before Adam could hunt me down and force me to throw some away. (I haven't read these yet!) 

I made cover art for my upcoming papercrafting book. This is always so fun, but lots of pressure to "get it right!" You can tell I am an indecisive person when it comes to art...

I also made some little bookmarks for a friend which were featured on the Crafty Power Blog last week. 

I cleared off the fridge and thought "I will NOT miss this thing." Not only is this fridge small, but it's impossible to open. I swear, it's sealed as tightly as a deep freeze right after you close the lid. 

Plus, the kitchen does look cleaner with our fridge because I can't stick a bunch of stuff on it. As much as I love that, it's so messy!

One night last week, we had this crazy hail storm. It started out as thunder and rain and then got louder and louder until these started falling from the sky. 

In the morning there were what looked like piles of snow from all this hail. It was insane.

And keeping in line with Murphy's Law...my Hobbit woke up on Thursday morning 100% sick. Throwing up everything and ended up sleeping on the couch (in the midst of all of our noise) for most of the day.

I felt so bad for him--He was just miserable.

By Friday, he was totally normal again. It was the strangest bug. 

I also hunted down some fun stuff...

And yes, painted loads and loads of ugly brown trim to a beautiful white...

My hair looks ridiculous in that picture. Just sayin'.

Looking back on the whirlwind, it was quite productive, but we're all feeling the pain a little bit. Living in two houses hasn't been easy, but this upcoming weekend we move in for good. 

I can't wait to wave goodbye to the rental, but I have to admit, I'll miss living in this part of town, close to my friends and familiar with everything. This rental got us out here, and even though there are many things we don't like about it, I am thankful for the Colorado roof over our heads this past year.

Today we're getting hardwood floors in here...

...which I think is going to transform the space completely. We're still talking about backsplashes and counters, but those are decisions for another day...

My brain is much too full to think about it!

Decorating Woes

I'm at a loss. 

With this room:

It's a really big family room in our finished basement. I'm painting all the trim white and we've got new carpet coming in next week... 

But the paint color is throwing me off. 

This is the furniture we have to use for this room. 

Well, that's some of it. We won't put our TV on that. It'll be on a darker entertainment center. With book shelves.

You can see them here. 

I realize painting the room is the first step and then I'll still have a TON of work to do, but have I mentioned that I'm really, really clumsy? 

If we get brand new carpet and THEN I try to paint, I'm a goner. 

My main concern down here is light. We don't get a lot of natural light even though we've got two great windows in this space. My other concern is that I've got an entire gallon of my upstairs blue/gray paint just sitting there (we ran out and needed like, half a quart...they only sell this particular paint by the gallon...) 

I also have an entire gallon of that yellow. (Yeah, that was just me overbuying.) So, the practical part of me says "you need to use what you have...or see if they can turn those paints into a color you love...) 

I am completely at a loss. I think the pressure of having to get everything painted by next Wednesday when the carpet comes is finally getting to me. 

Part of me kind of wants to do a green, but nothing too earth-toned. I love green, but the whole house was painted the color of the inside of a dirty diaper (sorry) and I want to go completely in the opposite direction...

But green may be a little bold...

Source

But this seems too pastel, even though once it's all finished I LOVE it...

Source

I also lean toward blue. I have no idea why, but that whole family is really appealing to me, even though in our old house I swore I didn't want any blue on the walls...

Source

Then, of course, there's THIS...which I LOVE...

Source

But would that look ridiculous with our furniture? 

How do people do this? I'm incredibly visual. Like, I need to see it before I can make a decision...and this one has me in knots. So much so that I keep forgetting things I need to do, like let a repairman into the new house by 9 a.m. this morning. 

I rushed down there in my pajamas (all three kids in their pajamas) and made a great first impression, I'm sure. 

Anyway. There's a good chance this wall will end up getting painted the color we already have just because I can't make a decision...but I'm at a loss. 

For now, I'll paint trim, trim and more trim...at least I know what color to paint that!

 

 

 

 

 

Adding Hand-cut Letters to your Artwork

I was pretty excited when the friend of a friend contacted me to see if I could make some artwork for her...until I realized that I had to make the artwork. Instantly, I was nervous. She had a very specific idea in mind and it didn't involve my typical birdies or little girls. It was just words. 

I started with the background. Used some of my favorite patterened papers, old sheet music and book paper and then added layers of modeling paste, textures (like bubble wrap and cool stamps)...

And I measured a rectangle in the center where the words would go. The elusive words. The most important part. To say I didn't want to mess this up would be an understatement. But that center rectangle seemed to give me the stink eye every time I looked at it. 

The truth is, you have a lot of options when you want to add lettering to your artwork. Most often, I print strips on the computer and adhere them down, but with something this big, I knew that wouldn't work. I didn't want to use letter stickers either--just not the look I wanted. 

So I turned to my trust printer and made my own. 

I'm not going to lie. This isn't the quickest way to do this. I have a Cricut packed away in the garage at our new house, but I love doing this on my computer because I can choose any font I want. Plus, I find this kind of detail work therapeutic. 

Making your letters is actually really easy. 

1. Open a Word Document. 

2. Go to Insert and Select "Word Art." (I always choose the top left option, the outlined words.)

3. Choose your font and type your desired phrase. Click Enter. 

4. Drag the box until the words are the size you want them. 

5. Under the Word Art Tools Option, find the button that says "Rotate." Click that and choose "Flip Horizontal." 

This is what your words will look like when you print it out. If you're using patterned paper, make sure you print the outline on the BACK of the paper, because when you cut it out, you want the lines on the back.

6. Cut out your letters with a pair of detail scissors. I love my Cutter Bees!

They're super sharp on the end (Believe me, I've stuck myself with them more than once.) and they're great for getting the insides of letters like "A".

Once you do that, you're going to want to grab your Gel Medium (or Mod Podge.) 

Position the letters where you want them. Don't assume your spacing is just going to work out. 

Brush the gel medium on the back of each letter and adhere it onto the canvas.

Once they're all down, brush another coat of gel medium over the top of all the letters...

It won't look clear when it goes on. This is normal. It will dry clear, but try and make the brush strokes nice and smooth if you can. I have a couple of brushes that are really bristly (is that a word?) and you can see every line even after it's dried.

I liked the artwork this way, but I really wanted the words to pop, so I outlined them using a fine-tipped permanent black marker. (Make sure the gel medium is completely dry before you do this.) And go slow. The tip of the marker will slip off the letter really easily and you'll end up with stray black strokes on white letters. Not the look we're going for...

Pretty easy, right? 

I've made lots of page titles this way and it seemed a natural fit to do it on a canvas. I like the way this turned out so much I'm going to make one for my house too. 

Happy Painting!

House to Home...Weekend Update

My days are starting to blend together. Admittedly, I'm more or less living the same day over and over again...

This past week I had turned in Book One (small edits from my brilliant editor) and Book Two (first set of rewrites from a not-so-brilliant writer) and am now working on tweaking the cover art for my upcoming papercrafting book. 

I'm actually feeling pretty okay about the whole thing, in spite of the fact that in less than two weeks we're moving. Things at the new house are coming along, always a little slower than I'd like, but we're moving forward...

This past week...

My Bookworm got an Advanced Reader Copy of a book from Adam (which he got at work.) She loves that no one else has read it and she loved it! So much that she had to carve out a little spot for herself in one of the closets and hide away to finish it...

When I tell you the carpet in this house is dirty, I hope you believe me. Here's proof:

One day last week, the whole "tech-free" thing went down the tubes. The boys played the DSi's for a little while and I wondered if the novelty of the new house (and all it did to spark their imaginations) had worn off...

They followed it up the next day with this:

...which completely restored my faith in them.

This is my life lately. Painting. Painting. More Painting.

At least I have good company (and a good duet partner.) We sing The Dixie Chicks, Taylor Swift and some Lady Antebellum. Funny. I never took us for Country Music lovers. Wonder when that changed?

I do love that it doesn't matter if I drip on this carpet. Because let me tell you. I drip.

You know how they say "paint is the cheapest way to change the look of a room?" Maybe. But it's still expensive. Especially when you over-buy and are left with gallons you don't need.

I pack lunches every day because we don't have our fridge in yet. It's hard to guage what they're going to want, but it's pretty clear what they don't want...after all the half-eaten containers of applesauce that I've had to throw away. 

Ethan brought a puzzle and put it together right in front of the front door. To say this was annoying would be an understatement, but I loved that he was doing a puzzle instead of playing video games so I didn't complain too much. At least not out loud.

Adam came up with the bright idea to do stripes on Ethan's walls. Easy for him to say, but I was the one painting it! In the end, I took his advice and absolutely love the way it looks. I can't wait to get the whole thing done and make some new art for my creative boy! You can see the pillowcase for his new bedding (sort of) here...

Sometimes I look at him and I'm just struck by what a cool kid he is. I know. I'm his mom. But he's thanked me for painting his room and told me I did a "great job painting" probably ten times. And I kinda love that.

This guy, on the other hand, has no idea the new house is even ours. He calls it "Mr. Robin's house" because that's our Realtor's name. He thinks the house is Robin's. (I guess he has no qualms about peeing in someone else's back yard?)

Most days I'm shocked at how well he entertains himself. It makes me wonder why I've been killing myself to give him stuff to do. Give him a fountain full of rainwater and he's a happy camper...(in dire need of a bath by the end of the day, but hey, that's okay!)

Finally got one of all three of them...(and their icees. I know. Sugar overload. Don't send me letters, I already feel guilty enough for all the "quick dinners" we've been having of late.)

These trees in our backyard clearly have eyes...

But aren't they SO cool? 

We rigged up what the kitchen/dining area is going to look like...

I pretty much can't wait to get that floor in (next week!)...but that means I have a LOAD of work to do before then!

So, that's the update.

Today is a packing day. Which isn't nearly as exciting.

House to Home...Progress Report

This past week, the work on the new house has gone kind of slow. Sophia was home for two of her last three days of school with a ridiculous head cold and I've been concentrating on rewriting Book Two in the Sweethaven Series--my edits are due June 1st. But, we've still managed to squeeze in some work here and there...

For me, that mostly means painting...

...and asking myself questions like "How in the world am I gonna get up THERE?"...

and up there...

I ended up figuring out ONE of the "hard to reach places..." 

Sophia thought me getting off the ladder was particularly funny for some reason...

I'm sure it had nothing to do with my tendency to fall down for no reason. 

We've also been doing a lot of decision making...

Like which hardwood floor to get...

(We decided not to get either one of these...) 

And which carpet we like...

...which we found an amazing deal on. (And you can see the difference between the carpet that's there now and the new carpet. I am painting like a mad-woman JUST because I can. not. wait. for the new carpet!

We've considered a new backsplash...

...which Adam likes but I really don't. (It's not exactly the style I'm thinking in the kitchen...what do you think?)

We've changed out light fixtures...

...and by "we" I mean Adam. I don't go near wires. 

He was not amused by my picture taking.

As evidenced in this expression of semi-tolerance...

I believe he actually scoffed at me and said "WHAT are you doing?" 

I'm shocked that after this many years together he couldn't figure that out, but I didn't want to risk more sarcasm by saying so.

I've learned all about painting cabinets...

Like, this kind of roller...

...doesn't do a very good job on a prefinished wood. 

Instead, I've been using these...

...which goes on super smooth...

...and this...

...which is great for all the crevices in the cupboards.

We continue to take advantage of the child labor that's sprung from my womb...

And this one, especially continues to stake her claim on things that aren't hers...

(this is Ethan's room...)

And Adam continues to find nifty little ways to make the job go quicker. Like not taping around the trim but still finding a way to paint it without getting white paint on everything. (which is what I'd do.) 

I know, it's not rocket science, but the idea of painting right on a tool so I didn't have to tape (which takes FOREVER) never occurred to me. 

I'm not much of an out-of-the-box thinker.

So. It's coming along. Little by little. Paint stroke by paint stroke. 

Last weekend, Adam stopped and said "Do you realize we've always wanted to do this?" 

I said, "Do what?" 

He said, "Do this, what we're doing right now...and we never have." 

It's true. Our house in Rockford was brand, brand new and I was paralyzed to do anything. We only painted the kids' rooms (and only after two years of living in it.) I would NEVER have painted the cabinets in that kitchen... even though I really wanted to. 

This whole renovation has been so good for us...and parallels the sort of "renovation" we've given our family. 

Funny how that works.

 

 

 

House to Home: In search of the perfect bedding

Working on our house has been an exercise in decision-making, and for someone as indecisive as I am, that's been pretty eye-opening. I hate making decisions. And certain decisions weigh on me more than others. 

What couch to buy. 

What hardwood floor to settle on. 

And lately...what to do with our bedroom. 

We've never painted our bedroom. It's always been that room in the house that's a total catch-all. And yes, I've read that your room should be a safe haven, a place of peace. Let's just say when you're surrounded by mounds of laundry it's hard to find serenity. 

So. I've been perusing possibilities...starting with the bedding...and to be honest, I think I've only confused myself. 

I started at Pottery Barn bedding sets, which is always my favorite...but this is pretty much the only thing there right now that I like...

...and I like it even better when it's shown in with this group...which obviously requires loads of riches I don't have...

I've also taken an incredible liking to the color gray...but we've got gray in the living room, so do I want it in our room too? This one, from West Elm, is so pretty, though, don't you think?

...then I'm sidetracked because I see a red one, and red always seems to call my name....

...and then it's back to gray...which I decide I like even better than the other gray one...and pretty much plan to buy it as soon as I get the Adam-okay.

...and really, aren't these the prettiest pillows?

Then something leads me to Urban Outfitters, which is a store that does not reflect my personality at all. I hate to say that because I wish I was super trendy and funky and bohemian chic, but I have to face facts, ma'am. 

Still...the bold colors in this comforter really speak to me...

...until I see that deer/elk/antelope (what is that thing?) there in the lower left and I know this probably isn't for me...

Anthropologie has so many beautiful things...like this one...

...which is beautifully understated. And this one...

...which is more the kind of bold I could go for.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect bedding, but it's fun to be inspired along the way. Where else should I look? Do you have some great sites or stores that carry bedding? What about colors...is your bedroom calm and serene or bold and fun??

Help a sister out! I could use the inspiration!

 

 

House To Home...A Family Affair

So, we bought this house...

Yes, it has a purple door. Not for long. 

I admit, on the outside, it looks well, a little eh. It's plain and needs a coat of paint, but we realized during our great home search that what we really needed--more than anything else--was space. Inside the house. I work at home and let's face it, we're homebodies, so we need space.

We're moving in June, so we have a few weeks to whip our space into shape. At the risk of becoming like those poor do-it-yourself-ers on TV, who find new problems every time they walk through the door, we've decided to do most of the work...well, ourselves. 

And we're starting here...

and here...

Our kids have been through a lot this past year or so. Uprooting your family and moving to a new state, away from family and friends is a really scary thing...and I'm shocked at how well they've adjusted. In the fall, they'll go to yet another new school, and in order to help with that change, we're getting involved in the new community and involving them in this big house transformation. 

This goes against every perfectionist bone in my ever-lovin' body. 

But, it's important, I think, for all of us, to do this together.

Saturday, Sophia and I went to Home Depot for paint...

The sneaky salesman talked me into this all-in-one paint plus primer. 

I gotta tell ya...don't bother. We didn't feel like it covered our dark walls well enough and ended up having to go buy primer anyway. (Lesson learned.) 

We spent the day prepping the space for what would be our first "paint day" (of many, I'm sure.) 

This included taking off all the trim, which we intend to paint white.

He may not look it, but my husband is darn handy. And what he doesn't know, he's willing to learn. He's more than a pretty face, that guy. 

The trim removal was moving along swimmingly and then we hit a snag (or four.)

It was pulling up the drywall...and cracking in pieces...

So, it went in the garbage bucket and we had our first "happy mistake." We decided we'd purchase white trim at least 3 inches wide, which is what I wanted anyway. That way, we'd cover the problem areas and it would save us from having to paint at least these two rooms worth of trim. 

Sophia was itching to paint, so we got out the sample of "darker" paint and let her go to town. 

Ok. That's not entirely true. I had the sample out and did a big patch and then got a firm reprimand from my husband to "release the paintbrush" and "let the girl paint." 

Nobody thought the dark gray was dark enough. The saga of picking paint colors continues...

But in the meantime, we had to get it primed. Our moods on Sunday afternoon were, let's just say...less than pretty. 

But we were all ready to work.

Yep. About that ready. 

If you want to involve your kids in any kind of renovation project, be prepared. They will whine over who gets what roller. They'll fight over who gets to paint what wall and chances are, they're high-pitched voices will get under your skin like an unfortunate sliver. 

Prepare yourself now to avoid things like unnecessary sarcasm, which I seem to be mastering quite nicely. 

Think about how happy they're going to be...

...when they stand back and look at what they helped accomplish.

Somewhere along the way there will be moments of pure bliss...when everyone is happy and getting along...

Mark these moments in your memory, the first memories in your new house.

The moment the oldest took the youngest under her wing and showed him how to help.

The moment he shouted "I can do it!" at her and she didn't even get upset...

The moment your husband waged paint wars on both older children...

...but ended up getting creamed himself.

I admit, the priming process was a bit long and tiring. At one point I thought maybe we'd bitten off more than we could chew (given that we want to pretty much paint the entire house before we move in...) 

But we're doing it, little by little, and our kids are along for the ride. 

It wasn't always smooth. There were globs of paint I had to smooth out (namely from my husband who kept insisting "it's just primer" and "it doesn't have to be perfect...")

Which may have annoyed me a little until I saw how dedicated he was to this cause...

It's coming along nicely, and already the space feels so much brighter. Overall, a productive weekend...

We'll make this our home yet. It's just going to take a lot of hard work.

...to be continued...

Half Full

I love pretty things. I want to fill my new home with prettiness. Not necessarily "stuff" but just beauty...weather it's kind words or lingering kisses...hands helping little ones or looking for ways to make my kids smile. 

I'm declaring our new house a "Family First" zone. 

I rarely make things to decorate our house, but I plan to fill it with handmade items (cheap and easy decor) and things my kids have made. I don't care that it'll never be in some decorating magazine...it'll speak to our family, and that's what matters most. 

I made this wall hanging for the Crafty Power Blog...you can see the whole post HERE.

So simple and easy, but such a great reminder. I want to hang this one in my kitchen so I always remember to focus on what's important. 

GOD.
Our Family
People who love me. 
Encouraging words.
Our creativity. 
Good friends.
Our Health.

The glass is half full. Or 3/4 of the way full. Or overflowing.

And I don't want to miss it by focusing on the things that don't matter.

*****

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for Elana's new book, Gluten Free Cupcakes! Delicious stuff. I think I might make some this weekend! Just leave a comment on the post below.  

 

 

 

We did it! We bought a house!

I guess we've officially moved to Colorado.

Today we closed on our new house.

 

I've been dreaming in color lately... these colors specifically...

 
I am obsessed with these colors. As evidenced by the last show I directed... I dressed all of our Godspell disciples in these colors:

It's in my blood.

By the way, I made that striped pillow up there. And I know it's not great on its own, but with the other things we came up with this past weekend I feel like it's going to be perfect. And I made it. Ok, Mindy mostly made it, but I supervised.

No sewing!

I picked paint colors for the living room and kitchen:

 
This photo does them no justice. The kitchen will be a buttery yellow and the living room is gray (not blue.) My friend Kelly informed me that gray is a great neutral and when Mindy agreed I figured we must be on to something.

I had been thinking about going white, white, white, but I realized while I LOVE the way it looks, it's not me. I love my red chairs too much...

 

So I have somewhat of a direction which helps so much. I was getting all overwhelmed about the whole thing and then revisited the things I love. That's so helpful.

I guess this means we've officially moved. We should probably get Colorado driver's licenses now. And bikes. And a bike rack.

Somehow, after all of the stress (and this was the most stressful home-buying experience I've had to date), it just sort of feels a little bittersweet. Sort of like when you finish a big project or something. You've worked so hard on it and then it's just...DONE.

I think when we can get in there and start painting and cleaning and tearing up carpet it's going to really hit me.

And then...we can all go home.

 

 

Exploring Fort Collins

You know those friendships where you don't see a person for years and then you get together and it's like you hung out the night before?

That's me and Mindy.

 
After four years, you'd think our friendship would've changed, and I guess it has, but only in the ways that make it stronger.

We've been through a lot...and come out on the other side better for it. More grown up. With our heads screwed on straight. She reminds me what common sense is and then reminds me that I have it.

We mostly talked and shopped. A lot.

Mindy has a knack for home decor (something that paralyzes me). She took my little inspiration binder and went through it, then listened to everything I've been wanting and helped me get a plan that reflected my style.

It started by going to this store...

 
Which happens to have a TON of eye candy...

 

Every time I've been there, I've coveted this table:

 
...and picked up a list of the sewing classes thinking one day I'll learn. I really don't want to make my own clothes or anything, but being able to hem a pair of pants, sew on scrapbook pages or even make some pillows would be nice.

I really need to get over my fear of the sewing machine.

There were tons of fabrics that I loved, but I was especially drawn to this...

 
I love color. My goal is to make our house homey but fun. I think our family has so much personality (usually. Sometimes we just like to hang out in pajamas and stare at the wall)...and color really expresses that.

I think you can be classy and colorful at the same time, though I'm sure I'll need help pulling it all together.

We trudged around Old Town Fort Collins two different days...

  
 
 

And went in about every store that looked even remotely interesting. We found some great stuff...

There's a little store called White Balcony and we ended up going there twice. We even met a fellow blogger who moved out here the same time we did. If she hadn't been working, we would've invited her to coffee. She was so nice.

The store is an eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry, home decor...just a little bit of everything. Like this wall hanging, which I would really love for our new house.

 

Don't ask me why, I just love it!

 
  

One of the other stores we went in had a ton of cool sunglasses, hats, scarves. I wish I could remember the name of it.

Further proof that I really can't pull off cool sunglasses...

 

And by "cool" I mean, "remarkably similar to the ones my mom wore in the 80's."

 

(Get that girl some lipstick! And a tan!)

Mindy, on the other hand, can wear hats and cool sunglasses.

 
And no, she didn't know I was taking that picture.

We went to a gift shop on the corner and I almost bought this as a little reminder to my family...

 

...but decided it really wasn't big enough for a respectable cup of coffee. 

We ate lunch at Cafe Vino, which Adam and I were introduced to by our good friends here in town...

It was a great, relaxing lunch. I think we were there for two hours...

We even encountered an anchovy...

 
...which didn't go over very well...

 
...and a waiter who reminded me of this guy:

 
...He was just like our own personal knight in shining armor because he ended up eating the anchovy.

I didn't take photos of the rest of the food we ate because I didn't want to run out of space on my memory card.

Just kidding.

I know I already described how important my friendship with Mindy is in my last blog post, but after this weekend I feel even more certain that I am a better person because she is in my life.

 

My only question is...when can we do this again!?

Fort Collins Antique Stores

So. We're moving. Looks like we'll use the month of May to paint, re-carpet and do some other fun things to the house and then be moved in by June. We hope.

Naturally, that means there's shopping to be done...and with my mom in town, it's a great time to run to antique stores and start to dream about the kind of look our new house will have.

Mostly, I'm looking for furniture for this room...

 
Because we really don't have any. I'm really wanting to change the look of our house, so I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone a little bit.

Fort Collins has this great row of antique stores and flea markets, so last night we snuck out to see what they had.

I definitely saw lots of things I would like...(I should note that my husband hasn't seen any of these yet, and I'm not sure we have the same image in our head of what our house should look like!)

 

Sadly, this armoire isn't in the best condition, but the paint color and the distressed look are right along the lines of what I want. I love color so so much so I don't want a bland palette in here... although... this is pretty incredible too...

 

There's this other spot in our eating area that I'm looking for something cool, like a buffet maybe... this is the space.

 

Over off to the left, there, so it's not a big space. I'll need something thin because we'll have to put a kitchen table here too...we're in the market for a new one of those (a round one) because it will fit the space better and because ours has turned into an art table.

I sort of fell in love with this...

 
...though I worry it might be a bit too deep for the space I've got. It's on sale. Big time. I love it.

I'm really loving this blue right now (I took this for the color, not the piece of furniture)...

 

I also think this old mail sorter is the coolest thing ever, but I'm not looking for anything dark.

 

It was $795 and now it's around $300! Quite a steal, no?

I almost picked up this chair for the entryway...

 
I want to paint the kitchen a buttery yellow, so it'd be nice to have a chair like this to pull that color into the other part of the space, but I ended up not getting it. I may have to go back though...I kind of love it.

I fall asleep dreaming about what we could do in here...

 
...but quickly get overwhelmed by how much I don't actually know about decorating. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time and kind of shied away from in our old house (because it was brand new)...but here, it's like a blank slate.

So, I need ideas! What would you do?

On my Love List

Loving a lot of new things today.

Here's the short list.

1. The giveaway my friends Jenn & Lyndsey put together on Lyndsey's blog. Being obsessed with fond of paper, this one made my little heart go pitter-patter.

 
I know they're intended as a gift wrap kit, but all I'm thinking is scrapbook pages, mixed media collages & wall art... The giveaway goes through this Friday so hop on over and leave them a comment today! And if you don't win, here's the link to The Gilded Bee...just leave a little for the rest of us, okay? Those trims are to die for!

2. This past weekend, the theatre company we write for held auditions for The Great American Tall Tales.

 
While on their site, we discovered that three of the school day shows are already SOLD OUT! Before the cast list even went up! This is the first time Adam & I have written a show and handed it off to someone else to direct, so we are beyond excited. (And also incredibly jealous. SOMEday we'll direct it ourselves!!) Please pray we find a great deal on airfare so we can zip to Illinois in May and see the show!

3. Super exciting news in my "professional life" that has me beyond excited...but can't quite share yet. I am over here giggling at the thought that I have a "professional life." I know I should probably start seeing myself as a grown up, but deep down, I still feel like a kid, bed piled high with dolls and stuffed animals...

 
(I have such vivid memories of everything in this picture, even the nightgown I am wearing...) 

4. The tickets are booked and my best friend is heading out to see me in April!

 
I haven't seen her in over three years! That's really unacceptable, no? We finally made it work and at the end of April, we will be hob-knobbing with a masseuse, a nail technician and the fine folks at the flea markets and antique stores of Fort Collins. I cannot wait.

5. I ordered one of these bags for Sophia's birthday:

 
My friend Sasha makes and sells them in her etsy shop. She posted one on her blog and I emailed her right away. Sophia is really into owls and I love the idea of getting her custom-made goods for her birthday! Isn't it adorable? Sophia's has a red gingham body...it's super cute! 

 6. Adele. I know, I'm the last person in the world to discover her, but holy darn.

Girl can SING.

You probably can't see the entire thing and I can't get it to post smaller so oh well. I tried to play it for Adam last night, but when he didn't look up from his brainless computer game to utter his "Uh, that's great." I knew he didn't have any appreciation for my new-found music love.

7. Finally, I'm hoping to hear a little news on this guy today:

 
It's funny because every time I see the outside I try to imagine ways to make it cute. It's not really, ya know? It's sorta blah. And being a two-story house lover, it does nothing for me. But then I imagine the possibilities on the inside...and the space (room to spread out!)and I have to stop and catch my breath.

And remind myself that while the counter offer implies that our offer was accepted (they only changed the closing date), we don't have the official word. Any prayers would be appreciated. Knowing that the kids school has a gifted program (for the ARTS) just about sent me into a giggle fit. Cross your fingers that we hear something today!!

So that's a bit of what I'm loving today.

Just a smidge.

There is so much more to share...

...but for now, I have a novel to whip into shape!

Have a great Monday!

 

A little house dreaming...

I'm dreaming of doing this:

 

 

In this space:

Back there in the corner, where there's a weird little nook. Obviously it wouldn't be as wide, but this space may be deeper and chair-size. How cool would this be?

(Could we do that? I don't even know!)

If it didn't work there, maybe we could do it in Sophia's room?

I'm dreaming of figuring out a way to get this style:

 
In the kitchen (is this even possible? And oh my, look at those floors!)

Help?

While I'm dreaming, my little performer (Sophia) is upstairs singing every single audition song she's ever used (there are only three.) I'm sort of in awe of her right now. I want her to sing to me everyday.

 
My hobbit is sickly on the couch, shirtless and hacking away. This morning he coughed in my mouth.

Welcome to your day.

 
(pre-haircut)

Ethan is begging for a bagel, playing with Legos and trying to be nice to Sam.

 
Spongebob is blaring in the background.

The house is messy.

I am overwhelmed.

There's much to do. I'm behind. Things are harder with all three kids at home, but they make me feel cozy and want t shirk all responsibility so I can sit and do art with them all day.

I am in awe of God today. How he hears the most detailed parts of my prayers and answers them.

He really loves me.

It's gonna be a good day.

 

 

 

House Hunting

I decided to wait to start hunting houses until after the New Year. It seemed smarter given that we're in a lease through July. But right around January 2nd, I started to get antsy. And that's when the house hunt began. Mostly I'm antsy to find a place of our own, to build a HOME...so, I hunt.

I've seen all kinds of houses out here. Remember the elk head in the kitchen?

 
For real. Right in the kitchen.

Then there was the masseuse who told us we couldn't see one of the rooms if there was a sign hanging on the door: "Massage in Progress."

Massage can mean so many things to so many different people.

I've been through new houses (which are almost always really small) and old houses (that are huge and roomy with beautiful kitchens but need new roofs and updated everything.)

And this isn't our first time to the ball. This will be our fourth time buying a house. God has never let us buy the wrong one. So, while I've been tired and ready to give up, I've also had peace, knowing that God would bring the right one. And I've prayed that he saved it for us.

And yesterday, we may have found it. I say may because there's a lot that has to fall into place before a house is truly yours.

Let me just tell you that it's not even close to what I thought I wanted.

 
Our first house was a ranch. (I loved that house)... but we didn't want a ranch. We thought we wanted a two story. But two stories don't live the way we want to live--at least not the ones I've seen. So, halfway through our hunt, I started to look more carefully at the ranch.

They really have so much space. And thanks to our rental, we've come to really crave space.

The living room:

 

I have visions of making that into a window seat. (Can I do that?) If we do get this house, I plan to repaint everything (which is what I'm so looking forward to!) and hopefully find furniture for this room. (We have none.)

I love that it's not really our taste yet. We can make it our own...

The Kitchen:

 

Pretty boring, right? This room will need paint too. What would you do in here?

The downstairs family room:

 

This photo does this room no justice. First of all, you can't see the glorious sponge-paint on the wall. Uh-huh. But really. It's huge. And spacious. And I can see our kids with an art table and homework desk and "Book Nook" (as Ethan said.) I can see us comfortable here.

This is the other side of the family room: (Tons of storage.)

 

Down that hall is a bedroom and an office. Holy darn! I'll have an office again! Or a "studio" if you wanna be all fancy about it.

And I do.

But this is what sold us...and you can't see the best parts...

The back yard:

 

I LOVE the yard. It's fenced in and opens to what's called a "green belt." We don't have those in Illinois. It's just open space.

Look:

 
So here's the truth.

I tend to agonize a LOT over what I should do. What am I supposed to do. But especially in the last year, I've watched God save me from doing what I'm NOT supposed to do. If we put a toe in muddy water and he wants us in a babbling brook, he's made that really, really clear. Practically picks us up and moves us. Well, he kind of did that, I guess, huh?

So, we never make a big purchase without sleeping on it and praying on it. And that's what we did. Last night, we brought the kids through and they loved it. We explained they would be changing schools again, and they were okay with that... so we prayed about it and asked God to let someone else snag it if it's not our house.

So now, I trust. And truly, I'll be okay either way.

In the meantime, it IS hard not to dream of colors and paint and new carpet...

The best part is, randomly last week our landlord emailed and told us that he knew we were looking for a house and if we need to get out of our lease early he won't charge us for it. Pretty nice, no? I know it's better for him that way because the rental market will pick up at the beginning of the summer, but still.

I don't think we'll know anything until next week, but for now, I'm really enjoying the dream...

 

Living in a Rental House.

A lesson in humility.

We keep reminding ourselves that this is simply the house that got us to Colorado, but that doesn't keep us from sort of hating it. I know. I am being really a big baby about this, after all, how can I complain when so so many people don't even have homes?

 
I guess it's just hard when your kids keep saying things like "I hate this house" and "I miss our old house" and "I like our old house better" and "I hate sharing a room with Sam."

Especially hard when I want to say "me too!" to every single one of those things...well, except the sharing a room with Sam thing. Though, if I DID share a room with him, I would hate it too. He kicks the wall in his sleep. He yodels as he drifts off to sweet slumber. He gets up 18 times before finally calming down. Poor Ethan.

 
And oddly, though I really loved our house in Illinois, I don't miss it. When I think about missing a house, I think about the very first house we ever bought (random, right?) because in my mind...THAT was the one that got away. The one that should've been our long-term house.

So. I'm looking for thoughts on how to make a rental homey. When you can't paint. When you can't put anchors in the wall. When you really don't have TIME to waste on a rental. My sweet friend Jeanne keeps reminding me to view this as a blessing. After all, I'm pretty much released from the pressure of having to turn my house into a cozy little nook in my corner of the world...since, ya know, we're moving in less than a year.

Again.

 
(I added those black squares so you'd have an idea that I'm putting two other frames right there... at the time of this photo, they weren't up yet.)

Still, I don't want to hate it.

Issues. It's too small. I have no office. No scrapbooking/painting space. The picture below is IT. Adam's recording equipment is in the middle of the living room. Am I just kinda out of luck here? We need more storage...(especially for paper type things, contracts, books, reference materials, etc. We're nerdy up in here, so I need spots for all my geek paraphernalia!

 

Things I like about the house...the landlord is super detailed and everything was really clean and in good condition. This has a downside since there've been workers skulking about the house since the day we moved in. Fixing, painting, landscaping. It's like invasion of the workmen, no joke. It's a little unnerving to be working on my laptop and see a face suddenly reflected in the monitor from the painter in the window behind me.

 
I'm not sure how to slipcover that sofa and ottoman. I've had it since college and it's been slipcovered before, but it never looked good. It really needs something, it's sea foam green for pete's sakes. I actually think it might look cute if I had the right accessories. I'm guessing recording equipment isn't a good complement no matter how you cut it.

I especially love the pumpkin colored counter tops. So perfect for fall.

 

And the random wall in the middle of the lower level. I've considered painting these white frames (blue?) just to add some color, since, ya know, I can't paint the walls.
 

Anybody ever lived in a rental? Have any ideas? Ways to make it more "yours" when it's just so NOT? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Rockford, Illinois House For Sale!

Yes, it's true. We are selling our beautiful home in our beautiful neighborhood and moving.

Seems like just yesterday we moved in. Back then, I was pregnant. And the house had no yard. No landscaping. No life.

I walked through it just to see the builder's work, thinking it was way out of our price range. It was right when the market was starting to do crazy things, and we ended up getting a great deal on it. It was supposed to be our forever house.

Then, about seven months ago or so, Adam and I started feeling the same thing...like maybe God was doing something different with us. Different than what we'd always expected or assumed he would do. Adam has had a few job offers over the years, but never anything that we felt was right. We've watched God slam doors to make sure we knew just because it was an opening doesn't mean it was OUR opening. He's been very specific. And very clear.

So,when we went to Colorado for Group Publishing's ReGroup event in March, we weren't even considering a job. But when we were there, we felt so peaceful. So relaxed. And really, really loved everything about the company.

We both did some freelance work for them, but thought maybe that would be it. But they had openings for editors, and Adam threw his hat in the ring. Something about that place seemed to draw us in.

So, he applied. We prayed. We asked for closed doors if this wasn't right. We have a great life here. Great job, amazing friends and our family is close-by. We love our kids' school. We love our neighborhood. Why would we leave?

Still, we felt like something was changing. A new season. Starting over. Something about it appealed to both of us.

So, Adam did all the applying, interviewing and (no surprise to me), he was offered the job. I had been preparing myself for it for weeks, but knowing he was actually going to take it sent me a little off-center. It's hard to imagine leaving the only real life you've ever known...

See, Adam and I are stable, solid people. We stick. We don't move around. We don't even like to travel all that much... no one (including us) ever thought we would pick up and move to Colorado.

But we are. We are moving to Colorado. In a few weeks!

We've been out there a few times since our first trip and we love it more every time we go. I know I'll be homesick, but it's going to force me out of my comfort zone... and I have a feeling that's what a lot of this is all about. For both of us.

So, we have this house. And we're selling it. And we love it and have been so happy here.

 
It's four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, backs up to a cornfield and is in the Winnebago School District. (Great schools.) If you know anyone looking...HERE'S the MLS or you can shoot me an email. 

As for us, we've decided to rent for a year in the Ft. Collins area. We don't want to buy right away until we get to know the area a little better.

I have to say, this whole thing has brought with it a storm of mixed emotions. I'm excited to start a new season, excited to see what God has in store, but sad for all we are leaving behind. I'm nervous at times about the kids in a new school, anxious about the house selling, but strangely, I have this wonderful peace. I know it's what God wants us to do, and so for that, I can't wait. I am sad to NOT be directing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for CYT next year... sad my kids will have to change schools...sad to be so far from family...the usual stuff that goes along with moving...

But God is pretty cool.

A friend of mine said, "I can't wait to see how God works this all out for you." It was the best thing she could've said. Because it took it right out of MY hands and put it into HIS. HE will work it out...in HIS time.

...and I can't wait to see it either.  
  

Love of the mundane

I sort of live my life on deadline. Ever since I graduated college, it seems I've been thriving on deadlines. I worked for a newspaper. We worked deadline every morning. Proofing and changing and writing...all to get the paper out on time.

I directed shows. Opening night gave us one great big deadline marked with a gold star on the calendar.

I started scrapbooking for publication. Getting assignments. Always on deadline. 

I started writing for Memory Makers. Every month: deadlines.

I wrote scrapbooking books. Always with a deadline. Artwork deadlines. Text deadlines.

I started writing fiction. Big. Fat. Deadlines. Scary deadlines because while I read about writing fiction all the time, this is my first attempt at doing it on deadline. With a contract.

And I loved every second of it. Even, I have to say, the rewriting, which is usually where I lose steam.

But when the deadline passed and I realized I had a week-long cushion before I had to tackle the next deadline (and then the next, and the next...) I decided to revel in the mundane.

Tasks that required no thought. No stringing together of words. No thoughtful metaphors. Just mundane. And I loved it.

I started here:

I'd already cleaned off two shelves before I realized I didn't snap a horrible "before" shot. The pantry was out of control. Every time I opened it, some hidden force from somewhere deep beyond literally THREW things at me. Boxes and cans would fall or shoot in my direction, landing on uncovered toes and challenging my personal conviction not to swear.

Something had to be done.

I started by dragging EVERYTHING out. Good lord, what a job.

I covered the table.

And later, the floors and counters. It's amazing how much STUFF you can STUFF into a pantry.

The word "ridiculous" springs to mind.

Equally ridiculous was the dust city waiting for me on the floor once everything had been cleared away. I hate dust. It's kind of annoying in a dirty, grimy sort of way.

I swept it all out and threw a TON of processed food away. I threw away food from 2008. I think one box was even "best by 2006" which is sad because that means I moved that box from my old house to my new house in 2007.

My goal was to move some of the pots and pans that are taking up precious counter space into the pantry. I succeeded.

It's certainly not going to be featured in Better Homes and gardens or win me any organizational awards, but if you could see the two huge bags of garbage I recycled or threw away, you would have a better understanding of the load that has been lifted.

The Hobbit kept me company the entire time. At one point, I realized I'd been duped into believing giving him apples and peanut butter was a great way to get him to eat some fruit.

Note:

All the apples. None of the peanut butter. Sneak.

Friday night, we had our weekly family night. We're trying to be more vigilant about protecting it, making sure the kids know this is important to us. I'm hoping it's a tradition we can continue until we're in adult diapers.

This past Friday we made mini pizzas. Everyone made their own.

Everyone also found it necessary to eat the shredded mozzarella by the handful.

It's a good thing we don't believe in germs 'round here.

I cooked the sausage, set out the cheese and sauce and let them go to town. Personally, I would've loved some veggies on mine, but I got sidetracked and ran out of time...

They did a great job. Even Sam.

Sam and I made special gluten free pizzas:

which I am going to tell you, were amazing. I buy these crusts from Kinnikinnick because I don't have a GF pizza crust recipe yet, but Sam and I both loved them. We could've shared one because we each only ate half, but they make great leftovers too.

It was a great night, after the kids finished whining about how they wanted to do something else and it's so boring to make pizzas. (This is my favorite part of family night...)

...that and the fact that no one can make a normal face for a photo anymore.

Not the middle monkey...

...or his Hobbity shadow...

...or even the girl one, who sometimes surprises me with how weird she can make her face look.

We then watched "The Spy Next Door" which was pretty cute even though it only got 13% at Rotten Tomatoes. It always makes me laugh because chick flicks and kids' movies get the worst reviews. But then a terrible movie like "Up in the Air" (sorry, I HATED it) gets 90%. I don't get it. Talk about depressing.

The rest of the weekend, I found time to read this book:

...which I absolutely loved. Susan Meissner likes to weave a historical thread into her contemporary novels, which I absolutely love. I LOVE history (especially WW2, which makes a grand appearance in this book) but for some reason, I'm not in love with historical fiction. This, to me, is a great cross between the two, and I love how this story unfolds. It was a great read.

I intended to pass it along to my mom but found out she had her own copy which she finished this weekend on the plane to and from Georgia. Great minds. She loved it too.

I especially loved (don't hate me for this) that there was realistic language in this Christian novel. Meaning...there were about four swear words. Light, mild swear words, but in the kind of situation where a person would actually swear. Even a Christian. Why did I like this aspect when maybe in the past my prudish tendencies would've been more surprised? I think because it added to the realism. Writing dialogue that sounds REAL is hard. Creating believable characters is HARD.

Susan Meissner did it so well. It takes guts,and I LOVE that she put the character before the "idea" of what a character should be.

A great read. I read it in two days. I highly recommend it.

How was your weekend?
 

House Help & a Spinach Recipe

So, a few days ago, I was perusing home blogs, you know, the kind that make you wish you had things you don't...like decorating talent.

See, Adam made this comment the other day about how our house still doesn't feel like ours...and I agree completely. Maybe moving into a brand new house isn't all it's cracked up to be. (It really isn't... what, with the lawn and the water softener and the touch of "contractor" all over this place, we've spent way more money then we anticipated...) and we still haven't put the deck on! Yeah.

But I am not complaining...just looking for advice.

I've searched for articles about taking a "new" home and turning it into YOURS. I've searched for ways to justify getting rid of brand new items in the home. I've searched for answers on how to obtain the country/cottage style I am coveting in a house that's right off the cookie cutter presses.

I've found nothing.

So, I scour the blogs...and one of my all time favorites is The Lettered Cottage. I know, you probably already know about this blog, but if you don't, I am sure one look will have you bookmarking it.

Layla is super cool and her taste is to die for. Their videos crack me up and I love this blog!

So, I emailed her.

That's her and her husband, Kevin. They do all their home projects together. I told her my dilemma. Maybe what I was really looking for here was courage. Could be. I have been needing a lot of that lately. And in the world of decorating, for some reason, I freeze.

Well, Layla more than delivered. She did a whole blog post: "Easy, Affordable ways to add Characters to a New Home."

For real? Seriously? I couldn't even digest it all in one sitting! Honestly, this is so helpful and so doable...so if you, like me, are in dire need of some help...check out her post! Or her E-book, "Creating an Inspired Home."

I want to add that the reason I thought Layla would understand is that this is what her kitchen looked like when they first bought their house:

Not so unlike mine...

But now...after some TLC...

Yeah. It's that beautiful.

She made some great points though...especially about resale value (which is one thing that has always kept me from tackling any home project...fear that the next person won't like it and if we ever decide to sell, we won't be able to...)

Fear. Such a nasty bugger.

So...I wanted to publicly say "THANK YOU" to Layla Palmer, who has given me much to chew on. I just might have some after photos of my own pretty soon.

Though, I have a feeling they won't be nearly as beautiful as hers!

In other news...

I wanted to share this recipe I got last week in a Weight Watchers booklet. Yes, I am still counting points...but more so as a test of my thyroid than anything. I am reading another Geneen Roth book and hope that it gives me the courage to once and for all say goodbye to dieting...but we'll see...

In the meantime, this Spinach with Tomatoes and Feta came my way the day after I went grocery shopping so I happened to have everything on hand. My organic delivery sometimes gives me things I don't know what to do with (like butternut squash! yikes!) and also, a huge bag of spinach.

I ate a spinach salad, but then, it was just sitting there...staring at me.

So. This recipe came at just the right time. Super easy and you may (like me) already have everything on hand!

Spinach, cherry tomatoes, Feta cheese, garlic, onion and olive oil. Oh, and salt.

How much easier could lunch be? Trust me, if I can do it...well, you know the rest.

So, you get a deep pot. Mine is admittedly a little deeper than it needs to be, but I couldn't find anything else at the moment, so it had to do.

Throw in the oil, then the onions. Once they're brown, you can add the garlic.

I should add that your house will smell incredible at this point, but your fingers will smell like onions and garlic for at least three days.

Now, as you cook, make sure to take a moment to admire the homemade granola on the counter. It is incredible in every way...and gluten free!

Once you've properly admired... you can get back to the spinach...

You add it in, along with some salt (I use kosher salt because I want to taste it...none of this wimpy table salt...) So you throw it in.

It looks like a lot, no?

Well...it wilts...(duh)

It wilts a lot.

Looks like it needs more salt...

I love kosher salt.

So, next, you take these babies...

 
Yum. They are good. Cut 'em in half and throw 'em in...

It already looks yummy.

So, you let that simmer for a couple minutes and then take it all out and add in the Feta...

 
I love that you can click on that picture and see that my cheese hasn't expired. That's rare. Anyway, Crumble it up (about 1/2 cup) and dump it on top...  

Mix it all in...

And enjoy!

This was a delicious lunch. I ate two servings because it's only 2 points for one serving, and while I know I should've added some protein, I find that is much more difficult to get!

Anyway, it is wonderful and I wanted to share it with you because I find lunch is the hardest meal of the day to figure out what to eat!!

Here's the details:

(The recipe suggests using leftovers as omelet filling...I suppose if you like that sort of thing... I'm not a big egg person.)

Per Serving: 2 points
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes
Serves: 4

• 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 10 oz. baby leaf spinach
• 1/4 tsp salt (again, use the kosher, it's tastier!)
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes...yum)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1. Heat oil in large deep pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add onions; cook, stirring often, until light golden and tender, about 7-8 min.

3. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds

4. Add spinach and salt; cook, tossing, until spinach wilts, about 2-4 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring, until tomatoes soften, about 1-2 minutes

6. Remove from heat and drain off any extra liquid; stir in Feta. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving

  
 
 

In Search of Simplicity

I’m dreaming. A different life. A different way to spend my time. Mind not filled with worries. Open the back door to the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Or maybe the sound of a hallow forest, birds chattering to one another in the tops of the trees.  

 
Simple. Easy. I spend the days in my studio out back, a converted barn or maybe a loft over our garage. The natural light pours in, giving me the sunshine I need to feel alive again. I paint. I write. I photograph. I edit.  

On the weekends, I visit the farmer’s market, pick up the vegetables and fruit we need for the week in a basket I carry over my arm.

My kids tag along behind me, picking out their favorite treats. Maybe a jar of clover honey or a bag of juicy peaches. I don't worry about their safety or the dirt underneath their fingers. Dirt washes. They are safe. I know these things. I rest in them. In the evenings, I use what I’ve found to make dinner, perhaps paired with some organic chicken—something nourishing—something we can all eat. No allergies allowed.  

In my dream we have a dog.

 
I name him Barkley. I was a Sesame Street fan, what can I say? No one is allergic and miraculously, the dog never jumps, sheds, barks or has an accident in the house. He is my boys’ best friend. As the sun sets, I sit out back with my husband watching the kids play in the yard, finding frogs, chasing fireflies—dreaming of what they’ll be when they grow up. We drink lemonade and talk about how big they're getting. How much we enjoy watching them grow. 

After they go to sleep, I return to my Adirondack chair, next to my husband.

 
We hold hands and talk about how it’s the simple things that make us happy. Our friends. Our family. Watching our kids achieve a dream. He composes music on the back porch as the sun dips down, disappearing on the horizon...lighting the moon on the other side of a great big sky. We stare upwards for awhile, marveling at the brightness and clarity of the heavens. We pick out constellations and he shows me the ones I never seem to find on my own.  

In the morning, I go for a long walk.

Source 

I talk to God. He hears me. He talks back. We’re friends. Pals. He isn’t far from me. He’s there when I call Him. I carry a journal and record my ramblings…ramblings that may one day become stories…or dreams…or the next chapter in the storybook that is my life.  

My neighbors wave when we pass by. We trade recipes and they show me how to start a vegetable garden—how to prune my bushes and flowers so I get the best blooms. I never leave the flowers outside. I bring them in and decorate the house with the beauty of nature. Seeing them in a vase on the table makes me smile. 

There are dinner parties. Bar-be-ques and outdoor movies on the side of the house. There’s exploring and safety and beauty at every turn.  

It’s a simple life, this life in my dreams. Cotton fabrics and nothing fussy. No primping--it's a come as you are kind of place. All are welcome. The computer is far away. The video games are an afterthought, saved for a rainy day. The phone doesn't ring off the hook. Telemarketers don't know we exist. We have no idea what movies are out, what commercials are funny or what the latest celebrity scandal is.

We play board games to pass the time. I never feel hurried or rushed. I never feel like I'm running out of time or that I'll never pass by this way again. I devote my life to the simple thing that make us happy. Those are the things I pursue.

Wholeheartedly.

Simple. Easy. Alive.

 

Buying a couch...I need help!

So I have visions of what I wish my living room looked like.

 
I love that shelving unit above the couch. How awesome is that?

I have noticed how drawn I am to big hydrangeas and other fresh flowers lately. I am not normally a flower girl, but for some reason, I'm loving them. And loving that weathered trunk/coffee table too!

Look how peaceful that looks. I am just loving it. Love the mirror and all the white.

But my living room (and my children) don't lend themselves to this look.

I've made some changes since this photo was taken. My plates are now above my mantle and the other two pictures are gone.

But let's discuss my furniture for a second.

1. I am over the red chairs. I know they aren't that old, but two new slipcovers and I've got two new chairs. Problem is, the slipcovers are $129 each. Unless I get white, which would be dreamy...but don't forget the problem with white...

These are not clean little people. They are HARD on the house. And the furniture. So, spending a lot of money for white is probably a really dumb idea.

So, today is Adam's day off. And my kids had the day off of school, so out we went on a hunt to see couches. Two stores--nothing by stalking salespeople...no furniture of interest at all.

By the third store, the kids were dragging. Ethan was playing with the employee's computer and we weren't agreeing on anything.

Oh, I forgot to tell you...the reason we are even looking at couches in the first place has to do mostly with my back. Our couch is big and soft and the pillows are really squishy. Great if you're ten, but for me--this does not work. Lately it's not been working for Adam either. We are just not comfortable on this couch.

Anyway, at the third store, this is the one Adam loved:

 

Back me up here, ladies. This is a MAN COUCH. Am I right?

I will admit, it is incredibly comfortable. The ends recline. It's got firm cushioning in just the right places. But...seriously?

We were striking out.

I did find two other possibilities, but I'm not sure I can achieve the look (and comfort) I want with either...

With this one, I would de-emphasize the browns I think, with some neutral and white throw pillows... maybe some color in there too. A light-colored coffee table...I don't know. It wasn't TOO cushiony (the pillows were attached to the back, which is the main problem we have with our couch now) but I'm not sure how easily I will be able to clean this fabric.

The other maybe...

I had/have no intention of buying anything other than a couch, but Adam loves this chair and ottoman. Again, it's not oversized, pillows aren't overstuffed. They are attached. It's somewhat firm. You can't tell in the photo, but this one has an almost yellowy-gold hue to it which is the main reason I'm not sure I love it.

I have NO IDEA what to do in my living room and it's starting to weigh on me.

The couch in there now will eventually rejoin its other half and become a sectional again...in the basement. It's perfect basement furniture. (which is where it was in our old house when we bought it!)

Anyway...does anyone have any ideas for me? I am completely lost! And while these couches are incredibly reasonable...well, it's still money and I don't want to throw it down the drain!!

HELP?! 
 
   

The cottage that inspired my first fiction series...

I have this friend. We met each other when our girls were in the same class (first grade). She'd purchased a copy of my first book, Scrapbooking Your Faith without knowing that the author was a patient of her husband, who has delivered all three of my babies.

Small world, no?

Anyway, at seriously 9 months pregnant, I met her face to face. I think I was taking up the entire doorway into the first grade classroom and we were both there for the girls' Thanksgiving party.

Oh, just thinking back on it. How huge I was... oy.

That's a serious belly. 

Anyway, we had the scrapbooking thing in common and later our kids all started with Christian Youth Theatre (and her daughter(s) have been in both of the shows we've been involved with) so we have lots to talk about. 

But that's now. Back in June of 2008, she still didn't know me all that well. And yet, that didn't stop her from offering Adam and I the use of their cottage in Michigan for a week that summer. 

Who does that? 

We were so blessed to go away for a few days, to spend our time here: 

...please excuse the poor photography throughout this post. I have learned a thing or two since 2008, so you'll have to bear with me. Anyway. I still cannot believe she offered it to us. I was overwhelmed with Sam stuff so it was a little hard for me to relax, and looking back on it, I keep thinking of things I wished I'd photographed, but the general point here is two-fold. 

1. I love the style of this home. I love what Beth has done to make it all come together and hope to achieve something simliar in my own house.

2. This quick trip our family took mixed with Beth's stories about this sweet little community plus a lot of imagination gave me the idea for the fiction series I'm currently working on for Guideposts. 

You better believe one of my characters will have a cottage just like this one. I mean, check it out... 

So dreamy. If I ever go back, I am taking better photos. I was so smitten as soon as I walked in the door, these are all taken after dark. But look how pretty it is!

I love the colors. While I love the all-white looks so many of my favorite bloggers are able to pull off, I think I am a color girl. Especially with Messies 1, 2 & 3 destroying everything even remotely neutral!

This is the guest room:

 
Check out the window pulls and the beadboard. Love.

And the guest bathroom...

Next is the master. I can't believe I didn't photograph the bathroom, but it was equally as stunning.

Aren't the floors amazing? The girls' room was adorable. It had this amazing loft above the closets (which I of course didn't photograph). I imagine one of my characters had a simliar loft as a young girl. Hiding place? Place to go to be alone. I would've loved that when I was filled with teenage angst.

Here's the eating area just off of the kitchen. Two tables. Brilliant.

Yep. I'm in love. So many details filled this cottage. I'm surprised Beth doesn't live here all year long!

Ok. now. for the chickens. The reason I am doing this post is because of Becky's post about roosters. I don't know Becky, but she is friends with my friend Jeanne and I wish I could hang out with them just once! Lissa too. They look like such fun girls.

Becky... this part is for you.

Beth has this adorable chicken sitting on her island in the kitchen. Well, I fell in love with it.

So much so that I thought, before I left, Beth needed a sister for her chicken. One that would always remind her of the Walshes.

Meet Edith.

Is she not the most disturbing, hilarious chicken you've ever seen? I seriously think I'm going to paint her. 

Or at least put her in my books! I laughed so hard when I saw her at one of the shops up there. Wooden carved birds with nameplates. perfect for any collector. 

What do you think, Becky? She's not a rooster, but she'll liven up your Minnesota home! 

Anyway, thinking about the chickens made me realize I've never shared this cottage on my blog. I do hope to go back soon (more exploring!) because there's so much to discover up there on the lake! I've done some research for my book and there are a few little towns up there worth visiting and I can't wait to go! (Soon!)

:)

Don't you wish you had your own Edith? C'mon...I know you do! Everyone needs a deranged chicken on their kitchen counter.

 

Snow Play

My beautiful Mom comes up to my house once a week to watch on Sam and pick my kids up from school. She does this so I can go have a few hours of uninterrupted writing and I love her for it. I would post a picture here of my mom but I don't even know if I have any because she refuses to allow photos of her.

Let me dig around.

Found one! That's mom, me and Carrie, my sister. My face is glowing like I just drank uranium or something. I don't know how that happened, but just look at my mom and ignore the big head in the middle.  

Anyway, sometimes the kids tell me they've done things with Grammy that I don't allow them to do. Not like starting fires in the kitchen or using steak knives to play Star Wars...but simple things, like Sophia changing Sam's diaper. I never knew she could do it, but my mom let her and she did great.

Now, sometimes she'll get Sam up for me and change him. I'm always so impressed and surprised when she does this. But she is almost nine.

So, the other day I was out at the bookstore writing (I could do a blog series about the crazy people I encounter at the bookstore.) and I came home and saw Ethan running around outside.

In this cold.

Is he crazy?

I know I've told you what a hermit I am, and sometimes I think when it's -10 outside, it's best to keep the kids inside. But it's been warming up. And I'm still inhibiting their outdoor play.

Bad mommy.

He was having a blast. Looking at his snow angel:

 
eating snow... (with a loose tooth...)

...and just generally soaking up what's left of the winter.  

yeah, it was one of those "I should be doing this everyday after school, Mom" moments.

 

I think the lesson I learned is that so often my answer is "No" before I even hear the question. I mean, seriously, if he wants to go outside and run down the hill in the snow, why do I automatically assume that it's too cold? My first thought is that I would hate it so I attribute my own feelings to my kids when I really should let them figure it out for themselves.

And not turn them into homebodied hermits.

What about you? Do you ever find yourself inflicting your own feelings/issues on your kids without realizing it?

Please tell me you do. Because if I'm alone in this, I'm gonna feel like one rotten mama!

 

 

Sometimes I juice.

Not THAT kind of juice, Jose Canseco. Geesh.

A few months ago, I borrowed a juicer from a friend so I could do a juice fast for three days. There are a lot of reasons to do a juice fast, but for me, it was mostly about detox. I did three days with nothing but organic juice and I loved it so much that by the end of the week, I went out and got my own juicer.

People ask if it's worth it because you do need quite a bit of fruit to make the juice, and I don't know how to respond. For me, yes. It is absolutely worth it. Now, I use my juicer at least once a week, my kids love to make their own juice and if there's any fruit that's a little too mushy to eat (mushy apples are the worst!) I can throw them in the juicer instead of throwing them in the garbage.

When I first got started, I took all of this... 

 and got a couple cups of this...
  

and I even got my pickiest one to drink the equivalent of all that fruit.

it's a little frothy on the top and sometimes you have to stir it up...
but overall, juice puts smiles on all of our faces. :) Our favorites are orange/strawberry (with one packet of Truvia), orange/pineapple (ohmygosh! SOOO good) and apple/pear (for the boys). Throw in a carrot to apple/orange and you've got some great veggies too.

If you don't have a juicer...I highly recommend it. Talk about nourishment.

Now, if only I could figure out a way to juice these:

Seriously. Who keeps bananas on their counter when they look like that?

I'm GREAT in the kitchen, can ya tell? :)

Happy Monday!
  

Lazy Days at Home & a yummy black bean dip recipe

We like our Saturdays.

We sleep in. (till 7:30!) We cook breakfast. (Lego my Eggo!) We hang out in our comfies.

Basically that part is the same for me as every other day, but the kids love it.

My kids can often be seen in the living room like this:

Sophia with a book in her face. Sam with a blanket over his face. Ethan with a confused look on his face.

Three faces I love.

Two fake smiles and a bookworm.

The kids have a way of destroying the house in a matter of seconds. They pull all the pillows off the couches and all the blankets from the basket (where I'm sure they were neatly folded the night before...) and they camp out.

And it's cozy. And homey. And it reminds me that while I want  to force my decor into cozy, homey-ness, it's really these guys who make it so. And I guess I'm going to be okay with that because decorating is a long process for me. I can't make quick decisions. Or any decisions, if I'm honest.

Sophia spends much of the weekend in this position.

from the floor, to the couch, to the chair to the bathroom, the book goes along with her. I love this about her. She is the reason I want a library/reading room in our home.

The boys never cease to amaze me with where and how they end up hanging out.

Here they are in the space between the couch and the table. I swear they stayed there for one entire day. Playing DSi and Leapster. Reading. watching movies. Hanging out. Being brothers. They are the reason I want a padded room in our home.

Then of course there's MY spot...

Right in the middle of the action, but if I'm not careful and leave it unattended, it WILL be overtaken by rugrats and monkeys. Can't you tell by the look on his face he thinks he's pretty funny?

"Ha, ha, I took your seat!"

I write here. It's hurting my neck. I need to find a different spot in the house that's equally as warm. IN the fireplace is probably out of the question, no?

Anyway. Weekends are best when they are lazy and lovely. Or at least I think they are.

I really enjoyed my interview with my friend and mentor Chris Wave. She opened up my eyes to so many different aspects of eating and self-nourishment, I wanted to share it with you. She did try to answer the questions, but it didn't show up in the comments, so I'm going to find a way to get them from her and re-post them. :) I'm sure they're good!

This week, I'm interviewing a novelist with over 20 published works of fiction. You won't want to miss that! She's inspiring!

Finally, a recipe.

I have to admit, in case you didn't already know, I am a terrible cook. In fact, I hate cooking. I've always thought they should do a reality tv show about bad cooks, and then, lo and behold, this year they came out with one... I should be a contestant.

But my cousin sent me a recipe for this black bean dip and I've posted it before I think, but it's worth repeating. Some days, I will eat this with organic blue corn tortilla chips for lunch and it's so healthy and filling and yummy!

Super easy "Dump" recipe:

All you need is:

- 1 can of organic black beans (drain the juice) 
- 1 can of organic corn or Mexi-corn
- Green onions (chop 'em up) 
- tomatoes (chop those up too)
- Cilantro if you like it. I personally like it better without, but that's just me.
- Salt & Pepper

I use this kind of salt:

Celtic sea salt. yes, I crush it all up to make it finer, but it is really good for you and goes a long way. Kosher salt is great too.Yum. I am a salt girl.

You dump everything together (I end up salting this like crazy, I admit...) and scoop it out with whatever kind of organic chip you want.

I LOVE this stuff. I never thought I would like black beans so much, but if I ate this three times a week it wouldn't be too much. Great way to get some good veggies without having to eat ANOTHER salad.

Anyway, I hope you had a lazy, lovely weekend!

I wish I had a really interesting question to post so I could read your fun comments, but I don't! Ack! though I would love to hear about your idea of a perfect weekend since mine is so, you know, BOR-ING.

Happy Monday!  
  
 

Inspiring Interviews Blog Series

I've been thinking a lot about inspiration--how you find it, how you keep it, why it's important...and I've discovered that the most inspiring thing to me isn't the rows of books and magazines at Barnes and Noble. Or the music playing in the background as I write...or even the art that people post to their blogs.

The most inspiring things aren't things at all. They are the people behind the things. And what I really like is the chance to pick those brains and be inspired by other people's experiences and beliefs.

So, I decided to start a new blog series called "Inspiring Interviews." I know interviewing people isn't exactly a new concept, but I really want to find inspiring people in all different fields. So far, I've lined up novelists, artists, designers, natural health gurus, photographers, inspiring women of faith... all kinds of inspiring stories... and I cannot wait to share them with you.

The idea is that every Friday (I think I'm going to do Fridays...kicked around the idea of Monday...) I will post a new Inspiring Interview with a woman in one of these fields. We'll get to know--and be inspired by--their artistic processes, their eye for design, their life stories, their bravery, their overcoming the odds, their simple approach to self nourishment...

And I believe that inspiration will hang around.

I love to learn about people. I love to uncover their stories. Some of the people will be people you recognize. Others will be quietly living a life no one knows about. All will inspire in one way or another. I hope you'll come back to read the first installment tomorrow. Maybe you'll learn a little something new!

I did another painting awhile ago but didn't get a chance to photograph it. When I realized I hadn't snapped a picture, I used my cell phone to get one quick just so I can remember what she looks like.

I cut the little bird out of cardstock and then used a Pop Dot underneath to make her stand out. I think that even though it's a terrible photo thanks to my cell phone, she is a happy little angel and I guess that's why I like her.

Because we all need a little happy in our lives.

Especially this guy.

 
Life is sooo hard. My mommy takes pictures of me when I'm mad and crying!

Not fair, Mommy! Stop doing that! "Dat. Not. Funny!"

Awww, poor guy. I can assure you I wasn't really laughing at him. I was taking my pictures and all the while saying, "Aw, buddy, what's wrong?"

Somehow my splendid show of sympathy didn't register with Sam.

Come back tomorrow for the first Inspiring Interview!

I can't wait! :)
  
 

Random things I love

I love a little bit of random. So, here's a random list of things I'm loving right now.

Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread

It's a big part of my new, nourishing eating regimen. Notice I didn't say "diet". I don't think I will ever use that word again. I have finally figured out that when your eating is connected to some sort of emotion, you have to tune into the emotion in order to treat the problem. And part of the solution is to have a pretty clear idea of how to eat.

For me, that means no white bread/processed flour, etc. Enter Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread. This stuff is so good. It's made from sprouted grains. I haven't tried the other flavors yet, but I plan to. I have two slices of this everday. In fact, I'm eating some right now. If you want more info about it, the Food for Life Website is a great place to start!

 
My college friend Jessica started a BLOG! Jessica was the friend in college who taught me it was okay to dream REALLY. BIG. DREAMS. I will always love her for that. I remember walking into my Com 101 class with Dr. Kasch -- it was a big lecture hall class, and I just wanted to sit down. (Because you know, everyone was watching me enter. I swear, I am so self conscious!) Anyway, I found an empty seat on an end and asked the girl sitting there if it was saved. She said no, and I sat down. Instantly, I noticed her handwriting. I am going to ask her to post a sample. It's so cool. It needs to be a font. (Even then I was obsessed!) But she was reading a Vanity Fair or something and began to tell me how she was going to work in TV. She was from LA. She wanted to work on the David Letterman show. In New York. I think I had stars in my eyes.

I said, "You're really going to do that?"

She said, "Why not? Somebody has to." (or something to that effect.)

Major revelation. Why not? Somebody has to! Why can't it be me?

Her blog won't be about television though because after working on The Tonight Show and for one of the networks, she started her family. I respect her so much for deciding to focus on them. Her blog is full of pretty things. Decorating things. Dreamy things. Martha-esque things. You will like it. :)

oh, and you'll also find a little bit of this:

I can't think of a better person to have my morning coffee with.

Also loving painting right now too...

This is the first painting I've done that's a little bit personal. I can't go into all the details, but I have learned that art can be a kind of therapy. And that alone makes me want to keep doing it. (By the way, those yellow circles are flowers, you just can't see the stems in the photo!)

Loving white. I am wanting to add white everywhere. Since I'm not okay with painting new cabinets yet, I've decided to bring it in in other ways. Like these:

I'm thinking about painting my kitchen some shade of green so then they'll really pop when I put them up here:

I think the rendering of me in that photo is really realistic.

Loving watching my boys together:

Ethan was home one day last week with a bad cold and headache and Sam was a little out of sorts by it. It's usually just he and I during the day. So I did have to break up a fight or two (almost always instigated by Sam)... but then they finally settled into this...

 

Yeah, I'm watching TV with my big brother.

You smiling, Ethan?

 
 Yeah, I'm smiling too.

 Also loving Archway's Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee

Pretend that label says "Pumpkin Pie Spice" on it. I couldn't find a photo of it and I'm really just too lazy to walk in the other room and take one. I've got a sort of love/hate relationship going with coffee. Instead of quitting altogther, I'm just cutting way (and I do mean WAY) back.

Have mostly given up sugar.

...which has been tricky. I am not "fasting" sugar like I've done before. I'm actually just not going to eat it anymore. A taste here and there is one thing, but if I want to really change my life, I feel like I need to keep it mostly at the bare minimum. We had a meeting here last night which resulted in half of a homemade chocolate cake being left behind. I had a half of a piece of the cake (and a bite of Adam's key lime pie) so I know it's good.

But I think what's been so liberating is knowing the I don't need the cake. Not like "Oh, I need that like I need a hole in my head" I don't mean it that way. of course, none of our hips need cake. But I don't HAVE to eat it. It has no control over me.

Sounds pretty deep since we're talking about cake, no?

If you have food issues, I think you'll understand what I mean.

It's pretty freeing. And I like it.

My friend Robin in Haiti updated her blog. She's still in Haiti. I still don't think any of this is real. In spite of the smell of dead bodies and the loss of physical items. She's such an amazing person. I don't think I could ever be so strong.

Anyway, last thing...

I'm also loving my upcoming BLOG SERIES which I will tell you more about tomorrow. If you like to be inspired and you like to learn about people, you will like this! I think it's going to be a ton of fun! :)  I hope you'll check back and leave comments once I start it!

Have a great Wednesday!
 

On Disordered Eating.

I promise I haven't gone all wonky on you and I won't stay heavy and melancholy...but this post isn't uplifting or fun, so if you need something fun, I just want to suggest you to look elsewhere... consider yourself warned.

I’ve always considered myself a pretty transparent person. I don’t really keep things to myself if I’ve done things that are wrong or stupid or embarrassing. I’ll tell you all my faults (I have many lists) and I’m the first to admit I’m not perfect.  

In my first book, I included a layout I did about my eating disorder—something I dealt with for seven years. I was very matter-of-fact when I created that layout. I had no emotional attachment to it. It just was the way it was.

 

It's not my favorite layout of all time for many reasons, but it goes to show you that I truly believed I had overcome this little issue.  

So, imagine my surprise when, just a couple of weeks ago, in a conversation with a very wise person, I came to the realization that my eating is still disordered.

No, I don’t throw up anymore. No, I don’t starve myself anymore. But I am not normal when it comes to food. Instead of being on a binge/purge cycle, I have been on a binge/restrict cycle... or maybe a binge/punish cycle. During the binge part, I stop caring about what I’m doing to my body. It doesn’t matter. I want to eat what I want and drink white chocolate mochas and maybe the occasional can of pop.  

It’s ugly. 

But after a couple of weeks of that, I launch myself on a major self-restriction cycle. I don’t eat anything. Or I cut out certain things like meat or sugar or white flour or processed foods. Whatever I think might help me feel better about how badly I've treated my body. 

Balance is not my middle name.

I hesitate to share this in such a public setting. I’ll tell you why. Because people will find out that really, I do NOT have it all together. Inside, I am beating myself up daily, telling myself I’m not good enough, punishing myself for not resisting the magnetic pull of Starbucks.  

I’m not sure how I got to be so disordered. Or what to do about it now. I honestly thought I was fine. I was over this. But when you wake up and think about food...what you can and can’t eat... before you’re even out of bed... something is wrong. I spend my days trying to control food. Careful portions. Control every aspect of it. I’ve counted points and calories and tracked my exercise. I’ve cut out just about everything at one point or another.

And I’m tired of it.

I am thinking thin people don't think about food this much. 

So last night, Adam and I were talking about all of this. He’s good to sit and listen when I sound like a contestant on "The Biggest Loser". I so love that about him. He let me talk for awhile. Let me vent. I haven’t had sugar in a week and only had two cups of coffee all week, but yesterday was a not-so-great day. I had a really hard evening. I was exhausted. And then Ethan started crying (really for no reason) and he got mad and wouldn’t let Sam in his room. So Sam got mad and hauled off and punched Ethan. 

Whhhat?? We don't punch in the Walsh house! 

I know Sam is only two, but I’m guessing his punches still hurt. It was an ugly scene. Sometimes I hate disciplining my kids even though I know it’s what they need.  

So I came downstairs and I was angry. Really angry and a little bit whiny and "poor me." 

And then I saw it.

A pink Lofthouse cookie. With frosting. And sprinkles.

 
I love these things.  

And I’m just gonna be honest here. I ate the darn thing. I started out with half and then figured "Why not?" Might as well go for it. And I ate it. All of it.

And then I took stock of my feelings. Why did I eat that? Was it because I’d gotten on the scale that morning only to find out my healthy week had garnered me little success? Because my back is hurting again? Because my boys were pummeling each other? All of the above, perhaps.  

And I ate.

What a sad, embarrassing, humiliating thing. I mean, really, it’s FOOD.

What is my problem? 

 

So, in my conversation with Adam, I was lamenting this slip-up (to which of course he responded "It’s just a cookie.") And it’s true. It is. But to me, it represented my inability to control that anger. The food won. Got the better of me.

And I caved.

My mood had been altered from the second I stepped on that scale.

So, I’m doing something REVOLUTIONARY.

I’m getting rid of my scale.

Maybe not forever, but certainly for a few months. And I’m concentrating on my healthy eating rather than my weight loss. It’s too difficult to have that constant reminder. It’s too difficult to feel like a failure every time I step on it. So, instead, I’m choosing health...both mental and physical.

It’s a battle I’ve been fighting since I was a young teenager and I don’t want to carry it with me anymore.

I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest.

And once I hit "publish"...everyone will know.

And I'm okay with that. Because I so do not have everything together.

Thank God HE does.

A stroke of common sense genius

So, we usually have really hectic mornings. Correction...we USED to have really hectic mornings. Once our kids started school, our lives changed drastically and the hours we kept did too. In spite of being intelligent individuals, neither Adam nor I realized the little things we could do to make our lives (and our mornings) easier.

You'd think we would've employed a little common sense from the get-go, but apparently our intelligence only stretches so far.

This year, or rather, this semester, we did something revolutionary. We bought a coat rack.

Not just any coat rack. A coat rack JUST for the kids.

A specified place.

Designated.

Just for them.

And we hung it at their level.

School gear is especially bulky in the winter. Especially with additional bags of snowpants and boots. But it all fits right here.

So they come home from school and everything goes on their hook.

Brilliant it's not...but man, has it changed things for me.

I have purposed to make lunches and fill water bottles the night before (also genius) and we are careful to set out their uniforms so they can get up and get dressed.

Earlier this week I came face to face with the sheer brilliance of common sense

Sophia: (Frantically rushing around) I don't have my water bottle.

Me: It's in your bag already.

Sophia: But where's my lunch?

Me: In your bag.

Sophia: My mittens?

Me: Bag.

Adam: Well, you just thought of everything, didn't you?"

Me: Why yes, yes I did.

Change of mindset. Changes Everything.

It's a little unsightly. A little bulky for the winter months. But it works. And that, my friends, makes the ugliness worth it.

 

 

Kids and art

Most people love to sit at a desk to write.

Okay, maybe that's not true. Most people would probably rather be on a beach chair in Hawaii. Especially when it won't stop snowing outside.

Me? I just want to be comfortable...and this does it...here's my view yesterday.

I can't think of a better way to dream up stories than by sitting by a hot fire, covered in a blanket in the most comfortable chair in my house.

It's not a desk chair.

That's my, er, Adam's sweatshirt in the chair. I was hot and cold all day yesterday. 

I ended up writing 2700 words which is definitely a start and it made me feel like I could spend the evening doing something productive in a different way...

Around Christmas, Ethan and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby. Because he is so incredibly thoughtful he not only bought himself a canvas, he bought one for Sophia too. Last night, we started working on them. I should add that I've made quite a discovery about myself and my kids.

I had it in my head that Sophia would be all arts all the time. She'd sing (she does) and dance (she does) and she'd be uber creative and paint and write...all things that I love...all things I want her to love.

But for some reason, I never really even (I'm ashamed to admit this) considered throwing all these things at Ethan...or any of these things...even music. Keep in mind that his father was something of a musical prodigy...so what in the world is keeping me from pushing him that way? Well, I know what...why am I even asking...

Ethan is a little wound up after school which would be when Adam would be giving him lessons. Well, the kid is just like Adam. So while Sophia and I butt heads sometimes...Ethan and Adam don't always see eye to eye. So I never forced it because I didnt' want to drive my poor husband nutso.

Anyway, over the break when I was painting one day, he was in the room with me drawing on this tiny little notebook. We are very in to Monsters vs. Aliens right now, so I got his rendering of all the characters:

Then we had the Robot Probe

Can't forget Susan...

 
 

Shocking resemblance there... I think he really captured the essence of Ginormica.

Then he moved on to some tried and true favorites:

And the entire cast of Spongebob... here's a sampling...

(I know that looks like "Candy" but it's "Sandy" and Ethan said "you know how she has a flower on her helment?"...uh...no? He's so much more observant than I am!)

Gary was injured in a tragic ripping accident. Ethan still plans to repair him.

I am not delusional enough to say that all my kids are going to flourish in all the things I want them to, but I ashamed that I had decided in my narrow mind that Ethan wouldn't be the artsy one. When he was drawing his characters he was so excited about it, and his imagination is every bit as huge as Sophia's. The difference is, he doesn't ask me what to do next. He tells me what happened. Sophia second guesses herself. Ah, the joys of being a girl.

So, I've broadened my thinking and I've realized that maybe Ethan will do something I didn't originally expect...he may enjoy writing and art and music and he may be really good at it someday! We spent last night with paints and canvases. I took a big sheet of wrapping paper and covered the table and let them go to town.

Ethan wanted me to sketch him an airplane, but he wanted to paint it. And when he wanted to paint it colors I didn't want him to paint, I said, "Ok, that sounds great..." through my clenched perfectionist teeth...because it's HIS painting...and he ended up loving every second of it.

He concentrated so hard. And affirmed himself the entire time. "Didn't I do good on the blue, Mommy?"

Meanwhile... Sophia asked her questions. 

And she never did finish her painting...she ran out of time. I dont' say that negatively. They are just different and have different approaches. Ethan...reckless abandon. Sophia...calculated perfectionist.

Very much like these two people...

 
Nice up the nose shot there.

So Ethan didn't really need my help. He knew what he wanted and he did it...

Notice the lovely laundry and vacuum in the background. We are like a museum around here, I tell ya.

My point is this. Canvas is cheap. Paint is cheap. I bought them a bag of craft brushes and it was all on sale. And they loved it. They felt like REAL ARTISTS! But it was more than just a project to keep them busy and keep them away from video games...it was an introduction to a passion that's managed to keep me sane.

Creativity comes out in all different ways...and finally I've learned not to put limits on that for me or for my kids. I imagine our house full of their paintings. And no, it wouldn't be the kind of collection they'd auction at Sotheby's, but it would be absolutely priceless to us.

I am thinking perhaps my resolution this year is to do something creative (for me) every day. Not something that's an assignment or because I have a deadline...just to create. And I imagine bringing the kids along for the ride.

I can't wait.

:)

   

  
 
 
 
  

House Fancy

Have you seen that episode of Spongebob?

I think it's funny they used Curlz MT for the font for that episode. Anyway, that was one of the many Spongebob episodes we had on our DVR during Sam's demanding Spongebob phase. See, we are still teaching him that he can't stomp his foot and screech like a little monkey and get his way, but oh, back in the day, when he screeched for Spongebob, by golly, we gave him Spongebob.

I think this is my least favorite Spongebob episode ever.

It drives me nuts.

I digress.

This post is not about the yellow sponge with the annoying voice that I am ashamed to say often makes me laugh...it's about my own house and how NOT fancy it is. I don't like fancy. Or pretentious. I like comfortable. Why do you think I live in my yoga pants?

Stacy London would have my head if she saw my typical daily uniform...

And so would Clinton.

But I want my house to be comfortable too. I want yoga pants for my house. I want every room to feel homey and cozy and filled with the things we love...things that make my family happy. And those may not be things that normal people would put in their house, but if they work for us, then I want them.

For instance, my house has two front rooms. When we first moved in, we had no idea what to call them. The fake living room? The not-dining room? The front room? But then that would warrant the question, "Which front room?" Vicious cycle.

So, I adopted one room as my office and we turned our formal dining room into the kids toy room.

My goal for this week was to not only paint and transform Sophia's room but also the toy room. It didn't happen, and I think largely because I have no idea what to put in there...Or where to start.

When Sophia was in utero (is that spelled right?) we didn't know if she was a boy or a girl. So we decorated her room a calm and relaxing color that was gender neutral... Red. Yes, I am crazy. Red is my favorite color, but for a nursery? Huh?

I don't know. My goal was to do a Dr. Seuss room. Little did I know that only eight years later, Pottery Barn would release this room:

For the record the pictures on the wall are exactly what I wanted to do. Could I find Dr. Seuss pictures to frame? No. Darn you, Pottery Barn.

Anyway, my goal now is to do this in my toy room. Frames with Dr. Seuss covers inside surrounded by the giant letters that spell out the word PLAY. But what color do I paint the walls? I don't want it to be TOO kid-dish. I know that's not a word. Sue me.

So, I started looking around a little and ran across this shop at etsy. I started thinking that if I got some super cute curtains in the room maybe that would help?

What about something like this...

What do you think? Too kid-like?

Remember I am deco-challenged, so I need all the input I can get. I would paint the room red if I could... I just don't really want blue on the walls.

So. I am struggling a little with that room.

I love what MEG did with this room...

But she has a heck of a lot more style than I do.

So this is my next house (ad)venture... I'll keep ya posted on what I end up doing... even if it's just sitting in the room drinking coffee and reading a book because my brain is overloaded with color swatched and I've tired of pretending I know how to put rooms together.

I so don't.

Anyway. That's that. Another random fluffy post.