That Mommy Blog

Music Room Reveal!

2012-02-08T14:57:00.001-05:00

When we decided not to move, I immediately (like, that very minute) started thinking of all the things I would be changing in my house. So, within moments I returned to my vision of creating a musical family room. (In case you're new here, it's been almost a year since I decided to turn my Dining Room into a Music Room, and my design dilemma was featured over at a Delightful Design).

Well, life happens. My dining room had to return to its normal state when we listed our house, because potential buyers like dining rooms. Having lived with it again, I've decided I love it and want to keep it. Not to mention, it is the perfect place to play with all those Legos Santa brought:

So...my gaze traveled across the foyer to my home office, and I realized it had to go. No one ever went in there (we use another computer elsewhere and we got a wireless printer when our old printer broke). Not to mention, the room was just too dark and cramped and ugh. This is what it used to look like:

Wow. What a terrible picture. Sorry. I took a decent "before" picture but it disappeared into Neverland or somewhere. But you can see my old furnishings and the blue paint.

Anyhoo, here it is now:

My "helper." If vomiting on the new rug counts as helping. She thinks it does.

Our guitars hang to the right of the bookshelves.

Light, bright, and perfect for my family to play our musical instruments, board games, or just hang out. We are in here so much more now, and it has become a lovely sitting room where we do actually sit!

As you can see, I painted the walls, got new curtains and a rug, and reupholstered my armless chair (my first drop cloth project!):

I painted the drop cloth for a vintage grain sack effect...

and used upholstery tacks in the back.

I also pulled together some of my favorite artwork to create that eclectic gallery wall:

"Complete" with empty frames waiting to be filled.

I have been waiting for years to hang that bullfighting poster, because I never had it framed. Now here it is, simply pinned to my wall. And I love it. Found the horn at the thrift store for $3.

I used more drop cloth to create a skirt for the piano to hide various electronica:

Oh, I have a few more things to finish in here. But for now it's done enough, and I'm loving it.

P.S. Here are my resources:

Paint: Muslin by Sherwin-Williams

Curtains: Ikea

Rug: Overstock.com
Rattan File Boxes: Ballard Designs

Ottoman: My Mother-in-Law (Thanks Meems!)

P.P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Truly Lovely

Gallery Wall Inspiration

2012-02-06T01:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks, friends, for the great feedback on my recent identity crisis. After careful consideration, I have decided (once again) that y'all are awesome. I felt very supported. Now, are you ready for some fluff?

I really can't harp on it enough, but Pinterest is my favorite time-suck. It might be a bad habit, but it's also such an inspiration. In a few days I will be showing you my own gallery wall, which in large part was inspired by these beautiful and eclectic versions:

Just can't get over my love for an eclectic gallery wall. All sources can be found here. (Another reason why Pinterest rocks).

Identity Crisis. Again.

2012-01-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places in the whole wide world.

I recently spent a weekend with a group of alumni from my (increasingly distant) university days. It's just me and about 30 Ph.D's. Very bright people. Nice, too.

Have you ever been in a group like this? One where everyone is introducing themselves with statements like, "I teach engineering at such-and-such University," and "I'm finishing my dissertation in biophysics," and "I just got back from Hogwart's and next week I am going to Cambodia to study developing economies." Maybe you used to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a social worker, or an administrative assistant. Whatever you were before you had kids, have you been in a group of people who still...are?

Then you introduce yourself and say, "I stay home with my children."

I kinda hate myself for this, but I couldn't help feeling less than in that environment, wondering if others were judging me for my choices. I couldn't help wishing I was still working. And it's hard. Harder still because I thought I was so over this. I mean, it's been five years since I "quit working" (a funny phrase really, as if I don't work my behind off now).

And for a year or so after my son was born I was all "who am I?" Then I got over it. Or so I thought, before I was confronted with a bunch of awesome people doing awesome stuff that I miss doing. Truth is, I have never questioned my decision to become a stay-at-home mom. Just sort of wish I could do it all.

So, things I am trying to remember:

I chose to stay home with my children and consider it a blessing. It was my family's decision and the right one for us. And its a blessing many people don't enjoy, so man, do I feel like Whiney McWhinerson just writing this post!
Uh...oh yeah, I can't read other people's minds. No one said I'm stupid for wasting my education, so I gotta stop wondering if that's what people are thinking. And (more importantly) stop caring.
I can't get these years back with my children, but I can work again someday.
I knew what I was doing, and I considered losing career momentum a worthy trade-off for being at home.
My success in this endeavor cannot be measured...certainly not in terms of money or position or awards. Perhaps in snuggles?

I know these things. But I sure felt that old identity crisis rearing its ugly, judgmental head again that weekend. Maybe next time I find myself in such a situation I'll say, "I keep two people alive every day. Also teach them to be human." I do feel pretty good about it, when I put it like that.

White Paint Saves the Day

2012-01-26T01:00:00.002-05:00

I love it when furniture does double-duty. These days, I'm a little obsessed with squeezing storage into my rooms. So I recently switched out glass-topped end tables for tables with more storage. Here's the newest addition:

She just sits in her little corner, looking cute:

And maybe a little old and wise:

I love her. I love that all the video game controllers and remotes fit in her drawers. I love that big old crack in her top and how how her wood is warped in places. And I especially love that she is right at home here. After all, she's come a long way from how I found her:

When something is so gross that a spider crawls out of it while you're cleaning it up, any improvement looks like a million bucks. But especially when it's easy, breezy white paint to the rescue!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's over at:

House of Grace

Beyond the Picket Fence

It's a Pirate Party, Me Hearties!

2012-01-20T01:00:00.001-05:00

Biggest Boy turned five years old last week. FIVE. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Fortunately I had a pirate party to throw, which reminded me that a birthday is a fun and joyous thing, not a reason to get weepy and cry because my boy isn't little anymore. Instead he's all arms and legs and superhero-ninja-knight-monster.

And pirate!

Actually, we all were.

I wasn't sure how I would pull off a pirate party, but I actually got crazy into it! Here's a taste of the decor:

Our swashbuckling mantel.

And a close-up so you know...it's all about the treasure!

The dining room got swathed in black and red.

All our mateys were invited to dress up as they arrived.

Our favorite activity was a treasure hunt that culminated in digging for treasure on the back deck.
Got this idea from Pinterest.

I tried to be cute with my food labels. "Unsalted Water." Get it?
Oh, okay, so I'm not the funniest person in the world.

The little boat-shaped cupcake wraps are available as a shape in the Silhouette store. Loved them!

Another idea from Pinterest. Pinterest basically threw the party for me.

So, did we have fun?

Yeah, we did.

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at Designer Garden!

Coming Clean

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Yep, I am more than a little belated. Sorry about that, but I am still feeling the "fresh start" mood of the new year and I am going to kick mine off by sharing what's been going on with me for the last six months.

Sometime last Spring or early Summer my husband applied for a job in a different city. We went through months of waiting, interviewing, waiting, interviewing again before he was finally offered the job, and it was a dream come true! We absolutely love that area, and it was a great job opportunity, so we enthusiastically embraced the change and put our house on the market.

Five months later, our house was still not even close to selling. My husband was working at his new job during the week and commuting home on the weekends, and this went on for four months. I was basically a single mom all week long, with my house on the market and no preschool since it was Summer. Recipe for crazy. I have a new appreciation for real single moms, and for moms whose spouses travel a lot. I will admit that I let most things in my life slide. Little things like exercise, and healthy eating habits, and friendships, and consistent discipline, and limits on cartoon watching, and attempting patience and...well, you get the point. It was all about keeping the house clean and looking forward to the Hubs coming home on the weekend.

And it was hard for my husband, too. That man missed us, ya know?

So, when his job here offered him a new position, and when the folks at his new job were completely understanding about why he would come back...well, he did! And again, it was a dream come true. My husband "moved back" in mid-December and we've been honeymooning ever since.

Things I learned from this experience that I would like to share with you:

1. I am a very private person. This is something I have always known about myself, but this experience showed me how that tendency impacts my blog. I had safety concerns about sharing that I was alone with the kids all week (is that crazy or just cautious? I can't be sure). But something more was at play here...and it was about opening up to others when things get rough. I am not good at it. So I didn't, at least not here. And, in a way, I regret that because I might have really benefited from getting some feedback from you. But I also know I am hardwired to be private. What is a mommy blogger to do when opening up is not her nature?

2. I am a very impatient person. When I want something, I want it now. I have about as much patience for God's plan as my kids have on Christmas morning. I was so humbled by being forced to wait, and then having His plan be so different from my expectations, and--of course--so much better.

3. I take so much for granted. Like my imperfect house that nevertheless has many features I couldn't find in a new house. Like children who are resilient and didn't kill me during those five months. Like a husband who does all that he does. Like a God who held me in his hands when I cried over this ordeal, speaking gently through my pain and reminding me I will be better for it. If I am going to make a resolution this year, its to not take so much for granted.

I hope it doesn't sound like I think that what I have been through is the worst thing in the world. I think of all the women whose husbands are deployed right now and my little situation looks like a fairy tale in comparison. Nor do I go around being hard on myself in how I reacted. But I wanted to share my thoughts on the whole thing, and to explain why the blog has taken a backseat.

It's ironic that 2011 was supposed to be the year of "Simpler is Better." Instead it was the year I started a business, put my house on the market, and was a quasi-single mom for half the year. My motto should have been "Simpler is Not Gonna Happen." I'm not making a motto for 2012, but if I did it would be something like:

"Love what you have and trust God with the rest
because life is crazy and you just gotta do your best."

Ya feel me?

Happy Fifth Birthday, Little Prince

2012-01-12T01:00:00.001-05:00

Seems like yesterday I brought you home from the hospital. We were overjoyed and terrified, and above all knew we were blessed beyond our wildest dreams. I love you, sooooooooooooo..........

MUCH!

Christmas Fun: A Gingerbread Playdate

2011-12-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think I am kind of crazy with the things I take on, but then it all works out and I remember, once again, that crazy is okay.

Like when I made sixteen gingerbread (okay, graham-cracker) cottages and had fourteen children over to decorate them...at first I thought I'd lost my mind. But then we had such fun that I can hardly wait to do it again next year!

To pull this off, I pre-assembled the cottages the day before our playdate, and filled every table in my house with all those yummy fixin's for decorating an hour or so before our guests arrived.

When the children were ready for decorating, I came around with white and green icing to put in those clear plastic cups, and it worked great. There was hardly any mess to clean up at all (or maybe I just didn't see much of it...thanks Mommies!)

We also wore our cute chef's hats (from Oriental Trading, if you are wondering), and the kids were so cute in them!

Then there's Little Boo, who didn't wear his hat and also wanted nothing but white icing on his cottage. That one marches to the beat of his own drummer, I tell ya.

At the end of the playdate our guests got to go home with their hats and their creations, and fun was had by all. And moms, sorry about that sugar high.

My Christmas Home

2011-12-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! Merry Christmas! Just popping in to share a few pics from around the house...and let's start with the mantel, shall we?

Our "family" Christmas tree (i.e. the colorful one) is right here next to the fireplace, and this year I added a bunch of red ribbon. I love how the red pops against my blue drapes.

Our ancient tree-topper is a cross, which broke this year. My son insisted it still go up, so it is kind of leaning and propped up by all that ribbon, but at least it's up there!

I am so in love with red and aqua this year that I spent hours and hours making my Silhouette advent calender in those colors:

(Please disregard the fact that I took this picture after certain days had been poked, prodded, and untied. Bad blogger!)

And opposite the fireplace, a white and turquoise vignette featuring my sweet peacock as well as this printable from Jones Design Company.

On the coffee table I collected my mercury glass and threw some random garland on there in a big jumble, easy peasy.

Elsewhere, I go more gold, including in the dining room and for my Second Annual Mommy Tree, which also features pheasant feathers and pinecones in a rustic contrast with all that glitz:

And there you have it! I love everything about Christmas, and the decorations are just the smallest part of it, but aren't they fun? If I can get my act together, I will show you some more fun soon. Some fun which all started like this:

And now you know how I've been spending my time:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T01:00:00.014-05:00

Happy day of thanks, dear friends!

Our Gratitude Tree.

Love this time of year for the chance to give thanks for my blessings. To see family. To celebrate!

We have especially enjoyed making "leaves" for our tree this year. Here are a few highlights:

One of mine.

The Hubs's first contribution. Funny man.

Big Boy's. He is grateful for his family. I die from the cuteness.

Have a *wonderful* holiday!

Peacock Love

2011-11-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned I am in love with peacocks? It all started with this guy who I encountered at a wildlife sanctuary we visited last March:

Isn't he gorgeous?

Oh! I think he likes me too!

Uh...maybe not.

Rear view notwithstanding, I still fell in love. I even have a board on Pinterest devoted to my Peacock Obsession. There you'll find all things peacock-inspired:

Source: Southern Living

Source: Etsy

Source: Z Gallerie

Source: homedesignart.com

I even spent several days telling my husband I wanted to adopt a peacock. He cured me of that idea by sneaking around and calling out like a peacock, like this:

Note: the guy in the video isn't my husband. But Hubs's peacock impersonation is just as annoying.

Okay, so I will keep peacocks limited to my decor choices. As it turns out, That Mommy is more on trend than she knew...apparently peacocks were on display at the Fall High Point Market. You can read all about it here. So, is this trend totally fierce? Or just fowl? (Sorry).

The Sea Monster

2011-10-28T10:03:00.000-04:00

Need a last-minute Halloween costume? How about a no-sew Sea Monster?

In truth, he's actually a Kelp Monster, and if you call him a Sea Monster he gets all offended. But try telling someone your son wants to be a Kelp Monster...go ahead, I'll wait...I guarantee you'll get some of the most confused looks. So...Kelp Monster, Sea Monster, whatever. I looked at some pre-fab costumes, but they were too expensive and too scary...mine has more of a "cheesy home-made" vibe, but I figure I can still get away with it at four years old.

Here are your supplies:

T-Rex costume from Party City ($14) or similar basic garment for underneath.
Green leis. Is that how you spell that? You know...those plastic green (or any colored) Hawaiian necklaces? Okay, cool. I used about 14 of them.
Brown spraypaint to "muck up" your leis.
Decorative Fishing Net (I got mine at the Lobby for a few dollars).
Starfish (Again, from the Lobby for about $5).

First, cut the leis so they became long strands of "kelp." I learned to NOT cut right through them. Instead, find where they are knotted, untie the knot (or cut through it), then tie together the two strings that come out of each end. I also reinforced mine with tape. This way, your lei will not unravel. This step will take you about the length of one Nate Berkus show.

What it will look like after you untie it.

After it's been knotted, trimmed and reinforced by tape.

Second, spraypaint your kelp randomly and without much effort to give it a "mucky" look.

Third, using hot glue, regular glue, or whatever you like (and understanding that a net is, by definition, porous, so protect your workspace), glue the kelp to your net. We had several fittings during this process to test how my kelp was draping. Project Runway, here I come.

At some point, attach your net to the headpiece or hood that your child will be wearing underneath. I like the T-Rex costume for this, because all I had to do was pull the horns up through the net, and they are tight enough to secure the net in place...no glueing required!

Finally, glue your starfish, shells, or other ocean-y stuff all over your kelp, and you are done!

Optional: dress your other children as scary sea creatures.

One more look at them together:

I know, scary!!! Happy Halloween!!!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

The Shabby Nest

Madigan Made

Fingerprints on the Fridge

A Child's Gifts

2011-10-27T01:00:00.001-04:00

I love receiving gifts from my children. You know, those little sweet things that seem like treasures to them, so they become treasures to you, too. I get a lot of dandelions and rocks and the vast majority of them quietly go away after a day or so, though the sweet memory of receiving them is forever mine.

The bouquet he gave me last weekend.

Recently Biggest gave me an acorn that wasn't crusty with red clay, and it was pretty big, and it still had its top, so I told him how special I thought it was. And he said to me, "Mommy, I want you to frame it and keep it by your bed." Wow. So, I did.

Love this little treasure, and its one of the few I hope to keep around for a while.

Not to get too deep on you today, but I intentionally mounted it so that little dimple was facing forward. I wanted to see the sole imperfection on this acorn, to remind myself not to insist on perfection from my children. So many times, my child has brought me a leaf or something and I will say, "Well, let's find one that's prettier, or has all its parts." But I am trying to do so less and less. I don't want to teach my children that perfection is the only thing I will accept. After all, my Father lovingly accepts gifts from me that are far from perfect, all the time. So, the acorn is my reminder.

And, it's pretty cute on my nightstand, too.

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Pretty Little Pumpkin Project

2011-10-24T16:55:00.000-04:00

Hey gang! A creative bug bit me today (totally out of the blue) and I suddenly found myself making some little felt pumpkins:

I came across these $.79 embroidery hoops, and the adhesive felt in my craft supplies...and just a little while later I had these cuties for my pinboard!

I just cut pumpkins out of the felt, and used a brown fine-point marker to simulate stitched lines. The stems are made from burlap fringe, glued to a small piece of brown felt.

I painted the hoops with a couple of different metallic acrylic paints, for a glimmery neutral effect.

Here's how they look on my pinboard:

Just a little bit o' Fall for my office:) Love it when something simple turns out cute:)

Sunday Funnies

2011-10-23T09:27:00.000-04:00

Say whaaaaa? A Sunday Funnies post? I thought she'd long ago forgotten she ever had this series!!! Nah, I will be back occasionally until I get my feet back under me, and then (hopefully) be back every week, since I know your life is totally empty without my Funnies.

Littlest is in this mood lately (like, the past year) where Mommy is only allowed to sing if he wants me to. If he's in the mood, then I must sing immediately. If he's not in the mood and I start to sing, he will shout and even cry at me if I don't stop. It's very flattering. It almost forces me to play Rock Band to compensate for the blow to my ego.

The other day he was singing one of his favorite songs, and here comes Mommy to join in. I'm not singing for one second before he shouts, "NO SING, MOMMY!!!" Then, in his sweetest little voice, he finishes his song: "Now I know my ABC's, next time won't you sing with me?" Sheesh.

Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall

2011-10-19T01:00:00.001-04:00

Don't you love it?

The fun Fall goodies?

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Bacon Gruyere Stuffed Pumpkins

The trips to the pumpkin patch?

The best picture I got of the two of 'em! Those cute little hooligans...

The turning leaves...cool nights...fragrant Fall candles...all of it? I sure do.

I am going through a challenging season of life right now, but I remain so grateful for these seasonal blessings, and so much more. God is good!

An ABC Baby Shower

2011-10-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

My friend Jessica (if you've been here a while you know her as the girl with fabulous taste in fabric) had her first baby on September 1st. Baby Reid was about four weeks early, and early on the little guy was in and out of the hospital as he struggled to regulate his temperature and gain weight. He's doing great now, and in celebration of his good health I wanted to share pictures from the shower a few of us threw for her.

Jessica chose these vintage alphabet cards for his nursery, so we went with something of an "ABC" theme for her shower.

"B is for Baby" bottled water.
I just printed out labels on cardstock and stuck them on with double-sided tape.

In keeping with the theme...cute little signage for our food!

The cake!

Guests received a set of four "hello" notecards. A little deviation from ABC's for the big-girl guests.

Here's what they looked like untied:

So cute. Just another example of why I love my Silhouette machine.

And, for no good reason except that I can't resist...look at this sweet little corner of Reid's nursery:

Jess has lined his walls with a mix of letters in different styles, including the aforementioned notecards.

Ooh, ooh, and look at this one:

Precious!

Don't you love celebrating new babies?

Back from Belgium {A Pictorial}

2011-10-12T14:41:00.000-04:00

Phew! I got back on Saturday evening and have been dying to share my trip with you! I had an absolute blast in Belgium. We did some sightseeing in Antwerp, bought diamonds for customers, and took day-trips to Brussels and Amsterdam. It was wonderful. Can I share some of it with you?

Scenes from the beautiful city of Antwerp...

...and its beautiful cathedral:

Brussels! I loved it not only because it is beautiful, but also because I'm a total dork about practicing my French. I continuously make a fool of myself. It's great.

You know I am not going anywhere without taking waaay too many pictures of my food, right?

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. I also had to work. And by work I mean help select beautiful diamonds from some of the best diamond-cutters in the world. Hey, somebody's gotta do it!

If you're interested in learning how many millions that pile of rough diamonds is worth, come check out my business Facebook page. In the meantime, it's back to reality for little old moi. See ya soon!

Doozy Cards Giveaway Winners!

2011-10-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

That Daddy here, filling in for That Mommy while she's living the good life in Belgium. I have been instructed to author something clever in this space, but it turns out filling in for That Mommy has sapped my creative energy. On the plus side, if you'd like me to yell at you or send you to time out for grabbing a toy, hitting your brother with a toy, intentionally breaking a toy, and/or cramming a costly toy--against all laws of physics and nature--into an even more costly toy to create a very costly and very nonfunctional supertoy, I have been honing those skills for several days and stand prepared to demonstrate them outside of the confines of the house.

Anyway, That Mommy extends her thanks once again to Doozy Cards for sponsoring this giveaway! The lucky winner of the one-year membership is Susan Locey!

If you're the winner, I have already passed along your email to Doozy Cards, and they will contact you soon with your redemption code. Enjoy!!!

Watch Out Belgium, Here I Come!

2011-09-28T13:47:00.000-04:00

Finally!!! I will be heading out this Saturday to Antwerp, Belgium, on my first *official* diamond-buying trip!

To say I am excited would be a gross understatement. I am psyched. When I went last year, I was in a great place emotionally and kind of dreaded the time away from my children. This year...well, our house is on the market, nobody is in preschool, and Mommy has zero adult company most days. Y'all know I adore my boys, but I am in dire need of a break. I would probably go to the closest Best Western for a week if I had a chance, so I am feeling pretty lucky to get my Mommy time in a beautiful city searching out some beautiful diamonds.

To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane, and revisit my five-part series from last year's trip. Click on the captions to go to the full post from last year:)

Part One: Welcome to Antwerp!

Part Two: Antwerp Eats, for all you foodies out there!

Part Three: Celebrating the Birthplace of Lace

Part Four: In which a purse is stolen but it turns out okay.

Part Five: Paris!

Thanks for taking this stroll down memory lane with me! It's not too late to place an order for your own hand-selected diamonds...just email me at personaldiamonds@gmail.com or message me on Facebook, and we can chat. I will see ya when I get back, friends!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a membership to Doozy Cards! Click here for all the deets:) Contest ends on the 4th!

It's a Doozy! {A Fun Giveaway!}

2011-09-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I love paper. One of my favorite crafts is card-making, and don't even get me started on the scrapbook section at the craft store. Nevertheless, about a year ago I started sending more e-cards, reasoning that for certain occasions an e-card is totally appropriate, and that it saves both time and paper. How about you? Do you send e-cards?

Photo: Doozy Cards

Well if you do, get excited because today I am bringing you a great giveaway from Doozy Cards, a family-owned e-card company that is offering TWO readers a one-year Premier Membership--a $19.95 value--at doozycards.com!

Photo: Doozy Cards

The Premier Membership includes:
~Unlimited Access to ALL of their 1,600+ cards
~A Birthday and Holiday Reminder System
~An Online Address Book
~Original Artwork and Music
~Brand New Cards Created Throughout The Year

To enter this giveaway, visit Doozy Cards, then come back and leave a comment telling me which two cards you like!

For extra entries:

~Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, or tweet about it, and leave me a separate comment letting me know! (1 entry for each time you share!)

~Like Doozy Cards on Facebook, and leave me a comment letting me know! (1 entry)

~Follow @doozycards on Twitter, and leave me a comment letting me know! (1 entry)

This contest will run through Monday, October 3rd, and TWO winners will be chosen on Tuesday the 4th. Best of luck!!!

Fall Nesting? Sorta.

2011-09-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

So, yeah, our house is still on the market. It's been two months and I am super anxious to sell, but maintaining a holding pattern in the meantime. As I felt Fall approaching this year, I have been reluctant to confront the fact that I would be nesting for the change of seasons, still in my current house.

Then I decided to go for it. Can't be Summer forever! So when I discovered I had already packed up my Fall decor...and that the box is either mislabeled or irretrievably buried in the garage...and therefore I have no Fall decor...well, that was a major bummer.

So this year's Fall decor is...let's say...spare. Spartan. Minimal. I made a wreath from simple stuff on sale at the craft store.

Doesn't it look awesome with my attractive lock-box?

I also "decorated" my chalkboard pot and had my son find me enough acorns to use as a filler on a candle.

And I threw together this mantel from the leftovers of my wreath project and a few candles.

Yes, I am virtually unchanged from Summer. Still with the old window. Still with the sticks.
Help!

Like I said, minimal. It's okay, though. I am kind of digging how easy it all was. And I will more than make up for it next Fall, when my new house will be covered with pumpkins from August-November!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

The Inspired Room

Easy Paper Project

2011-09-12T01:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am sharing a quick little project I whipped up a couple of weeks ago while my son was doing his own craft project. He wanted a new piggy bank, so I gave him a little coin container I had from somewhere, covered in paper that he decorated (although he insisted that I be the one to draw the pig).

The artist at work!

That project (along with these awesome pencils I found at Walmart) inspired me to take an old Crystal Light container and just cover it in some cute scrapbook paper...and my new pencil cup was born!

Before:

The worst picture I have ever taken. But you get the idea.

After:

Cute, easy and fast. That's my kind of craft!

Pinned!

2011-09-01T14:55:00.000-04:00

I'm so proud of myself! I did something crafty! Okay, so I totally stole the idea from something I saw on Pinterest, but I won't tell if you don't. Here was the great idea I saw:

Photo: via Pinterest
(If you know the original source, please send it to me. The original link is to tumblr, which doesn't help so much).

Instead of buying one cute iphone case, you can buy a clear one and switch out cute papers...so smart and so cheap. Here's the one I did today:

Love that it's the logo I designed for my business cards...oh I just feel so coordinated! Speaking of my business, I am getting so excited for my trip to Antwerp coming up the first week of October. There's still time to pre-order your diamond earrings, engagement or anniversary ring! Give me a shout if you're interested in learning more...as always, consultations are free, easy and fun for me:)

Check It!

2011-08-22T12:53:00.000-04:00

Hey friends,
What keeps you going during the day? One of the main things that keeps me going is music. We subscribe to satellite radio primarily because it keeps me sane(ish) when I am stuck inside during those long hot days of summer. And also during the spring, fall and winter, to be honest. Uh, yeah, days get long.

Anyway, I go through phases but I always come back to praise music. It is uplifting, it reminds me of what matters, and its good for my boys. So I was thrilled when I won the new Robert Pierre CD from the fabulous Mama Hall!

It's good, y'all. So if you need a little pick-me-up you should check it out! Happy listening:)

If you don't yet, please do. You gotta.

2011-08-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

I have put off writing this post because it seems like everyone has already told everyone to do it, so I feel like that annoying fly that you can't quite swat. But I can't help myself.

You so wanna. Even if you don't know it yet.

It's not because Pinterest is so wildly addictive. (It is).

Photo: myhomeideas.com via Pinterest

And its not because it's so inspirational. (It is).

Photo: ourbestbits.com via Pinterest

Not because it's so easy. (It totally is).

Photo: www.langantiques.com via Pinterest

Nope, the main reason I am madly in *love* with Pinterest is that I don't ever need to bookmark a clever idea again. And I will never lose track of a beautiful photograph again. And when I want to find these things, I can see the pictures of them, rather than a bookmark which looks like: Generic Good Idea at www.idontrecognizethissite.com.

In a word, it is AWESOME.

So if you're on there, let me know so I can follow you! And if you're not--go right now! Hey, you can even start with me by clicking here!

Happy Bloggy Birthday to Moi!

2011-07-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, I can't believe That Mommy Blog is one year old today! It has been a really fun year, too. I've loved sharing my decorating obsession, taking you along for my various adventures far from home, and recounting my funny kid stories with you...among other things.

Thanks for coming along for the craziness! And here's to another great year!

Love y'all!

My Musical Window and a Giveaway!

2011-07-22T01:00:00.003-04:00

There was a time, not so long ago, when I was going to turn my Dining Room into a Music Room. Then I put my house on the market and it promptly turned back into a Dining Room. Boo! The Music Room will have to wait...but some of the decor has found a home elsewhere, including this old window which is now strutting its stuff on the mantel.

The Snowball Song, also known as "Mahna Mahna." We love this song!

I bought this window for ten bucks at an antique show several months ago. Cleaning the thing was the hardest part! Once I got all the dirt and wasp's nests and dust off, I decorated it with sheet music for six songs that are meaningful to my family. I found the music online and printed it onto heavy paper. Sheet music for specific songs can be tricky to find, but one great resource I stumbled upon is here. I then layered the music on top of blue cardstock, and simply taped the pages into the window. So easy.

Sonatina, a.k.a. the Little Bear theme song.

I also used our Recessional song from our wedding (Joy to the World), our first dance (All the Way by Frank Sinatra), and a couple of songs that remind me of dating my Hubs back in the day. Good stuff.

Do you have an old window hanging around? How do you use yours?

P.S. Don't forget! Today's the last day to like me on Facebook for a chance to win $15 at Starbucks!

P.P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

2011-07-16T15:42:00.000-04:00

Hello there Bloggy Buddies!

Fun stuff! In an effort to get more "likes" for my business page on Facebook, I am giving away $15 gift card to Starbucks for one lucky "liker!" (Liker? Is that what we're calling ourselves now?)

Not to mention, you'll be getting all the skinny on some of the best deals in the diamond industry, so hey, that's not half-bad. Just click here, like me, and you'll be in the running! This giveaway ends on Friday the 22nd, so do it now, before you forget! Come on, you know you wanna.

And More Big News!

2011-07-14T15:35:00.001-04:00

Ladies, I am blue. I don't have any time to blog! I don't post, and I don't read blogs, and it makes me down in the dumps. But, I have a legitimate excuse. In addition to me starting a business, we are also moving! My husband accepted a job in another city. Our house went on the market this week. We are changing towns, homes, schools, gyms, doctors...everything!

And man, is it a lot of work to even contemplate moving with two little kids! It was hard to get our house ready to be listed...and ready for pictures...and it is hard to keep it that way. I have learned, however, that it is faster and easier to clean the joint up now that half my stuff is in boxes in the garage! The real test will be what I bring back out in our new home.

Until then, I am working on selling our house. That, and praying for a quick sale!

The Family Room I *just* painted.
That's right--three years of hating the color followed by three months of loving it!

Our updated kitchen.

The Master Bedroom--don't think I have ever showed you this room!

Our view of the golf course.

Our deck!

We're asking $244,500...2,400 square feet, four bedrooms, golf course lot with woods to one side. So, do I have any takers? So far the hordes of buyers haven't been beating down the door, so say a prayer for us!

Big News, Peeps

2011-07-01T13:07:00.000-04:00

Remember how, something like four weeks ago, I very rudely hinted at "big things" going on around here, and then I dropped off the face of the planet and you were all like, "Oh, that's what she was up to! Dropping off the face of the planet!"

Well, I came back and now I can share my big news! So, without further ado...I present my latest venture:

Yep, I am joining my Mother-in-Law in the jewelry business! I can still stay at home with my boys while I also enjoy the benefits of working part-time and contributing to the family finances. It's a win-win, with the added bonus of getting to work with diamonds and fine jewelry. So, if you're in the market for any type of fine jewelry and would like some guidance, I hope you'll think of me!

You can also like me on Facebook and you'll stay up-to-date on what's in stock, specials I am running, and pre-orders for my next diamond-buying trip to Antwerp.

My new business has already affected the frequency I can post here at That Mommy Blog, but I promise I will be back with crafty projects, cute kid stuff, and crazy rants as time permits. Thanks for hangin' with me, dear peeps. And wish me luck!

Why I Love Saladino

2011-06-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

Did you catch the cover story in the July/August issue of Veranda?

It features a Palm Springs house designed by John Saladino, and I do believe it has rekindled my love affair with his work. I first fell in love with him in high school when I saw this article in the May, 1995 issue of House Beautiful:

The Great Room is uh...great.

The Dining Room.
I continue to dream of a circular pedestal table with armchairs. It's been sixteen years.

That's right, I subscribed to House Beautiful in high school. So what? It doesn't make me a massive nerd, it just makes me...okay, I am a massive nerd. Let me show you more of why I love John Saladino.

1) He is the king of romantic luxury.

Photo: Veranda

2) He effortlessly mixes contemporary and rustic elements.

Photo: Veranda

3) I want to eat dinner at his house.

Photo: Veranda

4) He designs every surface to perfection.

Photo: Village Properties

5) He invented scratch-coat plaster.

Photo: Veranda

6) He can design a room with a thousand layers, without it ever appearing busy or unrefined.

Photo: Village Properties

7) He doesn't just make outdoor rooms, he knows how to make an outdoor space.

Photo: Village Properties

Do you love Saladino too? You're in luck! If you have just $24,500,000 to spare you can still purchase his villa! Just please invite me to dinner!!!

An Update

2011-06-20T16:25:00.000-04:00

Some fun stuff has been happening for me lately, and thought I'd share! I won these super cute blocks from DaySpring and the Nester!

It's been tough trying to explain to the boys why Mommy now plays with blocks and they can't touch 'em!

And, thanks to my wonderful readers, I also placed Second in a friendly guest-blogging competition over at Charlotte Mom Favorites! (Click here to read my post about The Mommy "Dating" Scene, aka making friends with other moms). My prize was a gift card to California Pizza Kitchen, where the Hubs and I demolished our celebratory BBQ Chicken pizza. Thank you dear readers!

Love this bloggin' gig!

Yard Sale Nirvana

2011-06-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday I showed you my giant 50-cent yard-sale frame, and with Nester's yard sale Linky party going on today, I realized I haven't shown you the rest of my loot. It was an amazing neighborhood yard sale, and even though I didn't find any furniture, I more than made up for it...

Vintage egg basket, giant Fifties-era game-board, oversized carved wooden tray (I actually paid less than $8, but I don't remember how much now), old chandy. Not bad for $20!

I picked up some smaller things, too, but these were the biggies that day. The egg basket holds bags of chips in my pantry, for now. I am seeing the game-board as wall-decor in a playroom. The tray is, well, up for anything. And I have big plans for the chandy...will share soon! Love a good yard sale!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Nesting Place

Old Glory

2011-06-14T01:00:00.004-04:00

Did you know that today is Flag Day? I don't really know where Flag Day comes from, but that won't stop me from flagrantly using it as an excuse to show you my latest fun project!

I have coveted this flag from Pottery Barn for roughly a thousand years , how about you?

Photo: Pottery Barn

But...since I am frugal fannie over here...I was just gonna paint one myself until I stumbled upon an even easier idea.

Enter one huge frame I nabbed at a yard sale for 50 cents:

I know! It was filthy and beat-up, but still...fitty cent aint bad, right? And, with the Fourth of July just around the corner and visions of red, white and blue dancing in my head, I remembered an old flag I still had...

...and voila! Me, my staple gun, and about 10 minutes was all it took to turn my old faded flag into Old Glory.

The flag and the frame opening were both 30 inches high, so I knew it was meant to be. I didn't get all the flag's width in there but I think it's close enough. I simply stapled the flag directly into the back of the frame:

I didn't iron it or anything because I wanted it to shine in all its faded beauty.

(I can't wait to have a fireplace without a baby-gate.)

Just in time for Flag Day!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Beyond the Picket Fence

House of Grace

Sunday Thoughts

2011-06-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

I'm putting Sunday Funnies on hold for today.

I learned yesterday that a friend from school passed away on Friday. She was an incredibly smart, beautiful and accomplished woman who lit up every room she entered. And she was so young. My heart is just aching for her family and loved ones.

So I am filled with sadness today. I wish there were words adequate for moments like this, but there just aren't any. I am just praying for God's peace for her loved ones.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Sunday Funnies

2011-06-05T12:06:00.000-04:00

I've been sharing some of those cute, unintentional mispronunciations lately. But what happens when the mispronunciation is on purpose?

We have our friend Adam in town this weekend, which the boys love because it's like having a jungle gym move in for three days. Littlest Boo, who is two and talks like it, has spent the weekend calling him "Edna." Kinda cute, right? So this morning Adam says, "It's 'Adam.' Can you say 'Adam'?"

And LB says, clear as day, "Not Adam. It's Edna!" I sorta feel bad for Edna. And I sorta plan on calling him that forever.

My Little Farmers

2011-06-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

This week is Farms Week in my house, and we've been having so much fun with it. Biggest helped me track down all our farm-themed books, games, and toys and at one point said, "Mommy, I love Farms Week!" It makes me so happy I decided to do weekly themes again this summer.

The highlight of the week was going to a local farm to pick our own strawberries.

Hard at work!

I think he was equally proud of his strawberries and having
a blue circle painted on his face!

We had so much fun, in spite of the scorching heat. Scorching heat, it should be said, at 10:00 in the morning. On the last day of May. I know some of you live where it doesn't feel like August in Miami. I might need to come visit.

In the meantime, we're moving on to Trains next week! Woot woot!

Sunday Funnies

2011-05-29T07:22:00.000-04:00

More "kids say the darndest" this week, from Biggest Boy:

While he was practicing writing he asked me, in all seriousness, "Mommy, can I put the llama wherever I want?" He meant "comma."

Later in the week his Grandma was joking around with LB, saying "I'm gonna put you in my pocket and take you home!" To which Biggest shouts, "Don't!" {pause} "He's TOO big!" {bigger pause} "Plus...he's ours." I love that giving the baby away is a secondary concern to his ability to actually fit into a pocket.

And, overheard while the boys were watching bumblebees: "Don't get too attractive, LB. They might sting you."

Try Try Again

2011-05-27T09:30:00.000-04:00

What's that they say about giving a new food to a baby? You have to try 12 times before they really taste it? Or 14 times before they'll like it? Whatevs. I have been "presenting healthy food" for four years, with nothing to show for it except enough wasted food to feed a continent.

That is, until yesterday. For FOUR YEARS the only chicken Biggest didn't gag on was a Dino Buddy. Or a Chick Fil-A nugget. Every other bit of poultry he ate launched him into fits of spastic heaving.

Until I made Chicken Curry. You heard me right, chicken curry. First he tried it. Then he asked for seconds, then thirds. Until we ran out. It was amazing.

Photo: Life's Ambrosia

So, moms of picky eaters, there is hope!!! I can't believe it, but they might eat something someday besides plain toast and applesauce!!! Hallelujah!!!

Summer Mantel

2011-05-27T09:19:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to show you my super-simple summer mantel today. I've been craving something pared down and simple ever since going crazy on my ephemera-inspired spring mantel. (If you blinked, you mighta missed it but you can go back and see it here if you are so inspired).

For summer I wanted something truly cool, and for that, I knew I had to bring back the zebra. Here it is:

And the view from straight-on:

I brought in the driftwood I ~~stole~~ collected from the beach last month, a little silvery bling from my decor closet, and of course a pretty little sea-star, because what is a summer mantel without one?

Every time I walk in the room, it feels like I've taken a fresh breath of clean air. And I love that it is simple, in keeping with my motto for the year. Now, we'll just have to see how long it takes me before I want to change it up. Again.

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

The Lettered Cottage

Pardon Our Dust

2011-05-25T10:51:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but my blog has been suffering from a severe lack of attention over the last few weeks.

You see, my life is undergoing some construction right now. Some things are changing around here (no worries, they are good things!). If I only had a precarious balance before, I have about zero balance now that I am doing a little extra. I'm like, "Blog? What blog?" And I'm sorry. I'm still here! Just maybe not as much.

So, pardon this interruption while we kick up some dust around here. Hopefully I will be able to share with you what it's all about real soon.

Sunday Funnies

2011-05-22T18:58:00.000-04:00

Pretty much every day I have to laugh out loud at something one of my boys says. Usually it is some confused phrase that only loosely mimics English, or just something a grown up would never ever say. This week's highlights:

As we're getting buckled into the car, my 4-year-old keeps asking me some gibberish from the backseat. After about thirty thousand iterations of me asking "What?!" and him saying "What's a Chester's Taint?" I realize he is actually asking "What is a chest restraint?"

Littlest has a counting book. By now we've read it so much that I just say the number, and he fills in the rest. I say, "One..." and he goes, "cute tiger cub!" And so on. I die laughing every time we get to the page with seven penguins and I say "Seven..." and he says, "Pengins of Mad-gas-car!" I promise he's never even seen the movie!

And one of my favorites from my precocious big boy. When when I showed him my new chair and asked him what he thought he said, "Mommy, I think it looks splendid! Just splendid!" Sweet thing.

Bringin' Home the Gold

2011-05-19T01:00:00.005-04:00

I don't know if its my love for Swedish design, or what really...but I love painting furniture. I love doing it and I love the results. Latest case in point: this boring consignment-store chair:

I picked it up a couple months ago for $30. Not bad, but I only paid that much because it is super sturdy and has great carved details.

And it was being eyeballed by a woman who told me if I didn't snatch it up, she was going to! I had this internal dialog where I told her, "Step back, chica, cuz that aint happenin'." Then I got a hold of myself and bought the chair.

First thing I did was cut off the fabric to reveal a nice, clean foam pad--good stuff. Then, as with all my projects, I spent like two months deciding what to do next. I had seen these chairs at an Antiques show:

And fell in love with the gold and burlap combo. I ended up going gold, but not quite so much...and am thrilled with the outcome. Remember that before picture? Well, here it is now!

After priming with BIN Zinsser primer (no sanding required!), I painted it the same color as my closet dresser--Valspar's Autumn Fog. Then I painted the gold details (FolkArt Metallic Pure Gold acrylic paint) and distressed the almighty out of it. Some shots of the details:

And of course I covered the seat with burlap. I like to imagine this chair has fallen from great heights in aristocratic society all the way down into my humble home.

Can you be in true love with a piece of furniture? If so, I'm totally there.

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

The Shabby Nest

Finding Fabulous

Beyond the Picket Fence

Mommy's Summer Camp

2011-05-18T11:30:00.000-04:00

With summer coming on like gangbusters and everyone I know scrambling to find camps and activities for their children, I thought I would share my plans for keeping sane for the next three months. It's called Mommy's Summer Camp, and I came up with it two years ago when I had a 2-year old to entertain with a newborn in tow.

The idea behind Mommy's Summer Camp is to give both me and my boys some structure without spending a lot of money. All I do is choose a different theme each week, and I plan them out in advance so I can coordinate them with special events going on that week.

Visiting the Nature Center during Nature week.

For example, Our Country week is July 4th-8th, so it coincides with the Fourth of July. And Racing week will culminate with the new Cars movie at the end of June. Having a theme motivates and inspires me to find related activities, and I think my boys will really enjoy it (at least, Biggest did when he was two years old)!

Firetrucks are so cool! And in my experience firefighters love getting visits. Especially if you bring them cookies.

Here are some more ideas for activities:

Go through your child's books at the beginning of the week, and get him to help you! Pull out the books relevant to that week's theme, and keep them out for the week. We also go to the library to borrow books on that week's theme.
Look online at your local children's museums to find out which displays are coming this summer. Two years ago we scheduled Pirates week when our local museum was having a pirates exhibition.
Visit http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/index.htm to find themes and snacks, songs, and crafts to coordinate. During Farms week we made the Slop Snacks (trail mix) from this site and have enjoyed them ever since.
Another great website, especially for craft ideas: http://kidscraftweekly.com.
Get creative! Use what you have on hand to do little activities, like digging in the sand for dinosaur bones (twigs), or turn your couch into a submarine during Oceans week.

I'm sure you can think of plenty more ideas, and if you do, please let me know so I can do them too! Happy Camping!

Monday Funnies

2011-05-16T01:00:00.002-04:00

Yep, I am a day late on Sunday Funnies this week, oops! Another Funnies this week from Little Boo, who went with me to shop for a new bra this past week. Do you hate shopping for bras as much as I do? It is so annoying.

Anyway, I was in the dressing room feeling annoyed and not paying much attention to LB when I hear, "Put it on, me. Put it on, me." I look down to see that yes, my little boy already has one arm through the strap of a brassiere, and is totally thrilled with himself.

And, much to his future chagrin, I took a picture and am sharing it with the entire world:

How much is he gonna hate me someday?

Summer Mantel

2011-05-13T13:46:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to show you my super-simple Summer mantel today. I've been craving something pared down and simple ever since going crazy on my ephemera-inspired Spring mantel. (If you blinked, you mighta missed it but you can go back and see it here if you are so inspired).

For Summer I wanted something truly cool, and for that, I knew I had to bring back the zebra. Here it is:

And the view from straight-on:

I brought in the driftwood I ~~stole~~ collected from the beach last month, a little silvery bling from my decor closet, and of course a pretty little sea-star, because what is a Summer Mantel without one?

Before and After Lamp Revamp

2011-05-12T01:00:00.004-04:00

I have a confession to make.

Even as I was writing my Bloggy Bucket List, I was already working on one of the items on the list! In fact, it was probably working on this project which inspired me to ponder my many crafts-in-waiting in in the first place. The great side-effect of my rambling mind is that I can already cross one of the projects off the list! Which one, you ask?

That's right, it's my drab-to-fab brass-lamp re-vamp! (Can you say that three times fast?)

Here's the Before:

Found this little gem at the thrift store for a mere six bucks. It's not really a true solid brass lamp, more like a hollow, shell of a lamp. Just crying out for a new life, I tell you.

After a very cursory sanding to rough up the surface just a bit, I gave the brass three coats of Valspar's Mediterranean gloss spray-paint, and painted the base and new finial in (my favorite) Oil-Rubbed Bronze. Spraying on two colors meant I had to unscrew the base from the lamp, but that was still much easier than my first plan of hand-painting the base. Easier on me, not my manicure.

I got a new shade at Homegoods, and just went with white for now. Here's the After:

I love her! She is just so...so...well, so blue. And I'm thinking she'll be beautiful on my yet-to-be-purchased cabinet or console for the new Music Room. Yep, I am still working on the Music Room. If I ever finish, I'll show you, promise;)

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

The Shabby Nest

House of Grace

Designer Garden

Bloggy Bucket List

2011-05-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

Since my Mommy-brain can no longer keep track of all the projects I want to get to in my copious free time, I present to you (drumroll, please) my Bloggy Bucket List! It's my list of "someday" projects, complete with inspirational photos from some of my favorite bloggers.

Spray-paint a brass lamp. Isn't this one awesome?

Photo: Billie Monster

Create a fabric-covered magnet board.

Photo: Centsational Girl

Turn diaper boxes into beautiful bins, like this creative gal did:

Photo: Positively Splendid

Paint some large area of my house with chalkboard paint.

(I already know where, but I'm not tellin' yet.)

Photo: Cape Love Blog

Create a fabric banner for stringing from my mantel, with a cute saying on it.

Photo: Redberry Barn

Cover something, somewhere, somehow in a feed-sack or a grain-sack or some other kind of sack. Much as Miss Mustard Seed does so very, very well.

Photo: Miss Mustard Seed

Make my own starburst mirror. Loved this one at Red Door Abode:

Photo: Red Door Abode

Subway art. Hopefully before it goes out of style, but at my current pace that is unlikely to happen.

Photo: The Shabby Nest

Make a wreath out of old books or sheet music. I love this one from Cha Cha:

Photo: Sit Relax & Read

Of course, I have already hit some of the biggies in my blogging career...I made dollar-store hurricanes, hand-painted my own sign, burlapped almost everything, created silhouettes of my children, made a coffee-filter wreath, repainted two dressers (one here and one there), and tackled various organizing projects. Phew!

Still...I know I am forgetting something! What am I missing that every crafty blogger should strive to accomplish in her blogging career? Because I need more on that Bucket List...

Sunday Funnies

2011-05-08T01:00:00.003-04:00

'Nuff said.

Making Mommy Friends

2011-05-05T13:11:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that being a stay-at-home mom can be an incredibly isolating experience. I traded in a life and career outside my home for one spent almost entirely within it. But I didn't think about any of that at the outset. In my ignorance I actually thought I would be that super-cute momma meeting her many cute-momma friends at the playground every day. The one with the designer jeans and the rockin' body from all that free time spent at the gym. The truth is not so cute...read more here!

To read the rest, click on over to my Guest Post at Charlotte Mom Favorites! I am thrilled to be blogging over there today...and if I get enough clicks, I might win a prize! Please, pretty please, click over for me, won't you?

Coral Perfection

2011-05-03T15:08:00.000-04:00

They're finally here! My roses are blooming, and it makes my heart happy.

That first flush of blooms is the moment I've waited for, impatiently, since they started dying off last Fall. Since I cut them back in January. Since I fertilized them last month.

I love gardening, even though I am still an amateur. These roses, though, they make me feel like going pro.

2011-05-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

Littlest Boo, who I still refer to as "the baby" even though he turned two last month, wakes up before anyone else is ready. Sometimes he wakes up before the whole world is ready. For a long time it was 4:45, 5:00, 5:30.

Yeah, I know.

These days he usually sleeps until close to 6:00, but now that I have said that out loud I am certain he will rise for the day at 4:30 tomorrow.

Anyhoo, all those early mornings got Hubs and I into a routine of taking turns getting up with him while the other "sleeps in" until 7:00. It actually pains me to think of 7:00 as "sleeping in," but it will probably be this way for the rest of my life, so okay.

On "my" mornings I bring the baby down and we sit on the couch cuddling and petting our cat. It's such a sweet time, until he starts shouting at me to "Pway Twains Me!" This is toddler-speak for "play trains with me, you slave to my every whim." One morning recently he started shouting something else, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was. "Atch Ports!" "Atch Ports!"

Of course I forgot to check with Hubs about what he could be asking for, but I figured it out 'round about the third morning. Turns out, "Atch Ports!" translates into "Turn on Sports Center right now, woman, just as my father does every other day." Hmph. Some days, I even almost do.

Cool Man Cave Decor

2011-04-28T01:00:00.001-04:00

Want to hear something sweet?

I know you're thinking, "what sweet thing could possibly have anything to do with Bacardi?"
No, it's not a Long Island Iced Tea.

I have a friend who wanted to surprise her husband for his birthday. They had decided to transform their bonus room into his space, and she wanted to do something special for him. He already knew about the new pool table, but he got a HUGE surprise when he saw that she'd hung all his autographed NASCAR photos, his favorite album covers, and his HUGE collection of bar mirrors on the walls of his new Cave.

The things she'd never allow anywhere else in their home finally got dusted off and placed with care upon his walls. How sweet, right?

So I came over to help her decide how to arrange things, and when I saw his collection of bar mirrors I knew I would be sharing with you. Check out this room before:

The layout is typical of a bonus room, with little nooks and low, angled walls. Eventually they'll get a flat-screen TV, but in the meantime they pulled out the couches and put in the pool table. And we turned one of those low walls into a showcase for his collection:

I wasn't taking great bloggy pictures, so it's hard to tell there's a table and lamp on the right-hand side.
That's where Michael Jordan's face is resting. Well, his book, actually, but also his face.

I absolutely love what this did for the room. It gave it a focal point, made use of awkward wall space, and celebrated something he's had fun collecting over the years. Plus, it is cool.

So, if you have "like" objects scattered around or stuffed into closets, think about how they might be arranged to showcase their similarities and make a statement. I am getting ready to find every black frame in my house and do it too! Unfortunately I was so in love with the mirrors I forgot to take pictures of the other things we hung up...but don't those mirrors totally rock?!?

Oh--and while I was over there I also put some vinyl on the wall (because, as you know, I am obsessed). Here's what you see in the stairwell leading up to his Man Cave:

Fun stuff!

Missed You!

2011-04-25T01:00:00.012-04:00

Did ya miss me too;)???

I had every intention of leaving an "away" notice on the blog, but we lost power on our last afternoon here and I was without my computer. Then I sorta forgot to keep up with the blog...and can you blame me?

I was waaaaay busy with urgent matters like walks on the beach.

Had things to do and people to see all over town.

Had to be on time for my playdates in the park.

Couldn't miss my meetings with the "natives," either.

Worked hard designing my Spring Collection.

And even carved out some QT with my cu-tie.

So, that's where I've been...and it was awesome. In the words of Biggest Boy, "Spring Break sure is fun!" Then we got to come home and celebrate His resurrection at Meck...which was also (do I use this word too much?) totally awesome.

Hope you've had an awesome week too!

Sugar and Spice

2011-04-14T01:00:00.009-04:00

Is that what little girls are made of? I wouldn't know, since I spend all my time around Snakes and Snails and Puppy-Dog Tails. That's just one reason why I relish the chance to visit my BFF and her sweet girls! Especially when one of those girls is just ten days old, and ohhhh so sweet!!!

She's done such cute things with her girl's rooms:

Would gladly use this to hop into bed every night!
Especially if I also had a tulle bedskirt!

Love!

Letters customized with scrapbook paper, and aren't they cute!?!
I've got 'em for my boys, too...I'll do a tutorial for y'all sometime if you like.

And while I was there, I gave her this vinyl wall-art for the new baby's nursery:

I love this verse and love how it turned out.

You may remember that I've had some trouble with my fickle friend (the Silhouette), but Silhouette America's customer service is *awesome,* and my problems seem to be all better. Chalk it up to a defective roll of vinyl, which Silhouette replaced for free.

I was so happy at how this project turned out that I came right home and added some oomph to one of my own walls:

Like it? Or is it way cheesy? I think it's cheesy and I like it!

Come On Over...

2011-04-13T07:21:00.000-04:00

Hip Hip Hooray! Bree from Coupons on Caffeine is featuring me today in her "Made It Wednesday" feature!

Won't you stop by and check it out?

In the meantime, a big "thank you" to Samantha at My Endless To Do's, who recently awarded me the Lovely Blog Award!

Thank you Samantha! I am not gonna bore y'all with more random facts about me, I think you may get enough randomness just by reading here! But I will say...come on over and visit these sweet gals!

Goodies from Cottage & Vine

2011-04-11T01:00:00.008-04:00

Remember how just last Tuesday I shared that I had won a store credit at Cottage & Vine from Emily A. Clark??? Well, by Friday my goodies were here and BOY was I excited! Talk about fast! Everything was wrapped beautifully and exceeded my expectations. Winning this contest literally made my month!

So, What did I choose? There's the charming vintage pitcher:

And the set of seven mini tin molds:

And (probably my favorite) these three silver-plate boxes, which are little but surprisingly heavy.

You just never know what you might find inside!

P.S. If you haven't won a bloggy contest yet, take heart! I 've entered hundreds of contests before winning this one...keep on entering and I know you'll win someday too!

Sunday Funnies

2011-04-10T01:00:00.001-04:00

Last week I was singing a song to Biggest, which has the words, "His love endures forever."

So he starts singing, "His love endures forever...His love endures forever...forever!"

So sweet.

Then he continues, ever so sweetly,

"His love is indoors forever! And outdoors...forever..."

Is Simpler Really Better?

2011-04-08T01:00:00.000-04:00

This picture of limes is 100% unrelated to this post.

This week was the last week in Simple Mom's Project Simplify series, which I have loved. Each Monday morning I've checked her blog in anticipation of that week's "Hot Spot." I was really excited when she announced that this week's Hot Spot was "Choose Your Own!"

So...which spot did I choose? Was it my crazed laundry room? My over-stuffed coat closet? My insane tupperware cabinet? What...Did...That...Mommy...Do???

I flailed, that's what I did. I did NOTHING! And I have no explanation really except that it just wasn't that simple.

Since I chose my motto for this year, "Simpler is Better," I've been trying to make decisions that encourage simplicity for me and my family. However, you know I have two main goals--simple and frugal, and lately they aren't playing nice.

These bins were both simple and frugal:

But these curtains...

...well, they were frugal but they were anything but simple. Simple would have been going online and ordering from Ballard. Frugal demanded that I couldn't do that.

In fact, I have found that it takes a lot of effort and some amount of money to simplify, at least when you are starting out. It takes so much time to clean out a closet, a pantry, or kids' toys. It take way more time to sell things you don't need than to stuff them into an already jam-packed closet, attic, basement, garage, etc.

I'm not complaining about trying to simplify, because I do think it is well worth the effort. What I am saying is sometimes I hit my limit. This week I just couldn't scrape together the energy to simplify anything! Just keepin' it real. How about you...do you find it is hard to balance simple with frugal? How do you make it work?

Imagine My Delight

2011-04-05T19:01:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! I just won my third ever giveaway! I just love reading blogs and winning things is one of the perks. Actually, reading this girl's blog is a perk in and of itself--go on over and check her out!

And, my prize is the chance to shop at this lovely lady's Etsy site:

I will be sure to share my goodies with you when I receive them!

Pretty Pillows

2011-04-04T01:00:00.001-04:00

I took a break from my pantry organization last week to sew some pillows for my spruced-up Family Room. You might remember these burlap sacks from this post. Well, here they are, enjoying pride of place in our main living area:

I especially like this one because it is reversible! Here's the other side:

I also made a couple pillows from this medallion-embroidered microfiber which is almost the same blue of my new curtains:

I love mixing that formal fabric with the burlap sack...it just makes me smile! Have a great Monday!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Beyond the Picket Fence

Sunday Funnies (Barely Keeping Sane Edition)

2011-04-03T01:00:00.000-04:00

Friday was an interesting day. After a week or so of our baby "sleeping in" until 6:30, he reverted last week to his normal 5:15-5:30ish wake-up time. On Thursday night he also added in multiple wakings. What is that? So Friday morning, in a fit of misguided decision-making, I decided it would be smart to go to both BJ's and the grocery store. Admittedly, I was using the grocery-store drive-thru, but still.

Turns out it was one of those days when everything seems to take for-evah. The kids were screaming like maniacs, I was causing extreme inconvenience to everyone I encountered, and I even needed a random man's help to lift a box into my car at BJ's. Then we pull up to the grocery drive-thru (we are literally 10 minutes from home by this point) and Biggest announces he needs to potty and no, he cannot hold it. Sigh. In this manner we finally finish our big trip, whereupon it takes me several hours to unload and organize everything. I managed to feed the boys and get them into Nap Time and Quiet Time, respectively.

So, when I heard Biggest whisper-shouting to me from the top of the stairs I had one of those moments I sometimes have. The ones I am not proud of. The ones where I feel rage, actual rage, that someone is disobeying a rule. I sighed loudly and went to the bottom of the stairs, and go, "What is it?"

He is standing there with his pants around his ankles, and starts enthusiastically telling me he saw a garbage truck from the bathroom window, as if this is the biggest news in the history of everything. "And do you know, Mommy, Mommy, do you know HOW it picks up the trashcan???" My fury is slowly abating, and I manage to hold my tongue. We have watched the garbage truck 15 bazillion times in his life, so I have a clue. Then he says, "It has this HUGE claw! And it goes like this!" Whereupon he starts imitating a garbage truck dumping a trashcan. He is still nude from the waist down. And I am standing on the bottom step watching him, and it is funnier than I could ever describe in words.

And that's how my fury turned into my Funnies. Thank God.

Pantries and Fridges and Freezers, Oh My

2011-04-02T08:09:00.000-04:00

This week's Project Simplify challenge was the pantry and the fridge. Now, I am not gonna purport to be moving any mountains here, but I did organize quite a bit and I am committed to doing these challenges, so here we go! I promise that by the end of this post you'll get some eye candy...so bear with me!

First, the fridge. It was easy. I do it every few months and each time I really enjoy a fresh, clean fridge for two days before it becomes a funk factory again. Here's what I did in there:

Better, right?

Now, the pantry was a little harder. I have tried to organize it many times before but this time I took more extreme measures. As you know, I have exactly $0 for stuff like this. I did scrape together a few bucks and get a couple of trays and bins, and they make a big difference. Just don't go thinkin' that this is the pantry of my dreams, okay? Okay. Here we go...

Turned into...

I used these white bins to collect mostly little stuff (e.g. candy) and ugly stuff (e.g. half-empty bags of chips).

I labeled them with vinyl words ("starch," "salt," and "sweet"). Then I faked it with my box of paper plates, cups and straws:

Looks okay from the front...

And just a tad less than okay from the side!!!
But it works for now, ya know?

If you're looking very carefully you'll notice that I removed my bottom shelf on that right-hand wall. For over three years I have been frustrated because our cat-food bin and step-stool don't slide under the shelf and are therefore 100% in my way, all the time. Why didn't I think of this sooner? And that's why I love these challenges--they inspire me to look at my problems with a fresh eye and really find a workable solution.

I also took away the over-the-door rack. I loved this rack in our old house, but with a 24" pantry door it was more of a hazard. Nary a week went by without me or my husband really banging into it. This means I lost a *lot* of storage, between removing the rack and taking away that one bottom shelf. Yet, the pantry is a thousand times better because stuff is consolidated and the space works for what I have. Spices went into two white trays, and medicines to a kitchen cabinet. I have even made a big grocery run since I snapped these pictures, and the pantry accommodated a bunch more stuff just fine.

This process reminded me how much I hate throwing things away. I never do, to my own detriment. For example, when I made my kids rolls with whole-wheat flour, I used a quarter cup of it and kept the rest on the shelf ~~of despair~~ of baking stuff. It was So. Much. Stuff.

Ridonculous.

Now it fits here:

I threw away everything I don't need in the foreseeable future. The boys didn't like their whole-wheat rolls anyway.

So, that's been my Simple Mom challenge this week! And, as promised, here's a reward for sticking with me...what I *wish* my pantry looked like!

Photo: Country Living

Photo: BHG

Photo: Traditional Home

Be still, my beating heart. A girl can dream!

Finally, because last week's closet challenge ended with a picture of Biggest hamming it up, now it's Little Boo's turn:

P.S. You know I am lovin' the Linky's at Simple Mom!

My Family's Newish Hangout

2011-03-31T01:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my spruced-up Family Room! This has been my major project for months now. When you are painting a room this size (trim and walls)...then sewing six lined curtain panels...and you're working on it in intervals ranging from 20 minutes to an hour...yeah, it takes a while. But I am "done" enough now to show you some pics, and I am excited!

Here's the Before (previous owners, although that is my Hubs checkin' it all out):

Note the yellowish trim and the gray, gray walls.

Gray, gray gray. Apparently I really didn't like this room because I could not find a single decent picture of it taken since we've moved in.

And here's the After:

Paint and curtains...what a big difference those two things can make! I love that my room feels way more like "me" with this new paint, and I really love the way the curtains soften the space and give it a completed feel.

Another thing I am loving? Having decorative items on my coffee table. I haven't had anything but tissues and a breast pump on that table since January of '07, so I am thrilled my boys are finally able to keep their hands off something like this. Plus, having it on a tray means I can move it in a heartbeat when I need to.

Isn't my little chalkboard pot so sweet? Love it!

A closer view of my whimsical, ephemera-filled mantel. I've just been having fun injecting some color and randomness in the room.

The paint color is a true greige...a medium-toned, warm gray that never appears pink, green, or gold. Here's a view of the entry into this room, so you can see more painted walls:

The last time we talked, I showed you my inspiration room and talked about painting my room the same color (Pismo Dunes by Benjamin Moore). Turns out, that beautiful beige turns totally pink in my house. After trying almost 20 different beige colors I ended up mixing the color I wanted and getting Sherwin-Williams to match it. If you would like to experience "That Mommy Greige" you can ask them to mix some up for you, using this formula:

If you use it, let me know how you like it!

Family Room Sneak Peek

2011-03-30T01:00:00.001-04:00

Remember a thousand years ago when I talked about trying to choose the perfect beige? Well, the painting is done. The curtains are done. And I am almost ready to show you my spruced-up Family Room. Until then...here's a sneak peek!

I'll see ya tomorrow for the full reveal!

Sunday Funnies

2011-03-27T02:00:00.001-04:00

This Sunday's Funnies come courtesy of a four-year old's sense of propriety. Which is nonexistent. Which is to say, I have been humiliated by my child. We were getting out of the car at good old Target. About three cars over there was an older woman loading her bags into her car. All was well.

Then Biggest says, at top volume (is there any other way?), "Wow, that woman looks very OLD to me!"

I quickly look over to see if she heard, and see that she is either a little hard of hearing or tactfully ignoring us. I immediately turn red and whisper-shout, "Shhh! We don't talk about how people look!"

And he says, "But MOM, she does look very, VERY, VERY OLD!"

At that moment I resolved that if I ever am the target of a comment like that, I'll just smile and say "Kids say the darndest things!" I certainly won't think the child is a heathen being raised by an irresponsible and morally corrupt jerk of a mother. Will I?

Organizing: Child's Play?

2011-03-25T07:14:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge from Simple Mom was kids' stuff, and when I first found out about it I groaned so loudly my whole street heard it. I *hate* organizing kids' stuff because it feels like the Neverending Story. Just as soon as the toys are put away, they are all pulled out again. Just as soon as I get the right clothes in their drawers, they grow out of them.

Ya feel me?

But I did manage a measly effort this week, enlisting Biggest to help me pull some toys out of the playroom. We did this right after Christmas out of sheer necessity. We did it again in January, and now we've done it a third time in three months. He loves it! He starts pulling out toys he played with 5 minutes ago and saying, "I don't need this anymore! We should sell it!" (Yep, even my child is down with Dave Ramsey).

So another box of stuff has moved out of the playroom, never to be seen (or even missed) again. Still, I'm light-years away from where I would like to be with this room. It used to be my office/craft room. Then my baby's toys started exploding. Exponentially exploding (say that three times fast). So, as my Realtor predicted, it became the playroom.

Yes, this is what I look like when I am clean. You should see me when I'm messy.
You can't because That Mommy forgot a "Before" picture. Sorry.

I have yet to paint the walls, really decorate it as a kids' space, or fill up that shelf with more bright bins to replace the worn-out beige ones. When I do all those things I will post a real "After" picture. I keep reminding myself that Tsh challenged me to organize, not decorate. I do like these labels I made a couple of weeks ago:

Supplies: 29-cent wooden circles, a can of chalkboard spraypaint, ribbon, and a drill. Easy peasy.

And a couple of years ago I made the letters that spell the word "PLAY." Those are the only two things I love about this room. Therefore, my favorite view of the playroom is this one:

I know I am lucky to have a playroom with doors, so please forgive my moaning. I don't mean to be so whiny, I just am.

As for clothes, I was able to do just a little organizing in Biggest's closet this week. Have a look at the Before:

Yeah, it's bad. And I hate it that this is the first picture I have ever shared of his room!
The rest of it is slightly cuter, I promise.

And here's the After:

Yeah...they're not so different really. BUT I did take out all the clothes that don't fit my big boy anymore, as well as several things that really didn't belong in his closet anyway. Those bags have items that he will grow into any day now, and the sweater-organizer holds his clothes that fit but are more wintry (all his Spring & Summer has been moved to his dresser). Blankets are neatly folded on his shelf. Behind him is his luggage. I couldn't resist showing you my cutie and the outfit he picked out for himself yesterday.

Next up: Littlest's closet, and it is even worse.

P.S. You know I'm lovin' the Linky at Simple Mom!

Vintage Canning Decor

2011-03-23T01:00:00.002-04:00

The other day I was making a salsa which requires three cans of black-eyed peas, and as I was going to recycle them I wondered if I could do something fun with them instead. And these cuties were born!

All I did to make these cute "vintage" cans was remove the original labels, then print and attach cuter ones. I found images online using the search terms "vintage canning labels," and just printed them on regular paper, making sure that they were at least 9.5 inches wide (the circumference of the cans). I didn't worry about how tall they'd be, and the different heights doesn't bother me at all.

"See, we're just boring old cans."

The Lazy-Woman's How-To: one picture with all the supplies laid out.

I thought about using Mod Podge or even a spray-on sealer, but instead I decided to go with "easy" and simply tape them on (I always use a scrapbook adhesive roller for this type of thing). If I spill water on them I can always make new ones. Right now they are sitting on my "vintage" kitchen cabinet:

Speaking of which, I don't think I ever showed you this fun project! I bought this cabinet for $5 at a yard sale. It was white with a yellowed lace in the cabinet door...and was beyond yucky. When I decided to use it in my kitchen, I painted it black and created a punched tin panel for the door. I used tin flashing, a template I found online, and a hammer and nail to punch the design. I wish I had pictures, but --sigh-- this was a pre-blog project. Oh well.

With all these "vintage," goodies, I should call this little wall in my kitchen the General Store! Can't wait to fill those cans with roses this Summer!

P.S. Lovin' the Linky's at:

Beyond the Picket Fence

Happy Birthday Littlest!

2011-03-22T01:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Second Birthday to my sweet Littlest Boo! LB, you are my angel. You fill our home with your sweet giggles and make my heart burst with love. You and your brother are the sweetest things in my life and I love you both soooooo...MUCH!

Love,

Sick and Sicker

2011-03-21T08:37:00.000-04:00

We've been sick, and by "we" I mean my children. I have been fine so far, but we all know what that means. I am not really fine, because no one is fine when their children are suffering. The worry, the sleeplessness, the hard work (yeah, I have changed one boy's sheets 5 times in two days). Fun.

We've had snot, fever, vomit, and now strep. Fortunately, one day on antibiotics and things are looking up again. And it gets me thinking about how my mood, my attitude, my perspective on everything is so affected by what is happening with them. If they're happy and healthy, life is great. If they aren't, life sucks.

This up-and-down roller-coaster over which I have no control is my least favorite thing about motherhood. I have deep issues surrounding loss and fear of loss, and every little sniffle taps into those. It's brutal, but it's what we all go through all the time. I would like to think I am pretty spiritually mature, but going through a rocky patch like this one show me I've got some growing to do. Because God gives me each day, even the days we find ourselves at Urgent Care. (Someone please tell me why we are always sickest on Sundays? Why???)

I know there are moms and dads out there who have problems so much bigger than strep throat. I am friends with a few of them, and knowing what they go through makes me feel ridiculous for panicking over a sore throat. I just wonder if I will ever be able to keep my perspective, even on those days when my children are feverish and hurting. Will I be able to feel God's love in those moments, just as I do when I feel blessed? I am reminded of the Serenity Prayer, which I learned a long time ago but seem to "forget" a lot:

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Have you ever heard that one? How do you keep perspective when your kids get sick?

Sunday Funnies

2011-03-20T01:00:00.001-04:00

The other day all four of us were playing board games. Since Little Boo thinks board games are actually "grab everything you see and make a nuisance of yourself games," I was spending pretty much all my time deterring him. Pulling him off the board, giving him his own game pieces to eat, that kind of thing.

So what did he do? Smacked Mommy on the top of her head, that's what. Hubs just got done saying, "He just smacked you on the top of your head!" when the little guy smacked Daddy on top of his head.

So I put on my serious face and said, "Oh, Little, we do not hit our family. It is not nice." Daddy said, "Say sorry, please."

So Little said, "Sorry Mommy!"

Then he said, "Sorry Daddy!"

Then he turned, smacked his brother on the top of his head, and shouted happily, "Sorry bwuhther!"

So much for lessons learned.

Cleaning up the (Paper) Clutter

2011-03-18T08:43:00.000-04:00

We're two weeks into Simple Mom's Project Simplify series, and when I first found out about the series I was so excited!

Then BAM! The very first challenge was the Master Bedroom Closet. Well, seeing as how I just finished organizing my closet, I kinda skipped out on that one.

Then came this week's challenge: Paper Clutter. And I thought, "Well, Tsh, you already inspired me to clean up my paper clutter." Since January I have added a basket right by the door to recycle paper, I created a Mommy Notebook to hold important (and less important) paper clutter, and I showed you how I organize my child's growing artwork portfolio.

Just when I was thinkin' I would have to skip another week of the party, I got to the section about something near and dear to my heart: magazines. Oh yes, I might have a slight issue with magazines. Without further ado, here's the dilly:

The "light reading" basket in the powder room.

My end-table, which now sports only a few most recent mags.

The corner of my office, aka "Magazine Purgatory" turned blessedly empty corner.

Wow, I let it get bad. Fortunately I have a system. And now, with further ado, I'll show you what it is.

Step One: Let your magazines pile up until they threaten to topple over and block all exits. Just kidding. Kinda. I have been getting more magazines thanks to all the points programs I use (thank you, My Coke Rewards). I love them, but I may need to draw the line somewhere soon.

Step Two: Set aside some time to tear those things apart. This is key: set a time limit! Last week I went through an entire diaper box full of Real Simple in 10 minutes, because that's all the time I gave myself. If I don't limit myself I sit and read the magazines, which quite clearly I don't have time for. Here's everything you'll need:

Just tear, staple when necessary, and create one big stack. Actually, I usually create two stacks: recipes and everything else. It is easiest to do only minimal amount of sorting at this stage. Your couch is only so big.

Step Three: Take your stack someplace roomy like your kitchen counter and sort it into categories. You might want to wait and create your categories after you see what you were drawn to and what you collected. Mine are:

Then you are ready to file your articles by category into an accordion folder. I got this one at Target a few years ago and it is still treatin' me right:

Another option? Years ago, I tore every page out of every issue of House Beautiful and put them in binders like these:

Because everyone needs every page of House Beautiful from 1993 and 1997...right?

Step Four: Further categorize your recipes and file them in your "Recipes" accordion-file:

I'm so full you can't even see my dividers, can you? They're there, I promise!!!

Told ya so!

Step Five: Bask in the glow of your semi-annual magazine purge! Good job lady!

Anyhoo, those piles I showed you? I got rid of those in a couple of hours. A couple of hours while watching TV that I otherwise would have just been watching TV. So, hey, wasting my brain offset by being productive...yay me. To me, that time is worth it to be able to reference all these great ideas.

Or...you could just carry your piles of magazines directly out to your recycling bin. Then you get to bask in your clutter-free glow without giving up any of your time. Hmmm...that just might be simplicity nirvana right there.

Maybe someday.

P.S. You know I'm lovin' the Linky at Simple Mom!

Super Easy Silhouettes

2011-03-14T01:00:00.001-04:00

Seems lately I am playing "catch up" with all the popular online crafts. First came the coffee-filter wreath, now it's on to silhouettes! Honestly, I have looked at a lot of tutorials on how to make silhouettes, and had been brainstorming ways to use my Silhouette to make a silhouette (funny me), when it just hit me the other day. Use what you have, dodo. They're called scissors. And I was able to make these in about 10 minutes:

I promise you can do this too--it is so easy! The only thing I will say is that you will want to use craft scissors--smaller scissors with a very sharp tip. Mine came from Target, or you can get them from any craft store.

First, I took pictures of my boys staring into space. Then I just printed them on computer paper in a 4x6 format. I then taped that picture (top and bottom) onto a piece of plain white cardstock, and just started cutting around the edges, like so:

Freaky! I *hate* this picture!

A little better? Well, he does need a haircut.

When I was finished I had this:

You can see here that I fudged a little to create an eyelash for him which wasn't in the original picture due to the angle. But this boy has ridiculously long and beautiful eyelashes, and I love how they look in silhouettes I have seen, so I just was mindful of that and added it in when I was cutting.

I used spray-adhesive to attach the silhouettes to scrapbook paper, and framed 'em up! Speaking of frames, can I just brag on the steal I got on these for a sec? Got them on clearance at (again) Target:

See the damage? I used wood filler and spray paint on them when I first brought them home and it's barely noticeably now. Too bad, I liked the green. But you can't go wrong with white, either.

So, I'm lovin' my little boys in silhouette!

Happy crafting, peeps!

Sunday Funnies: Little Boo Edition

2011-03-13T01:00:00.001-05:00

Big Boy tends to get all the stories told on him here in Sunday Funnies, so I am dedicating this week to the baby.

The baby, who's going through a little bit of a stage lately. The stage where everything is "MINE!" followed by snatching, pushing, knocking you over to get it. Book? "MINE!" Train? "MINE!" Discarded granola bar wrapper? "MINE!" So that was the deal all through our playdate on Tuesday, and that's not so nice when the poor victims are usually infants. So I am sitting with an 8-month-old on my lap as her Mommy buckles her bigger child into the car. It's just me, the baby, and my own two boys. So LB comes over and starts patting the baby's back, and I was thinking, "Awwww...the first sweet thing he has done to her all morning! So cuuuuute!" Then he says, "Go. Outside. Baby."

Another funny one, and this is not my proudest moment as a mom but here goes anyway. I may have mentioned I have been up to my eyeballs in paint lately. Well, apparently that has meant streaming some cartoons for the boys, because there I was, waiting for Netflix to load on the TV, when LB says, "N-T-I-F-X-L....spewl....NET FIX!"

Yep, both of us are so proud.

Tired of Coffee Filters yet? Me neither.

2011-03-11T01:00:00.009-05:00

I have been wanting to show off this little guy for a while, and couldn't until I was ready to give it to my Aunt, since I didn't want to give away the surprise! Well, she's getting it tomorrow and I am *so* hoping she isn't reading this right now!

The Shabby-Chic glory of it all.

I know you've seen tons of coffee filter wreaths, so I won't bore you with too many how-to's...but I will say I incorporated both fabric and tissue paper in mine. I cut squares of each and sheared the edges of both (and the coffee filters) with pinking shears. Then I haphazardly hot-glued it all together--coffee-filter on the bottom, than ivory lining fabric, then white tissue paper. I made about 25 little rosettes like that and glued them onto a straw wreath I had wrapped with more fabric. I love hot-glue.

The close-up. I just love this little gal.

Finally, I added a white ribbon which she can use or take off, whichever.

I'm so pretty! I need a twin to live in That Mommy's house!

Hope she likes it!

P.S. As usual, I am lovin' the Linkys at:

Finding Fabulous

The Shabby Nest

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Designer Garden

Antique Finds and Losing My Mind

2011-03-10T07:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Thursday! How did you get here so quickly? I was just thinkin' I should come in here and write a post for Wednesday, when I realized Wednesday has come and gone and left Thursday in its wake. Not that surprising, really. I have been up to my eyeballs in paint. I am painting my family room, which has meant (1) sanding and painting all the woodwork, (2) sanding and repairing all the walls, (3) endless, endless taping, and (4) finally, painting. This is done in one-hour increments, aka naptime. I spend all my time covered in dust and bruises.

However, over the weekend I did find inspiration at a huge antiques show. Check out these goodies:

yum.

yummer.

yummy-mcyummersons.

oh--cute! and yummy.

Fun stuff, isn't it? I love looking back at these pictures because for the last two weeks I have mostly been looking at this:

Wish me luck!

What is our Family's Purpose?

2011-03-07T19:54:00.000-05:00

When I started my "Simpler is Better" series, I talked about how I encountered Tsh's system of simpler living and Dave Ramsey's plan for financial well-being at the same time. One of my favorite challenges given by Tsh is the Family Purpose Statement, where you actually write down your family's purpose and then use it to direct your decision-making. I recommend using the questions Tsh asks in her book, Organized Simplicity, but you certainly don't need to. Ask yourself:

what do you value?

when do you feel your best?

what activities does your family love?

how do you want your home to feel?

And I bet you'll get there. In case you would like an example, go over to Tsh's site and see her post about the Purpose Statement. I'm so excited about the series on organizing she's kicking off this week, and you can learn about that too! And, in case you're curious...here's my family's Purpose Statement, hot off the presses! Just know this is just ours--yours can and should be a reflection of your family and it can take whatever form works for you.

In fulfilling this purpose individually and together, we will:

always show love and respect for one another.

be grateful for our many blessings, and be happy with what we have.

pray often and read His Word daily.

be good stewards of our resources, by being frugal, living simply, and making purposeful decisions.

tithe.

care for our world and the people in it, striving to show God’s love for His creation.

keep our home organized, comfortable, and welcoming.

have fun together.

I loved sitting down and being intentional about what matters to us. Hopefully you have one too...or maybe you'll write your own soon!

Sunday Funnies

2011-03-06T11:29:00.000-05:00

My son, who just turned four years old, came up with a new expression this week. I thought I had heard it once already, muttered under his breath, but I was sure I heard it when he was playing with Daddy in the next room and he blurts, "What the holy?!?"

I go, "Did he just say, what the holy?"
Daddy goes, "Did you just say what the holy?"
Biggest goes, "..............ummmm, noooooooo."

Hmmm. So, we're in the craft store Friday and we're looking at the selection of ribbons. Out of the blue he (loudly) says, "What the holy?!?! There are so many ribbons here!"

So, I'm askin' myself, how does my baby come up with a phrase like that? Has someone said that to him? Or has someone (perish the thought) said that other phrase and this is what he heard instead? I mean, what the holy?

P.S. Like my blog? Don't forget to vote for me by clicking the link over on the sidebar...never mind just click here!

Design Dilemma: What Would You Do?

2011-03-04T07:10:00.000-05:00

So, I've been painting the Family Room. Which means I moved some things out of there. When I moved the piano out, I put it in the Dining Room. Then I was reminded of my Master Plan to turn our Dining Room into a Music Room.

We *love* our music in this house. The boys adore dancing while their Daddy plays guitar or piano, and I just hate it that we've had guitars shoved into closets for...forever. Meanwhile, we use our Dining Room a few times a year. So, I think we need to make better use of the space we have and really use this room. Yes, it's the one room in our house which was decorated to my satisfaction. And now it looks like this:

A scene of chaos and destruction.

I plan on bringing in a round table and an upholstered chair, bringing in the guitars and changing out the wall decor. So, here's the dilemma. I have this antique china cabinet. It is clearly a china cabinet and not even remotely "bookish." Should I leave it in our new Music Room? Should I put it elsewhere? Can I use a china cabinet outside of a Dining Room?

I think I will also need to relocate our wine rack...but that's totally manageable. The china cabinet, however, needs your help. What do you think?

How Do You Do It?

2011-03-02T06:15:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been asked this question a lot. Sometimes it comes in the form of "how do you find the time?" But it's the same question. How do I have time to parent, keep a home in order, get crafty, and then (on top of it all) blog about it?

Well hold onto your hats because I'm going to reveal--for the first time--my secret for doing it all. Prepare yourself, this might just change your life.

1. I don't clean. I straighten. Some ladies in my Bible Study asked me how I keep my house "so clean." I told them not to look in the closets. Or upstairs. Or too close. It also helps to invite a group of women over every Tuesday morning--kinda forces you to pick up a little, so their babies aren't crawling around in our funk. The honest truth is that I was a much cleaner person when I worked and before I had babies. Add a blog into the mix, and I basically ignore bathrooms until they are in crisis. Like, need a therapist crisis.

2. My kids watch TV. Okay, so I used to be kinda against TV, or at least extremely careful about how much we watched. Then I got pregnant for the second time, and found myself unable to get up from the couch for three months. This did not go over well with my 2-year old, so we started watching more TV. Now, I still don't keep it on in the background and I do limit the time we watch, but its also true that I occasionally blog while my boys watch cartoons. How do I find the time? By wrecking their brains on Blue's Clues, man.

3. In spite of the fact that my computer is filled with high-quality JPEGs, I have no pictures. For a long time I faithfully took a bazillion pictures, uploaded them to Snapfish every couple months and ordered my faves. When they came I would put them in an album and label them. These days, I barely take pictures of my boys, I certainly don't upload them (and forget about sharing with others), and (I'm not lying) the last picture in my photo album is of my baby turning one year old. He turns two next month.

4. I don't return emails. I now consider two months adequate turn-around time for responding to emails. I repeatedly have to apologize for "forgetting to email you back." I feel like a class-A idiot but it'd just the way it is right now. Some days I feel like my "to-do" list is a mountain, and I have to ignore what I can get away with ignoring. Ignoring your email does not mean I don't care about you though!

The simple truth is that something has got to give. I can't do it all, and no one can. My life is hectic and crazy and imperfect, and I want y'all to know that. So, if you have ever wanted to ask me "how do you do it?"-- well, now you know. And now, you too can "do it all." When your bathroom gets real funky, just don't blame me.

Eclectic Nature-Inspired Mantel

2011-02-28T07:15:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing some great Spring-inspired decor out here in bloggy-land lately, and I gotta say I am ready for Spring too. Just haven't *quite* gotten there with my decor yet. I've been enjoying my late-Winter mantel since I took down my solitary Valentine's Day decoration. Care to take a peek?

So I was given a whole mess of pheasant feathers by my dear sweet friend Astor, whose husband goes hunting on an annual trip out West. I've so admired her use of the feathers in floral arrangements, and I wanted to give it a shot too. What do you think?

The feathers star in my zinc planter.

I love the wildness of it...makes me feel ready to be outside!

Feathers have such intrinsic beauty that they're great all by themselves. Beautiful patterns and colors--what's not to like?

They inspired me to celebrate natural textures and patterns in this mantel, as in the zebra stripes in my photo there, and the really rough, weathered wood of the frame I put it in. But I also really like the bit of shine in the lantern, and the sparkle of the glass up there as well. Am I just unable to stick to a theme? I don't know, I just like mixin' and matchin' I guess!

I used more feathers in my other vignettes around the family room--Astor, you were so generous to give me so many! I tried to replicate the "feel" of the mantel (nature-inspired eclectic? point-and-shoot safari?) but added some blue accents in these other areas.

Sweet little feathers in a burlap nest.

I *love* decorating with books--even with their covers on!

So, how long it lasts is always an open question with That Mommy on the prowl. I'll probably simplify for Spring, but enjoying the richness of it for now. How about you? Have you moved on to Spring yet?

Sunday Funnies

2011-02-27T06:33:00.000-05:00

Isn't it so cute when your preschooler is trying to pronounce something and it comes out all funny? Biggest is real into doing mazes, but I can't get him to say the word right. He always calls them a-mazes. As in, "That was a really fun a-maze, Mommy. Can we do a a-maze later too?"

He is also convinced that bubble wrap is actually called "bubble wrack." He actually gets mad when we call it by its proper name, and insists it is "wrack." I have a vision of our family all calling it bubble wrack someday, due to his ~~stubbornness~~ commitment to his pronunciation.

Just last night I was explaining what Lightning McQueen's race official does, and he goes, "Okay, okay, so this guy here is the artificial. He's the artificial and he decides who wins!" Cracked me up. Earlier yesterday we were pretending to be pirates and he repeatedly shouted the phrase, "Shimber me tinders! Shimber me tinders!" I think he's got that one right, at least. The artificial says so.

Introducing the New Me!

2011-02-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

So...notice anything different about me???

And...you likey? Because I love-y! I haven't been around this week because I decided I would not publish one more post until my Comments window was working again. I have learned that being able to receive your comments is so huge for me. Not so much for the sweetness of them (although that is very nice), but because I blog to connect with people. So writing posts without even an option to write back...uh, that wasn't workin' for me.

Long story short, after many hours trying to fix the problem (including calling in my very special reinforcements who speak HTML) I realized it would take a redesign to fix the problem...so I called the Fairy Blogmother! Now, not only are my problems solved, but I also have a cute new look...yippee! And the best part is that it was affordable, which if you know me and my commitment to Uncle Dave, you already knew it had to be.

Watch out now 'cause I am baaaaaaaack!!!

Sunday Funnies: Private Parts Edition

2011-02-20T07:55:00.001-05:00

One morning, back when Big Boy was about three and a half, I was getting him dressed. We got to his underwear and he spent a couple seconds looking at it. Then he asks me, "Why is the design on the back of my underwear and not on the front?"

Me: "I guess to make your bum look cute."

Him: "Maybe it should go on the front and make my penis look cute!"

We have a bunch of other penis stories too. My husband tells a hilarious one involving very loud talking about other people's penises in a locker room. Then there was the time that we took him to a very nice restaurant. The pianist (am I like 12 years old for chuckling to myself at the word "pianist?") comes over to our table to chat and says to him, "Ooh, that food looks yummy! Does your tummy feel good now?"

"Nope," he says, "just my penis."

Cute Monogram Art

2011-02-18T06:38:00.002-05:00

Remember the other day when I told you about my Craft Gone Wrong? Well, here is the final result of that particular project, and in the end I think it turned out pretty cute:

Awwwwww!

I made this monogram for my dear friend's daughter who just moved into her "Big Girl" room. It was pretty simple, really. I used the Silhouette to make the letters themselves out of cardstock.

Then I used spray adhesive to attach the monogram to scrapbook paper, and then framed it in a 12x12 frame. I really wanted to get this done quickly, so I ended up buying a less-than-perfect frame and fixing it up a bit. Here's what the frame originally looked like:

Of course, I was not going for primary yellow, so I also picked up a can of white satin spray paint. I liked that the frame was wood, but like I told my friend, I think a cuter frame would be...um...cuter.

Okay, so why was this a Craft Gone Wrong? Mostly because the Silhouette is a fickle friend. Yes, she can do some amazing things. She (and her software) can also give you fits. I won't bore you with the play-by-play, but if you are having trouble welding letters, email me and I will send you my nitty-gritty instructions to make it work.

P.S. Lovin' the Linkys at:

Truly Lovely

Finding Fabulous

The Shabby Nest

Fingerprints on the Fridge