Messie Confessions

I'm pregnant! :o)

2010-08-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in quite a while, but there's a reason! I'm pregnant! Yay! I know that shouldn't stop me from blogging, but since I hadn't shared the news with family and friends, I really couldn't blog anything honestly! I couldn't blog about spray painting this or that since I had to give that up... and I really couldn't blog about how tired and crabby I've been... or how nauseous I've been... it's hard to blog at ALL when you've got a big secret! ;) But the secret's OUT, so I'm back (well, sort of!). I've got a very hectic two weeks ahead because of work stuff, doctor's appointments gallore, etc.... so I'll be back in a few weeks. So... about the baby....

So exciting... scary... overwhelming! We're expecting in March, so I am thrilled! With a toddler in tow already, they'll be a little over 2 and a half years apart. I am very, very happy that it's less than 3 years! I'm praying for this child already. I'm also praying that my firstborn will welcome this baby with open arms, will love him or her, and will be nothing less than elated to have a sibling. After the miscarriage last November, I do constantly worry about this baby, but I know God's in complete control. It's early to announce, but He's got my family in His hands and I trust Him completely. I've dedicated this child to Him already and I know in my heart this baby belongs to Him regardless.

God, I thank you for this miracle you're working in me. I need your strength to get me through each day. God help me shake off my laziness and embrace a life of order. I know that I cannot raise two children in chaos. Give us a renewed strength to finish our home remodel and get the house in order before this child arrives. You promised us You'd not put more on us that we can bear. I trust that this child is coming in Your perfect timing and that You will provide all we need to set things in perfect order when the time is just right. God, fill me with a brand new desire to make this house a sanctuary for my family. You know my heart's desires: to get my family on a schedule (not just my children), to ease the burdens my husband carries, and to prepare my son for this new arrival. Please order my steps and guide me in this process. Grant me wisdom, strength, and grace to get me through the next 7 months of preparation. I am forever gratefully Yours.

Everybody Clap Your Hands

2010-08-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I'm on a bit of a blogging hiatus. It wasn't intentional, just kind of happened. I know every blogger has their lulls but this is my first. I've got projects going left and right, and I've got a lot to say about a lot of things, but I just can't seem to get it together in a "bloggable" way if that makes any sense. I may not have words, but I always have a Sunday Song on my heart. Enjoy!

My Favorite Painting

2010-07-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

When the hubs and I got married, my parents gave me this painting as a wedding gift. I've adored the painting since childhood. I first saw it in a copy of one of my mother's Victoria magazines when I was probably 12 years old. I cut the image out and hung it in my room. It's still my favorite painting. I thought I'd share it with you.

Portrait of My Daughters by F.W. Benson, 1907

The artist painted his three daughters. I love that they are actually sisters because it reminds me of myself and my two sisters (I'm the youngest, so I'd be the one in the middle). If they had an older brother pictured with them, it would be even better. I know it's not really my family portrait or anything, but I have always felt bad that my brother isn't "pictured". We'll just say he was out sailing that day. :)

My print is in a goldish frame with a very mauvish gold-trimmed mat (it was lovely... in 1999), so I am working on updating it a little. I still can't decide where to put it, but it's definitely getting a proper home here somewhere... and soon!

I need a vacation. Period.

2010-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

I've been dreaming of a vacation. Daily. For 3 years. It's been that long since we've taken a real vacation. It was also around that time we finished up the year-long weekend demolition on the remodel, sold our first house, and began the grueling task of putting the remodel back together. Since then, our "vacations" have all been "stay-cations" involving a lot of work on the house. Things like contracting the plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and drywall. Installing the hardwoods, ceramic tile, endless paiting, etc. ourselves. So, what's happened in 3 years? Let's see. I took a new job, got pregnant, had a baby, and the hubs took a new job (a very demanding one, at that). He hasn't been home before 9:30pm all week. Saturdays are used to unwind, recharge, and plan for the week ahead. I can't expect him to work on the house when he's worked so hard all week. Sundays we get about 3 hours together. We all know life just happens and how plans change at every turn. It's life. We will probably get some time off this fall - finally! Will we take off for that much needed getaway? Doubtful. We'll probably use the time to work on the house. Again. It's the "right" thing to do. Perhaps we can hire out a few things while we install the last 4 rooms of hardwoods. Perhaps we'll be close to finishing this remodel by then. We really need a week to work. It makes sense and it's the logical choice, but it sure is depressing! I need time away! A real vacation. I have to get out of this house! My office outside the home used to be my little corner of peace in the world. A finished space that I could control. Keep clean. And organized. Working from home this year has been a challenge. It's hard to look around at this unfinished mess every day and focus on work. It's also hard to have a toddler and focus on house stuff, work stuff, or anything else for that matter. But coming home to an unfinished house after a week away would be equally as depressing. It's a hard pill to swallow, but I think the answer is really to stay here and work on the house. Sometimes doing what's best and what's right isn't necessarily fun or exciting.

Either way, I can't wait to have the hubs all to myself for an entire week. No work. Just the three of us enjoying time together. Regardless if it's a real vacation or just hanging out here working again at the messie house, whatever we're doing - it will be time together and I'm looking forward to that. I just hope I can keep it together until then!

Mascara + a 20 month old = a black eye.

2010-07-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Just in case I didn't make myself clear yesterday, I'm not perfect. This is what happens when you leave a 20 month old to his own devices for even 5 minutes. I checked, and believe it or not? My mascara is right where I left it. Where he found this one, I still can't figure out! He's super smart, though. At least he was applying it in the right spot! See those lashes? ;)

PS, I must tell you that the marks on his neck are from a skin condition that his doc is treating. And the yellowish spot in the center of his forehead is a healing knot from a fall over the weekend. My poor baby! :( And yes, his face is dirty (beyond the obvious mascara). Two words: BBQ chicken. And yes, he enjoyed it. :)

Parenthood: A TV-related Confession

2010-07-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Image Source: NBC.com

I posted a while back about my lack of cable, satellite, and other TV-related luxuries. I also told you that we don't even have a set of rabbit ears. In the process of emphasizing how frugal we are, I think I made us sound like we don't watch TV. So sorry about that. I had a couple of people email me to congratulate me for my honorable level of self-discipline. Eek. I really feel the need to clear that up. I have NO self-discipline. I do watch entirely too much TV. I refuse to tell you how many TV shows I watch online. It's like a proper lady telling her age. You just don't tell these sorts of things. I tell myself with each cancelled show that I won't pick up a new one. I never listen. This past year, I completely lost myself in the new series Parenthood. Ugh. Fabulous. Love this show. Love all the characters. I won't miss an episode this coming season, the day after they actually air (the only drawback to NOT having those rabbit ears... but the upside is the commercials are much shorter). Anyway. I am cheap. I don't have cable. But I do watch TV. Too much. Cable would be a really bad move. With all the primetime "regular" TV I watch, I dare say cable would put me in the sick category of TV addiction. It's better for me that we're frugal, seriously. I try to keep things in check, but I do have my guilty pleasures. TV is probably the biggest and most shameful on the list. I just wanted to clear the air. I'm just like 98% of this country and I watch far too much television. There. I feel better! By the way? For those of you who also have a love affair with all things television and missed Parenthood? Let me tempt you with the Pilot episode. All of Season 1 is available online. I'm just sayin'.

Trash to Treasure: 3 Down, 27 to Go

2010-07-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

In an effort to continue the Trash to Treasure Mission, I present Item 3: an old mirror/medicine cabinet combo...

The thing is ridiculously heavy. Here's part of the reason why:

I was dreading this, but it turned out so easy. I just took out 5 screws holding the cabinet on from the hinged side and the cabinet came right off. And it's still ridiculously heavy. I cleaned it a little and installed hanging wire. I am determined to get it on the wall. Yesterday.

The photo actually doesn't look that bad, but the frame is plastic and some of the brassy finish is gone. I love the oval shape, so it's definitely going in my half bath. My pedestal sink isn't even installed. I do not care. I'm so tired of looking at blank walls. I know it's not painted. I do not care. It's going up. As is. Love it or love it. ;) I measured for the pedestal, sink, and faucet. It's as good as I can get it at this point. I'm sure it will be fine.

I'll paint the frame as soon as I figure out the decor direction for the bathroom. I don't want to waste time and money on a paint color that I won't love for the completed bathroom. Just doesn't make sense. Since it's in the half bath inside the guest bedroom and I have no idea what decor I'm going with there, I just really want to wait. The positives: 1) I have a blank canvas; 2) I have a mirror to use when the sink goes in; 3) I've got something else OUT of storage; 4) I've got something else ON the wall.

I'm calling it done for the sake of my Trash to Treasure mission. It's my mission, so I make the rules. ;) If I'm going to finish this mission by the end of the year - I have to speed it up. There's more items than weeks left in the year!

Wedding Photos: Update in progress!

2010-07-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

My wedding photos bring back so many memories! I'm proud to say that nearly 12 years later, I still adore my dress and I'd so wear it again (well, more importantly, I still adore my husband and I'd so marry him again)! The only thing I'd change about my wedding if I were planning it today? It would be outdoors in the early Spring, the flowers would be from a field somewhere, and I'd so get jiggy with it at an outdoor BBQ reception. Our church frowns on dancing at wedding receptions. :( So, on to the point: I've been working on my wedding photo project for a while now. I hung this grouping in the hallway of our first house right after we got married in all their brass-and-cherry-framed loveliness. I haven't decided where the bridal portrait will go, so for now I'm just concentrating on the other two photos. I painted the ivory/gold mats white and the cherry/gold frames black, and I changed the color photos out to black and white. Here's the black and white version (sorry about the glare):

I've had this console table in storage for years (couldn't pass up the clearance item... this was the old me) and I've finally found a home for it (the new me). I was happy to discover that after years of storage and two moves, the mirror and glass table top are both still in tact, nothing is broken! And the clearance item which had been opened and returned was missing no parts! I do love the table and the lamp, but I'm not that crazy about the faux leather lamp shade and the crackled brown table top.

Here's the work in progress:

I'm still working on the table top and the lamp shade, so I'll be posting the "after" soon, I hope. Stay "tuned"! ;)

Are We Teaching the Truth in Love?

2010-07-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

This week's Sunday Song. Enjoy.

FOCUS!

2010-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

I was scrambling like a mad woman around the house getting ready for an appointment today. You see, we hardly leave the house, so it's a huge undertaking for me. Very stressful. I couldn't find one of my shoes (which little one is well known to drag from one end of the house to the other) and he says to me, "FOCUS!" When I'm frazzled and I forget what I'm doing, I stop and clap one good time, super loud like some kind of goofball and say, "Focus, Carrie... what are you looking for? Focus!" As in, "You can do this. Pull yourself together!" I have to pep talk myself through stuff sometimes. Scratch that. All the time.

So, anyway - my baby knows me well enough to say, "Focus." I so love it.

Trash to Treasure: 2 Down, 28 to Go

2010-07-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sort of. In an effort to continue my Trash to Treasure Mission for all my JUNK, here's the progress on Item 2:

That old bench.

Here's where I wanted it to land: in my makeshift entryway as you walk in the back entrance through the sunroom. The back door is our front door since it's where we park. The coat/key rack is from my old house. I figured they'd both look better in white.

Here's a sneak peek, after priming and reupholstering. I know. Blah. These certainly aren't the items I would have chosen if I were on a catalog buy-whatever-you-want-dear budget, but I am committed to making do with what I have. Even though he'd probably let me get by with it, I really think I've spent quite enough of my hard working honey's money on the remodel.

I guess I'll be honest and tell you that's only primer and the "seat" is just sitting on top so it needs to be screwed to the base once I finish the final coats of paint. I'm just out of paint and too impatient not to go ahead and post the after. I'll also tell you that this is my first upholstery project, I'm far too lazy to hunt down all your fabulous how-to's, so I just went with it. And yes, you can tell. ;) I totally put packing foam around the seat to keep the fabric from slipping... and to give it more cushion... and it worked. I'll also tell you that fabric set me back $5 and I feel really guilty since I don't love it. I totally settled and I feel a redo coming on. It may grow on me. Whatever. I'll give it some time.

I know it's poorly staged, but it is what it is, folks. We're remodeling and it's not always pretty in the process. We've still got to level the concrete and we've got tons of painting to do. Always something to do. Always. Anyway, it's nearly done but I'll be sure to take another picture after I get the final coat of paint on, the hooks installed, and the bench seat attached. That post will be much less painful, I promise! For now, it's nice to have a square foot of peace in the sea of chaos.

I'm linking to these fabulous parties!

Trash to Treasure: 1 Down, 29 to Go

2010-07-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am so ready to tackle the big pile of junk I showed you back in June. There were 30 photos, not counting the duplicates, so I'm calling it 30 items for the sake of simplicity. I'm committing to use, redesign, repurpose, or revamp the majority of my prized junk (hopefully all 30 items!). So many of the items intimidate me, so I thought I'd start small. Very small. So here it is folks. Here's my first measly attempt.

Item 1: Ugly Basket.

I have a gazillion baskets in my house already. I didn't want another one. I was tempted to trash it. Now, I know you're expecting paint. I was, too. But no. I decided to just clean it up and put it in a closet. When the occassion might strike, I'd have one ready to use. And it hit me several days later. All those little items (envelopes, half-eaten bags of crackers, almost empty bags of this or that) that kind of just wind up scattered - they could sure use a home. So...

Ta da! After:

I think it actually "goes" as is, so yay! While I realize this is hardly a "post worthy" accomplishment, I really can't help it. I'm accountable and I'm committed, durnnit. At least it's been rescued from the junk pile, cleaned, and is now being used!

That's 1 down and 29 to go! Lord help me - I'd really like to get the rest finished (among all my other ongoing projects) by the end of the year. Ugh. Lots of work ahead!

I'm linking to these fabulous parties!

What's Working for Me: Blogging It Out

2010-07-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

This first year of my 30's has been a year of complete and total change. I began working from home, my baby turned into a toddler, I lost a pregnancy, I let go of some old habits and I picked up some new ones. One of those new habits is blogging. I dove into it. Head first.

Blogging? Really? I realize blogging is "so 2001", but it's not about popularity. It's about What's Working For Me, regardless if it's "in" or "out". A boatload of people are still doing it (and doing it very well), so it's not completely dead yet, I don't think.

I love to write. Blogging is new to me, but writing is definitely not. I've always kept random journals. I have gobs of articles and essays that I've written out of pure pleasure. I've always looked at everyday situtations and thought to myself, "I've got to write about this when I get home." I carry a journal in my car or in my bag for all those moments, thoughts, or stories I didn't want to forget to write about. I always have a notebook with me. Always. Usually spiral bound, tattered, and full of the most random thoughts you could possibly imagine. Blogging didn't make me want to WRITE. I've always wanted to do that. It DID make me want to take more pictures in the process, though! That's for sure.

Are you THAT into yourself? A lot of people say that blogging is narcissistic. I do sort of get that. I guess the truth is, I am sort of consumed with myself right now. I'm 30. Scared to death about it. Who am I? Who I want to become? What is my calling? What kind of wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend do I want to be? Frankly, it does sound like I'm a bit self-absorbed. I guess there's a season for everything. My season right now happens to pretty much be about me. Narcissitic or not, I think my heart's in the right place. I think everybody needs a good self-examination every now and then. I'm just in an especially messie state, so the process is taking a lot longer than I anticipated.

Why? It takes little effort for me blog because I love to write, but I don't actually blog about the stuff I usually write about (religion, politics, love, letters, articles, journals). I REALLY BLOG to make myself ACCOUNTABLE. One of my goals for turning 30 was getting out of my messie-ness. I want to work through these issues I have before my child is old enough to remember the slob version of his mama. I also want to be sure he doesn't turn into a slob because of my influence.

Blogging & Blog Following...

What I've Learned.

It's addictive.

It's time consuming.

It's motivating.

It's encouraging.

It's inspiring.

Comments are like drugs. :-)

I am the WORST photographer.

How It's Improved Me.

I'm more aware of my time.

I see the junk around me in an entirely different light.

I'm becoming more frugal by the minute.

My goals are becoming more tangible.

My Goals. (A Very Broad Version.)

To make my home a sanctuary.

To finish our home renovation.

To decorate my home beautifully and frugally.

To buy less STUFF. Period.

To be more organized.

To have the family on a schedule, not just my child.

Why do you blog? I'd love to hear about it.

Monday is always a mess!

2010-07-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

{1} The weekend was a blur. Saturday was spent running errands and Sunday we visited family, so my house looks like a tornado came through. I don't think I have a single drinking glass clean. Not one.

{2} I did work some this weekend, so I'm so excited I've condensed my work to-do's from 71 tasks (a few weeks back) down to 9. NINE. Only 9. Wow. A few of those are 9 really detailed, painfully tedious projects that will stretch out for months. Several are 2 or 3-day projects. I'm hoping I can at least keep it below 15 this week with the new stuff coming in. Whew.

{3} I'm also very excited that I got something done around the house this weekend. Check out my fireplace! I still need to finish my bench and my foyer table, though. My personal to-do lists (broken down by category of course), have accumulated to well over 100 now. It wears me out to update it, but I do enjoy marking things off!

{4} I've got several appointments this week and several to-do's that MUST get done, too.

{5} I don't mean to depress anyone, but it's been a tough year. Had it not been for my miscarriage, I'd be basking in the sweet sound of my newborn baby's cry for the last couple of weeks. God has another plan and I'm happy to wait him out, but for the last 7 months, my belly has felt so empty. Now my arms feel empty. Thankfully, God has been merciful and has kept my heart full. I still have peace and joy unspeakable. I also have a son who, unknowingly, helped bring me through one of my life's greatest difficulites. He gives the best kisses and the biggest hugs in the world. I'm so grateful for the blessings in my life!

Join Carissa at Lowercase Letters for...

Fireplace Art, Before & After

2010-07-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I thought I loved it before. I didn't realize it at the time, but I just liked it. NOW I LOVE IT. I painted a design on each of the four panes on my fireplace doors. I used a stencil and then hand painted additional coats. I left it a little rough around the edges to give it a more vintage feel. I was going for wrought-iron or old world. Fancy yet simple. I think it's fabulous. Here's how it turned out...

Here's how the fireplace started out when we bought the house...

After paint...

And here's how the insert has come along...

Painted the brass black...

Hung the burlap curtain...

And now, the artwork is done...

Still a lot of work to do to the fireplace, but in the meantime - I am enjoying the part that IS finished!

I'm Linking to These Fabulous Parties!

Master Bedroom Remodel Progress

2010-07-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Since I showcased the closet progress this week, I thought I'd share the progress we've made on the master bedroom since buying the house.

Here's the original royal blue shag carpet and sad navy patterned wallpaper. The original closets were built about 16 inches too deep, which ate into valuable floor space in the room. They were also covered with actual doors that robbed us of additional floor space when opened. A wall divided the two closets. With so much WRONG, we gutted it completely and started over.

During...

Now (sort of - we're working on the closets, of course). We still need to install the bi-fold doors.

This was one of my biggest issues with the room: the 3 weird windows. One tiny one to the far left for an A/C and 2 weirdly high, weirdly sideways windows.

Much demolition and framing later... 2 normal windows. Our queen sized bed fits between the windows and on the other side of the room (in the closet pictures above). Our flooring gets darker each month with sunlight (yay!), so we rearrange our furniture often.

The windows made a huge difference to the exterior, too.

Another weird thing about the bedroom was the getting to it part. There were 5 steps - all different heights, mind you. I think the crew that built this master suite addition were all high.

So, to get the stairs to code (you know, equal step dimensions with the same rise and run for each step?), here's the work our contractor did to get it there.

And here they are now, in desperate need of paint and stain.

Another weird thing. I know - how much weird can we take here? There were 2 odd closet-type areas complete with actual doors that wasted a lot of floor space. (The door closed in the center is entrance to the room from downstairs.) The tiny closet to the far left was gutted and used for a new air duct. The over-stairs storage "closet" was also gutted.

We will use it to store our old giant TV for now (perhaps one day we'll plug it in and hook an antennae up to it!). We'll add shelving above it at some point. If we ever get a flat screen, we'll bring the wall forward and keep it here.

One of the decisions I'm happiest with on the bedroom renovation was the door! We get a lot of natural light through those 2 windows and since the family room below tends to stay dark, I chose a 15-lite interior door instead of the traditional solid door. Closed or open, the sunlight shines through! (And yes, that's my son. Investigating!)

We've taken a break painting, as you can see. The primer is tinted, so at least there's SOME color on the walls. The room still needs baseboards, trim, and paint everywhere! We've made some major PROGRESS, but I hope to post an official before and AFTER soon. :)

Linking to: Friday Remodelaholic's Anonymous Meeting at Remodelaholic

Pampers Gifts to Grow - Free Bonus Points

2010-07-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

For those who keep up with the Pampers' Gifts to Grow Points... here's some free bonus points for you. I'll be adding to the original post as I get new codes.

Added 8/2/2010:
AUG2010FACEBOOK (10 points)

Added 7/19/2010:
WELCOME2PAMPERS (50 points)
XKCMYXFVD96VXVK (10 points)

Added 7/17/2010:
GTGTENMONTHCODE (10 points)

Added to Post on 7/16/2010:
GTGFIVEMONTHS10 (10 points)
THRIFTYMOMMYGTG (10 points)

Added to Post on 7/8/2010:
GTGGETREADYSOON (10 points)

Original Post 7/7/2010:
FACEBOOKJUL2010 (10 points)
ENJOYYOURSUMMER (10 points)
OHAMANDAAWGTG08 (10 points)
4THFACEBOOK2010 (10 points)
JOINTHEFUNGTG09 (10 points)
WELCOME2GTG2010 (10 points)
WELCOME2VILLAGE (10 points)
GTGSPRINGFREE10 (10 points)
GTGPLAY3USA2010 (30 points)
GETSTARTEDNOW10 (10 points)
25GTGSUMMER2010 (25 points)
15GTGSUMMERFUN (15 points)
GTGSUMMERFUN5PT (5 points)
GTGLEARNMORE089 (10 points)

DIY Reach-In Closet: Design & Build

2010-07-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I tackled our master bedroom his/hers reach-in closets this weekend. We hate the white wire stuff and we weren't willing for fork out the cash for the laminate "pretty" stuff (nor were we willing to go into debt for those dreamy closets that the pros install), so we decided to design and build it ourselves. For about $100, we bought enough materials to do several closets. Here's the progress:

We used the shelf & rod brackets you see here (they hold 1000 lbs per pair and they allow the hanger to slide right over the rod... none of that stop and start mess).

We built our own closet rods using conduit and PVC. We followed the DIY video I posted last week.

We decided to go with pine shelving with a rounded front. We're going to stain them as dark as we can to coordinate with the wood flooring.

Here's our closet before:

As you see, we had been using wardrobe moving boxes for a while. Clearly those were super fun and were working really well for us. So, this weekend - we cleared the closets out...

And here's the progress so far.

We decided to hang my top rack lower than his. I have a long hanging section to the far left and then plenty of hanging space. There's lots of room between my lower rack and the floor, so I'm excited about shoe storage there!!! We're going to install the shelving on top of both rows of rods this weekend (hopefully). That will give us a little more storage on both sides (both up top and a little between the two hanging sections). We're not quite finished but I think it's coming along nicely. I am so excited!

Linking to: Hooking Up with House of Hepworths, We're Organized Wednesday at Organize & Decorate Everything, Friday Remodelaholic's Anonymous Meeting at Remodelaholic

Infantino Sling Recall

2010-07-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am such the procrastinator. I have no idea why. Probably the same reason my husband does it. That very same reason I tend to criticize him... indecision. Shame, shame. My mother always told me, "We're quickest to point out the faults of others when in fact they are our own." Well, she said something like that, anyway. You know- splinter in your eye, log in mine, yadda yadda. You get the point. So, despite dragging my feet, Infantino is still honoring their Sling Recall that I blogged about back in March. My indecision was really based on the fact that I didn't love any of the orginal replacement products. Good thing is - the choices are all different now. After much procrastination, I've finally picked out my replacement product. As you've seen from the nursery, I'm sort of a fan of black and white. Since the one I'm returning is black and white, I'm pretty excited to be getting another black and white one to replace it! I hope the inventory is available by the time my request is processed because I really like this sling! I wasn't a baby-wearer with little one, but I can so see becoming a baby-wearer with two kids in tow! How much easier would it be to wear than carry? Unfortunately, no babies are on the horizon for me at this point - but I'll put this sling away in hopes of a rainbow baby I know will be coming someday! Hopefully, I'll have to buy a duplicate since I'm praying for twins! ;) I believe in miracles in multiples, don't you? ;)

Call 2 Fall

2010-07-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

If you have the opportunity today, take the Call2Fall by praying for our wayward nation on this Independance Day.

We Speak to Nations

2010-07-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

- 2 Chronicles 7:14

I heart movies! A "Getting to Know Me" post...

2010-07-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

My friend over at Frou Frou Britches had a movie-themed Getting to Know You Thursday post this week and I absolutely had to pay tribute to her love of movies with a post of my own. I swear she and I could be long-lost sisters!

I heart movies. I really, really do! There's many things I will share about my movie addiction, though...

I'm super cheap. That means no cable or satellite, no movie rental memberships, no by-mail DVD subscriptions. When I say cheap, I mean C-H-E-A-P.

I don't do theatres. Since I'm cheap, I'm sure you can guess that I can count on one hand the number of times that my husband and I sat in a theatre together. In 12 years. Seriously. Our dating life never included movies since we both had a strict no-movie-date policy pre "I do". Something about sitting together for 2 hours having no conversation was awfully hard for us. We love good conversation. We don't mind snuggling on the couch together for a movie, but theatres are just not snuggle-friendly. Maybe if theatres had sofas? Maybe. I'd probably still be too cheap to pay for it, though. My sister and I do still have a yearly birthday tradition that includes dinner and a "real" movie at the theatre. Since it's a birthday treat, and there's no snuggling requirement... it's a once-a-year splurge I'm definitely willing to continue!

I watch movies online. So, I love movies and hate spending money. We used to rent 3 or 4 movies every weekend, then we went to the dvd-by-mail subscription service when that first came out. Since we've gotten all budget-conscious, we've cancelled all our memberships and we watch most our movies online. That, of course, means I get to see a whole lot less movies than I'm accustomed to. Booooo. Occassionally we do fork out a whole BUCK to watch a movie from those little rental kiosks, but it's really rare.

I rarely watch a movie twice. I have purchased ONE dvd in my life. ONE. Just Married. It was a sentimental movie for me (maybe I'll share the story someday), so I bought it. The bad part about that particular purchase is that I have a hard time watching movies that star dead actors/actresses. Probably one of the saddest celebrity deaths for me was Brittany Murphy. I actually teared up when reading the online announcements about her death. I can no longer bring myself to watch Just Married because I know she passed away. Shut up. I know I didn't KNOW her. I'm just still very, very sad about it! Don't get me started. Tommy Boy? Can't watch that either.

I don't do previews. I absolutely HATE a preview. I don't even read the back of a rental or the little "about" paragraphs on the reviews pages online. If ever I do watch a movie in a theatre, you can bet I'll arrive 10 minutes late so I'll be SURE to miss the previews. To me, previews completely ruin the spontenaety I love about movies. Most of them tell you what happens in the movie and spoil the funniest moments. I've stopped many a person mid-sentence when they begin telling me "all about" a movie. Once they tell me "all about it", there's no need for me to watch it! ;) If a conversation around me strikes up about a movie I'm dying to see, I always find a good reason to leave the room and I don't come back until the coast is clear! I know, I'm ridiculous.

I don't do Rated-R movies. Call me a prude, but whatever. We made the rule in my house a long, long time ago. I don't like the bloody movies, I don't like being beat over the head with the f-word, and I just don't like to see the bedroom scenes spelled out in front of me. I've missed many "great" movies, but it's just not worth it for us. We've made exceptions 4 or 5 times, usually for the "really good" action/suspense movies over the years, and we have regretted them all. The ONLY exception I would recommend is for The Passion of the Christ.

I don't do horror films. I am incapable of sitting through a horror movie of any kind. I cannot handle it! No scary don't-look-behind-you movies, no crazy killing movies, no war movies or bloody movies of any kind. I walked in on the daughter-death scene from that latest Mel Gibson film that my sister was watching and I have yet to wash my brain of that horrific image. I felt violated! Once you see something like that, you can't undo it. I made my sister turn it off while I visited for a few minutes. I always tell her that if there's no rainbows or ponies in it, I just can't watch it. ;)

I judge a "book" by its cover. Since I don't do previews, I watch movies based on 3 things: the title, the cover, and the actors/actresses. That's it. The cover is almost always very, very telling. Pay attention when scanning movie covers some time. They really do usually tell you all you need to know.

I prefer newer movies, but there's a few "classics" that I really, really love and could watch over and over again. There's dozens, but obviously Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes, and The Man in the Moon are way up there for me.

(Image Source: IMP Awards)

What's Working For Me: Weight Control

2010-07-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

I am reluctant to write any weight-related posts, but I hate it. It's something I really care about. A lot. One of these days I'll probably write about why, but today I'll just tell you What's Working For Me. (Sorry for my curled up toes, they're camera-shy because they're in bad need of a pedicure.)

I weighed about 130 when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. These days I weigh between 118 and 121 lbs, depending on the day of the month. ;) I should weigh around 112.5 (or so my doc says, for my height), but I am very content at this weight. What's Working For Me... might just work for you. Here's my advice:

{Find Something Else To Love.}

By that I mean, change your relationship with food. Food is a means for nutritional survival, not emotial survival. Find something else to cope with emotions, both the good and the bad. Prayer, a good conversation with a friend or your spouse, a good book, BLOGGING... anything but food!

{Dinner: It's Not a Bibical Feast.}

If you know the "fatted calf" stories in the bible, then you know what I mean about biblical feasts. For some reason, I've always thought every meal was supposed to be that way. Feast-like. Fabulous-tasting and fit for "company". Every meal was supposed to be slap-yo-mama good. I think the biblical feasts were pretty much reserved for celebrations. As should mine. Meals are not for daily celebration. Christmas, Thanksgiving - those are feasts. Perhaps even good, old-fashioned Sunday dinners. But every night? That's just overkill.

{Water, Please.}

I'm a true Southern girl and I like a little tea with my sugar. Over ice. If anyone cares to know, McD's $1 Sweet Tea is around 250 calories - no refills. I could probably go through at least 1 refill, so that's 500 calories, just in beverage. 500 calories is practically a meal. When I found out I was with child back in March of 2008, I had already been tea-free for nearly a year. I had already shed about 6 lbs as a result. I thought it wise to continue the tea-free me through my pregnancy... after pregnancy... and now. It's been a wise choice. Now I save tea for special occasions, the "feasts" if you will. Your sweetened beverage of choice might be soda, which I happen to think is FAR worse. Fizzy. Bloated. Blech. Do yourself a favor and go to a water-only regimine. It will save you money and it will take off several pounds. I read once that a soda a day is 10 lbs a year. And it's money down the drain. I'm just sayin'.

{No Fast Food.}

I know there's healthy fast food, but I'm an all or nothin' type of girl. I can't dine at BK without enjoying a Steakburger, nor can I dine Chick-Fil-A without enjoying a deep-fried chicken sandwich. And fries? I mean, come on? The best way to resist temptation is to flee from it. Just stop going.

{No Eating Out. Period.}

Eating out is expensive and it WILL make you gain weight. Trust me. Princess Pea here gained 15 lbs overnight and couldn't figure out why. Try the new job next to all the hottest restaurants in town and dining them daily at lunch. Duh. That's why you're chunky and broke, Princess. When I make food myself, I know what's in it. I choose more butter today, less salt tomorrow... I choose. Stop the financial bleeding. Stop eating out. Every excuse you have to do it is just that. An excuse.

{No Junk.}

Aside from my son's daily dose of Goldfish and the like, we buy absolutely NO junk food in this house. No chips, no dips, no cookies, nothing. Bryer's Half the Fat is our treat around here and the rule is: it must be on sale. Sales generally come every couple of months, so it's a great way to keep in check. I told you about my run-in with Fluff recently - that was a 3-lb fight. Totally heavenly and totally not worth it. I put down the Fluff and the 3 lbs lost, simple as that. Junk tends to be the most expensive, most processed crap in the store. Stop buying it. Stop eating it.

{A Daily Splurge.}

Somewhere around 2-300 calories should definitely be set aside for a daily splurge. It might be chocolate or ice cream for you, but it's coffee with creamer for me.

{Scales Are My Friend.}

I know people feel very strongly about their scales and I feel strongly about mine. We meet up every morning, first thing. It's my accountablity. I'm not obsessed, I would just rather know than not. Funny how 3 lbs can sneak right up on you. It doesn't have to. When you've had a bad week, it's much easier to deal with it when you actually know about it. 3 lbs are much less intimidating than 15.

{Get Your [Creative] Excercise On.}

I think athletic shoes are for athletes. I'm not an athlete. Did you know that about 45 minutes of rigorous housework is equivalent to a good workout? Did you know that sex burns calories? Do you know how fun it is to stroller-derby? Around the house? Until your son laughs his little head off? Eat a little less and move a little more. Don't waste a dime on a gym membership, just park further away from the grocery store. Run around the house. Dance with your babies until you all sweat. It's so good for your heart. In more ways than one.

So, that's What's Working For Me.

Fireplace Curtain: Before & After

2010-07-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but I love this! I fashioned a temporary fireplace "curtain" out of a yard of burlap. My husband HATES it, my sister doesn't GET it... but I absolutely LOVE it! I plan to add some vinyl scroll details to the glass panes, but I had to get opinions on the burlap first.

Since we don't use the fireplace, I see no reason to be forced to look at the inside of it. This is what the inside looked like before the curtain went up... yuck!

Am I crazy??? I'm thinking the burlap is a major improvement. What do you think?

I'm linking to: Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge, It's a Hodgepodge Friday at It's a Hodgepodge Life, Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous, Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest, Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Motivate Me Monday at Keeping it Simple, Anything Related at All Thingz Related, Look What I Made at Creations by Kara, Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple, Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage, Fabric Fun at Cheap Chic Home, Hooking Up with House of Hepworths, Friday Remodelaholic's Anonymous Meeting at Remodelaholic

A tribute to tampon commercials...

2010-07-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have cable, satellite, or even an antennae (yes, you read that right)... so I have never actually seen this commercial on air (if it even airs anywhere... who knows???). Since I live under a rock, I'm probably the very last person on earth to see this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thoroughly. Actually, I could not possibly love this commercial more. So, regardless if you've ever seen this or not - enjoy I say... enjoy!

One-Nap Nightmare!

2010-06-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't already know it, I'm a -Wiser. Former BabyWiser, current ToddlerWiser (I'm using the term loosely since I feel like I'm hanging on to the principles sheerly by mere threads)... future name-that-Wiser (let's hope and pray). I actually follow the "Along the [Infant, Toddler] Way" - the spiritual version of the secular -Wise series. Sometime between 18 and 24 months, we're supposed to graduate from a 2-nap schedule to a 1-nap schedule. Little one is going on 20 months, but he is NOT ready. After trying it for nearly 4 weeks, I am officially giving up! He's the crankiest toddler on the block. He's cranky right through the old morning naptime, he's cranky before the afternoon nap, cranky before lunch, cranky during lunch, cranky after lunch - he wants to stay up late, he wants to wake up at 4am and sleep with mama and daddy every morning! Where's my happy, happy baby? Oh, dear Lord, it has caused an insane amount of stressful, restless nights in this house! So, I'm done with the one-nap nightmare. I'm back to a 2-nap schedule until we can "take" another round of giving the 1-nap schedule another try. Until then, we're slowly getting back on track with a 2-nap schedule. Whew. It's wearing me out!

DIY Closet rods on the cheap...

2010-06-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

My husband was all sad earlier this week when he discovered that the closet rods he found online had tripled in price (PS, this is what happens when you're indecisive, folks!). I wasn't sad at all since I was sure there was another way. And there is. We're definitely doing this...

Just Another Manic Monday....

2010-06-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Whoa-oh-oh...

Pardon me while I randomly explain my absence of late whilst appr0priately participating in another head-shaking installment of Miscellany Monday...

ONE. Fluffer. nutter. How am I 30 and just now discovering this heavenly marriage of marshmallow fluff and peanut butter? How? I feel like I've missed out! And I feel like I have spent the last 3 days making up for it. And I LITERALLY have 3 additional pounds on my thighs to prove it! The official fluffernutter is made with bread (like the traditional PB&J... blech). Since I hate PB&J - I make my own version on graham crackers instead. Smack. yo. mama. Seriously.

TWO. I learned about the infamous Fluffernutter this week via my evil sister. Just kidding. She's not my sister. Just kidding - she's my sister, she's just not evil! Wahahaha. :D She brought her girls for a sleepover this week! So much fun! Here's a little glimpse into our sleepover:

Mani-pedi's...

Story time...

THREE. I've sort of been MIA on the blogging front, but very IA in *real* life! I am proud to announce that this messie has practically ZERO dirty dishes, ZERO loads of laundry waiting, many to-do's crossed off, dinner in the crock pot, and a dining room table worthy of actually eating dinner around! :) That's one ginormous YAY for me! :)

FOUR. Somehow my work to-do's jumped from the 40's to the 70's overnight. Proud to announce that as of Saturday... that list is down to 25! Woot, woot! But why, oh why can't I ever get it to ZERO??????

FIVE. Here's a sneak peek into one of the projects I'm working on this week...

SIX. I can't resist... here's another project I'm working on this week...

SEVEN. I didn't post a music video yesterday, so I'll share this little video instead. Are you ready? I sure am!

Thanks, Carissa for yet another opportunity to spout my randomness. :)

My 100th post... an accomplishment! :)

2010-06-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

It is so hard for me to admit that my son is 19 months old and I'm just now getting the artwork hung on the walls in his room. I made this artwork when I was pregnant and used it to decorate one of my baby showers. Why have I waited so long to hang it? Excuse #1: The walls aren't painted! You can't really see the paint color in his room (tinted primer), but it's a pretty, soothing green color. I actually like the primer, but the final wall color will be a little more green than that. Excuse #2: I'm skeered! I have never attempted to hang a grouping before and the anxiety over it was ridiculous! Attempting things like this without help from someone else is something I'm learning to do - slowly. Excuse #3: I don't know where to hang it in the room! I never felt like the furniture was in it's "forever" spot in my son's room, so I didn't want to commit to a spot on the wall and make a lot of holes.

See? This is why I never get anything done. I've got lots of "good reasons" for putting things off!

For me... Perfectionism + Indecision + Procrastination = Paralysis & Regret.

So, I swallowed my fears, made decisions, and JUST DID IT. I'm not sure how I managed to hang the grouping perfectly straight the first time, but I did! Now I want to move one of the bedside tables underneath the grouping to balance things out... or move the grouping entirely... still deciding, but the main thing - it's DONE FOR NOW.

I also hung this over the guest bed that's temporarily in his room. It had "baby" spelled out between the "feet", so I just moved some stationery items for now. I will probably change it out. Above the frame are 2 baby shower gift bags. They look a little crooked here, but they are straight now! :)

Ignore the temporary hodge-podge bedding.

Here's a close up shot of the bedside photography:

(a collage of my favorite baby photos)

(my 8 neices/nephews hands on my pregnant belly... "hands in waiting")

Now, I'm working on something to hang above his crib...

and for the wall opposite his crib (not pictured) that has the window on it. But what I DO have done is on the walls and DONE. FINALLY!

For those of you who would want to know... the cherry crib was a gift, the dresser-turned-changing table goes with my master bedroom furniture but we never used it. Those 2 items stay. The black bed and side tables will eventually make their way into our guest bedroom (I think) and the crib will move to that wall. Little one's toys will come out of the living areas and move in the empty spot where his crib is now. We still need to paint and trim... I can't wait to get there!

Linking to: Modern Craftswoman Monday at Tools are for Women, Too, Get Your Craft On! Tuesday with Today's Creative Blog, Anything Related Tuesday at All Thingz Related, Look What I Made with Creations by Kara, Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts, Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple, Get Your Craft On Thursday at Life as Lori, Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage, Hooking Up with House of Hepworths, Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge

Father's Day

2010-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful to still have my daddy with me this year. I count this blessing every day. The massive stroke in March was the beginning of a journey for my family that is still changing us. None of us are promised tomorrow, so I try to cherish every single day. He's doing better every day. My baby adores him and so do I.

Father's Day is still about his daddy and it's still about mine - but it's about his, too! This is the love of my life holding the love of my life. I love them both more than anything in the whole wide world. 11 years later and my husband is still my best friend. He's such a good daddy.

Fabulous find... I think???

2010-06-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

I have been on the hunt for the perfect handbag and wallet for several months. Every time I walk into a department store (all 4 times since little one was born), I browse and browse. and browse. I am super-picky about handbags. I'm also guilty about buying "safe" black handbags nearly every time. If it's not black, it's either camel, brown, red, or pink. I wanted something different (well, specifically - different for me). White is my favorite color, so white wouldn't suprise anyone close to me - though I've never owned a white handbag. Never. It just reminds me of a granny handbag for some odd reason. I must have seen a blue-hair toting a hideous white handbag at one point in my childhood. Who knows? I'm also ridiculously cheap. I don't think I've ever paid more than $60 for a handbag. I have ONE that was gifted to me that had a price tag of $150. I rarely carried it because it was so expensive (and small... I rarely buy small handbags). So, after months of searching and searching... here's what I bought ($30 for both):

I love it, but I'm still on the fence. I notice white handbags on a lot of fancy-smancy handbag sites, so I think I'm "safe" - but I just can't bring myself to take the tags off and commit. I bought a white handbag a while back and returned it days later. The first thing the hubs said about it was, "That's huge and it looks like something a grandma would carry." So, I took it back. I'm wondering if I'll chicken out of this one, too! Either way, I'm pretty sure I'm keeping the wristlet/wallet. I love it!

So, what do you think about my finds? Fabulous or not so much?

Complete randomness for you today...

2010-06-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

So, I love the randomness of Miscellany Monday. Please humor me while I play along again. There's probably rules about how many, but I'm not sure - so I've picked 7 tidbits for you...

1. Trying out a new recipe today... well, kind of a mixture of an online recipe and my personal favorite - garlic. Garlic makes everything better, am I right? In this case, I'll confess I might have ruined an otherwise delicious recipe. Just 5 split chicken breasts, apple cider, lemon juice, salt (and I added pepper and garlic).... it's in the crock pot for dinner tonight, so we'll see... I'll let you know how it turns out!

2. It's hot up in here, folks. Flippin'. Hot. The "feels like" temp in my neck of the woods is 107, the actual temp is 94, and the INSIDE temp is 80... yes 80. My hunkin' piece-a-crap 100-yr-old A/C cannot keep up. Therefore some Bryers Half-the-Fat is in order today. As you know, I love me some Bryers Half-the-Fat because, of course, I can eat twice as much. Holla!

3. Speaking of the aformentioned hot-ness, I have an inground pool. You may have remembered me blogging about it here. I'm not bragging. No, I'm venting. It's not open and I'm becoming a tad bitter about it. Something about the pump motor, some electrical issue, yadda yadda yadda, whatever. The thing is closed until the hubs finds the time to take the motor somewhere for repairs. I rarely see the man because of his job, so my guess is he'll find the time to do that... um, never? Errr. I love him, anyway. I really do.

4. So excited about my shopping trip this week! It's been a LONG time since I've uttered the word "shopping". Having a 19-month old, I've done well to con my husband into grocery shopping for all 19-months. Something about dragging a baby into a grocery store didn't appeal to me, nor does dragging a screaming toddler. What is it with toddlers screaming their heads off in grocery stores? It's like a disease. Anyway, little one's going to stay with Papa while I shop for several items on my project materials lists and a few things I have been DYING to replace in my closets. Can you feel the excitement??? YAY!
5. Dreading a work thing this week. As in root canal dread. It's going to require lots of moving and shuffling stuff around in this blasted sauna-like hot weather. How can I look professional and sweaty?
6. I worked my tail off this weekend and you can't tell I've done a thing. That's just wrong.
7. Yay, my sister's coming to visit this week! She'd better lie and say how great my house looks after all my hard work! ;o)

That's about it for now. Have a fabulous Monday!

Hallelujah Anyhow!

2010-06-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a Sunday Song in a couple of weeks. Just when I'm in a non-inspired funk, along comes a Brooklyn Tab get-up-on-your-feet anthem. If you aren't inspired, you may want to check your pulse. I could post 10 videos from this fabulous group of voices, but I'll just post the one I heard today. Enjoy!

8 down, 44 to go...

2010-06-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

As little as I've posted about it recently, I am still working on those 52 Missions. They're just kind of kicking my butt. I mentioned a while back that I was on Mission 8: Declutter 50 Items... unfortunately, I have a death grip on my stuff. I *really* have to be in the right frame of mind to let go. But once I do get there, it's pretty much on. So, 2 months after my post... I've finally finished the mission today! You guessed it... all clothes! Way more than 50 garments, though. WAY more. The box pictured is 4 feet tall and almost full! I'm so tempted to look back through it and rescue a few pieces. There's a creamy white sweater in there (so pretty I could eat it, but the fit at the bend my elbow irritates the living snot out of me)... that sweater would make a beautiful throw pillow cover for my ivory bedding! That's just the beginning of the rescues I could make right about now. But if I add ONE MORE PROJECT to my to-do list, I think I'll do something scary-ridiculous - so I'm trying to refrain. Bright side is - YAY, I'm on to Mission 9! I'm already having anxiety over it though... it's dealing with filing systems! Ugh. Paper. Not my friend, I tell ya. I've posted about my Paper Giant before and I've still not defeated it, so I guess this is an excuse to tackle that again. But the results are always worth the headache in the end! I've organized the majority of what's left of my clothes (down to pairing socks... which I loathe). I love that I can see ~~all of~~ take that back, MOST of what I have! If I could just tackle that mountain of laundry downstairs... perhaps I could see ALL of it. Jeez - no 3 humans should have this much clothing! It really feels so good to pare down!

Welcome... a little about me & my blog!

2010-06-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, it's Friday and that means I have an excuse to ~~sit on my lazy tail and~~ visit some new blogs today! It also means I could have some visitors dropping in. For newcomers... hello and welcome to my messie little blog! I'll introduce myself (although I'm not nearly interesting enough to warrant such a thing)... I'm 30, wife of 11 years to my BFF, mother to a 19-month-old cutie pie I call little one, and I work out of my home. I have lots of goals - to run my home like a well-oiled machine, to manage my toddler's time in the way that a proper child development center would, to be the super-wife my husband wants me to be, to be a successful work-at-home-mom, to finish projects around the house, to start new projects around the house, and to make time for myself so I don't pull my hair out in the process. Truth is: I barely have my act together! So, I blog about all the "stuff" in my messie little life: my life as a new mother, my hectic family life, our whole-house renovation projects, my struggles making it work as a work-at-home-mom, my attempts to get things organized around here, and all the other "stuff" I feel like getting off my chest. Everything is categorized by topic in my little lable cloud, so feel free to browse around. Be warned: I can get long-winded when I'm on a topic I'm passionate about. Again, welcome and make yourself at home!

Everything but the kitchen sink!

2010-06-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

As many times as I've mentioned my love affair with my kitchen, I never mentioned the kitchen sink! It's actually one of my favorite things about the kitchen. If you're redoing yours, I'd highly recommend a single bowl sink. I loved this sink before my son was born because all those awkward pans and skillets fit... but I loved it even more when my son came along and his entire infant bathtub fit perfectly inside! Now, even though he loves taking baths in our master jacuzzi, he really enjoys these little sink baths!

Breastfeeding, 19 months in

2010-06-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Wow. Never thought I'd be here. 19 months into breastfeeding my son. I know. There's a few of you who are looking at our photo thinking, "How could you breastfeed a child THAT big?!?!" It's okay. I do understand where you're coming from because I was there at one point in my pre-breastfeeding-beyond-a-year days, too. Just so I throw out the proper facts that all of us breastfeeding mamas throw out to the hatas: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least the first year (or as long as mutually desired by parent and child), while the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for the first two years. The benefits of breastmilk is medically documented in infancy and beyond. The benefits don't disappear at a specific age. Breastmilk adjusts itself to give your child what he/she needs in infancy, babyhood, and toddlerhood. Whew. Glad I got that out there. If you care to know my breastfeeding style: I am a proud breastfeeding mama, no doubt, but I've never felt liberated to the point that I would breastfeed in public - neither in infancy or now. And if you're wondering - no, I don't get out much. I've always been a homebody, so this absolutely suits me. The closest I get to public nursing is covered by a nursing smock in front of select uber-close friends or family members, always in the privacy of someone's home (usually my parent's). Not that I'm ashamed of nursing my son, I'm just very shy - period. Case in point: my husband and I still honor the codes of our honeymooning days where we just firmly believe some things should never be shared (like bathroom time and all bathroom-related stuff). Having a baby didn't change a thing about how shy I am. So, I'm just a shy, modest girly-girl. Not that you can't be a shy, modest girly-girl who happens to breastfeed in public, it just happens not to be in my comfort zone (among so many other things). Now that all of that's out of the way, here's the reason for my post (warning, it gets longer):

I'm ready to wean. There. I said it (or admitted it). Ugh. I know some of you feel that I'm putting my own needs ahead of my son. That's okay. I understand. For me, it's heartbreaking. On some level, I agree. I do feel like I'm failing in some way as a mother. I haven't started weaning, but just considering it makes me feel like I'm depriving him or cutting him off short. Clearly this is hard because little one isn't ready to wean. I've had a lot of exposure to mothers who breastfeed beyond a year. Many of them agree that child-led weaning just doesn't happen before age 2 or 3. They believe that weaning prior to 2 is usually the result of parent-led weaning (whether or not the intention was there by the parent to wean... ie. returning to work and becoming less available to the child usually leads to weaning... but often is called child-led weaning... but really could be called parent-led weaning). No judgement here, truly. I returned to work when little one was 6 weeks old. I struggled through the next 10 months pumping 3 times a day at work. I blew right through my freezer stock in the first few weeks, so I was literally pumping "next day" milk every single day. There were times when I would knock over a bottle of pumped milk and cry at the thought of having to wean too early. I was always running and running here and there, struggling to get it all done. My supply would rise and fall with every compelling event (the return of my cyle around the 8 month mark and then my pregnancy around the 10 month mark, then the emotional roller coaster of my miscarriage at the 12-month mark). It's never been easy for me. No one would have blamed me for taking advantage of the opportunities I had to wean during any of those events. Looking back, not even I would have blamed me! Fast foward to now, it's easy-peasy. I work from home, I ditched the pump, and life is good. The bad part is, as easy as it is, I am finding it quite exhausting. My son has always been a nourishment-only nurser, but now that I'm home 24/7 (couple that with his age) - he's quickly morphing into a comfort-nurser. When he's hurt, sad, angry, sleepy, whatever - he's nursing. He's been cutting molars for what seems like a century. That means 24/7 pain and irritability which equates to a lot of comfort nursing. It's exhausting just putting this all into words. How in the world did I go from worrying if I'd make it to 6 weeks or 6 months... to dealing with the agony of deciding whether or not to wean at 19 months? It's so ironic! I am happy to have come this far, but I'm finding myself praying that he'll lose interest. So much of me wishes he'd just self-wean overnight and save mama some drama! Ugh. I know there's no magical answer. I know it's going to be a process, no matter my decision. Either weaning him will be an arduous, exhausting path - or waiting him out until he self-weans will be equally arduous and exhausting. To throw another wrench in this process, I'm ready to have another baby. I'm scared of trying to conceive while nursing (although I do realize that my miscarriage was not related to nursing my son and that my OB still encourages me to nurse while we try again - I still have a looming fear of miscarrying again).

If you've made it this far in this post - high five! I'm not sure what I'm hoping to gain from this post. Personal reflection? A revelation? Encouragement? Advice? Sympathy? Empathy? A pat on the back? I really don't know. I'm just hoping one of my followers, lurkers, or someone who stumbles on this blabbering post by mere chance will have a word of wisdom for me. No matter what you have to say, I'd really like to hear it. From those who've been here or not. I actually value input from all sides.

If there's anyone out there who needs someone to vent to or if you have questions about breastfeeding from infancy to toddlerhood, I'm here for you. If you're comfortable, you can leave your vents and questions here. If not, my email address is in my profile.

19 months and growing

2010-06-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

Little one hit 19 months this week. It's painful how quickly time flies. I kiss those baby cheeks as often as humanly possible. I know he'll push me away one of these days. He already gives me that, "Oh, mama!" look from time to time. No one could have possibly warned me just how fast babies grow. I tear up at the thought of missed photo opportunities. If things aren't nearly perfect, I tend to refrain from getting the camera out. I wish I weren't like that. I already regret all the messie pictures I haven't taken. I wish I had a better quality camera to capture all these fleeting moments and I really wish I were a good photographer, but I treasure the pictures I do have. I took this one this past Sunday after church. He's standing in weeds, there's a glaring structure in the background, the lighting's all wrong, he's got smooshed Goldfish on his pants leg from the nursery, his hair's sticking up, you can't see his hands, he's not looking at the camera, he's not smiling, he's got that mischevious, devious look (the look right after he says, "No.") - so that's what we got. He hates having his picture taken. He wants to hold the camera, play with the camera, look at the camera while holding and playing with the camera, but he does not care for smiling at the camera (aka, shiny plaything) while you point it in his face, flaunting it all while refusing to let him "habit, habit" [translation = "have it, have it"]. It's not perfect photography by any means... but oh. my. goodness. I think he's just the cutest thing ever. He takes my breath away. I love him to pieces, that's for sure.

Calling all super readers!

2010-06-07T12:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, I watch entirely too much Super Why, but I am actually calling on all my super-readers… you know who you are… those of you who shop your own homes, dumpster-dive, and street-sweep… those who genius-ly recycle, upcyle, freecycle, repurpose and transform all those trash-bound, land-fill bound items into amazing treasures. You, and the rest… welcome to my own personal salvage yard. These are all free-to-me items saved from our demolition, items from our old home, or items left behind by the former homeowner here. There’s something about all of them that I love and I want to give them all new life.

Super-readers…. I’ve got a few ideas for everything you see here, but I’m new to repurposing…. so, you tell me… what should I do with these?

UPDATE: TRASH TO TREASURE MISSION IN PROGRESS! I'm committed to putting these 30 items to use by the end of the year! I'll add links to the items I've checked off this list as they are finished! Wish me luck! :)

Porch rails (3), 7-8 ft each

Rusted old frames (2)

Wagon-type wheel, farm parts

Assorted planters (3 plastic, 2 “real”)

Ugly baskets (check! see here)

Bird bath bottom

Old awning

Outdoor lantern-style lights… they’re big (6 of each style)

Plastic side table frames

Decorative concrete fencing &amp Old umbrella

Old pool pump thingy

Old pull behind trailer (probably about the size you’d use with a riding mower)

Bench (check! see here)

Birdhouse

Old fish tank and rocks

Chair-rail spindles

Dentil crown molding

Metal corner shelving (2)

Metal wall cabinets (2)

Baby carriage

Rocker

Twin headboard

Cabinet

Cabinet (it’s way in the back - I wasn’t risking life & limb to get a better pic, sorry)

Wall cabinet mirror (check! see here)

Builder mirror

Glass

Floor-length mirror

Narrow pane of glass

New window (tiny!)

Before I started blogging and became inspired to see things so differently… this post might have been entitled “3 trips to the landfill”. Now, it’s more like “Yay, look what I found!”

I can’t wait to hear your ideas!

The "Stuff" In My Messie Little Life: Part 2

2010-05-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

So, as for the "stuff in my messie life" I mentioned earlier this week - today it's all about my work-from-home stuff. As of Monday, there were 42 items on my to-do list at work. None of the items are simple one-step tasks. Create this, design that, schedule this, plan that, attend the other, edit these, revise those, order that… they’re all “projects”. Usually time-consuming and almost always complicated. Every single day, literally, projects are added. Monday I felt so behind, so overwhelmed. If I didn’t make some changes, I was sure my unfinished work would get me fired. It never does - I work for the best people in the world and they're way too patient with me - but I always worry. I love my job, but I hate my job. I love working from home, but I hate working from home. It’s a bittersweet tug of war. It’s like I told a friend this week... when I’m Mother of the Year, I sure could use a housekeeper. When I’ve got the Goodhousekeeping Seal, I need to be fired from my day-job. When I’m Employee of the Month, I worry if child services might have a problem with my piled up dishes, piled up laundry, and the toddler running around who appears to be taking care of himself.

It's hard to find balance working from home with an active toddler, but since Monday I’ve finally widdled that work to-do list from 42 down to 28 (even with all the items added on all week). My house is fairly kept, the dishes are done, and I've still got full custody of my little one. :) That means I’ve had zero time to blog, do any home-related projects, or blog about said home-related projects. But, hey - that's life. I've read way too many of these "I've been busy" posts to think I'm the first. I can't wait to get to that "stuff" and I will, but in the meantime - I'm actually pretty happy with my progress with the other stuff in my messie little life! :)

I’m looking forward to this long weekend. I’m not sure if I’ll tackle some home project (improvement, organization, decor), widdle down my personal to-do’s (DIM - Do It Myself - haircut, DIM mani-pedi, or DIM microdermabrasion), work a little more on the work to-do's, or just lay around on my lazy behind watching HGTV on Hulu. Either way, I’m SO looking forward to having my husband around with us for an extra day this weekend. We don’t get nearly enough time together, just the 3 of us. (And I desperately need an extra day to tackle that mountain of laundry.)

The "Stuff" In My Messie Little Life: Part 1

2010-05-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've not posted much lately. Lot's of stuff going on in my messie little life. The “stuff” going on in my daily grind right now can be broken down a little like this…

Marriage
Parenthood
Family (ours, his, hers)
Church
Work (his, hers)
House (cleaning, cooking, etc.)
Remodeling
Money

I'd like to say that I won't post anything else until I have proud "how-to" or "before & after" images, but my life just isn't a daily how-to or before & after post. Unfortunately, there's a lot of stuff crammed between those more successful posts. Today, I’m ~~venting~~ journaling about the church stuff. A few disclaimers. First, God’s not on my “stuff” list for good reason. He and I are good. “God” is first in my life "list"… but “church” is below some other “stuff” in my "stuff" list. I don’t equate ”God and church” in either of those lists. Second, I’m journaling about church as it relates to my personal life, not venting about “my” church or “the” church by any means. I love “my” church and “the” church, to be clear. So, now that the disclaimers are out there… pardon me while I journal today. Probably a lot of journaling to come, actually. I’m 30 and hopefully hitting a growth spurt this year with all my “stuff”. I pray I can look back on this year and laugh about it pretty soon. For now though, it’s nothing but all-consuming growing pains.

So, about the church thing...
We attend a 3-service-a-week kind of church and for the first 10 years of my marriage minus little one, we were always a 3-service-a-week kind of couple. We’ve both been over-extended in our commitments in church for most of our married life. My commitments included singing in the mass choir, singing on praise & worship teams, singing solos, singing in various ensembles, and traveling to several local events throughout each year to sing with those groups. My commitments also included typing up sermon outlines, pulling scripture references, and loading song lyrics for the congregation for the media dept. The commitments often overlapped and I’d bolt from one job to the other tripping over myself to get it all done. Singing is my calling, media was my duty. My husband’s commitments include serving on 59 committees, boards, and attending various monthly and weekly meetings. At one time, we were both teaching Sunday school classes, too. Once my baby was born, I was exhausted and honestly ready for a break. My husband and I decided that in order for him to keep all his commitments, I would have to forfeit mine until we came up with a routine that worked for us. We couldn't both be early, stay late, and do all sorts of jobs that weren't newborn-friendly. He’s maintained his 3-service-a-week attendance since the day my child was born. I, on the other hand, have been on an 18-month (ie. indefinite) maternity leave. I don’t miss the media, but I do miss singing. Apparently the guilt doesn’t outweigh the calling to sing at this point in my life.

I had a winter baby born in the midst of the swine-flu outbreak in Nov. of ’08. I had to return to work when he was only 6 weeks old. I was pumping 3 times a day at work for the first year I worked outside the home in order to continue breastfeeding. At the advice of doctors and mothers in my life (and out of pure exhaustion), I kept him pretty sheltered from birth until he was about 12 weeks old. I started back to church on Sunday mornings, but I was so exhausted from working all week. Since my mother-in-law came to my house every day for the first 7 months of his life, I had no experience dressing and diaper-bag packing for early morning outings. I know, cry me a river. Boo-friggin-hoo. Be a dear and just listen anyway. I darted out the door each morning like my tail-end was on fire barely getting myself ready for work. I would have never been able to keep my job had I been forced to drop him off at a daycare every morning. It was double-duty on Sunday mornings to get the baby ready, too. It was like an obstacle course race-against-the-clock challenge to say the *very* least. My husband was out the door early, so I was on my own (I still am). Not that there haven't been days I have, but I really don't resent him for it, I love him for it. It was up to me to get us both ready, packed in the car, and sneak in those doors on Sunday mornings. I didn’t do well flying solo with a baby. I thought the newborn stage was tough. That heavy carseat/carrier, that heavy diaper bag. Sweating it out across the parking lot to the finish line… and always, always late. It’s still me flying solo, only now that sleepy newborn doesn’t stay calmly cradled in his carseat waiting on his crazy mama. Now he’s a walkng, talking toddler following me to the bathroom and offering me plenty of surprises like stepping into the shower fully clothed. Now he fights me like a rabid animal as I hog-tie him to dress him for church. If he squirms from my grip dashing through the parking lot, he will dart between cars and give me a friggin heart attack. Those newborn days were nothing compared to these. Lugging that baby carrier was hard, but manhandling a bucking toddler is much, much more difficult. And I want more kids. Actually, praying for boy/girl twins. Ha! I guess that means I’ll never make it to church on a Sunday night or Wednesday night again… much less sing. When I see newborns in the church these days, I sort of sink in my seat a little. I barely made it when he was 3 mos old. Heck – I barely make it now. She can make it with a newborn… but I remind myself of the reality. She’s probably still on maternity leave and basking in those long days with a sleepy newborn. She’s probably not breastfeeding back in the nursery, but shaking a bottle of formula in the sanctuary, not missing much of the service. Her husband probably carried that heavy carrier in for her, and yep - he’s probably sitting with her the entire service to give her a peace of mind. Not everyone has it so easy. At the same time, I realize many others don’t have it as easy as I do either. I realize I could be a single mom or have a husband sitting at home refusing to go to church or too hung over on Sunday mornings to care… any of which would actually give me merit to complain here, but this is my life and I only walk in my own shoes, so that means I can only account for the stuff that goes on within the 4 walls of my own personal experiences. My mother took 4 kids to church all by herself for years, so yes – I know it can be done. I've seen it done. I just personaly have a hard time managing my messie little life. If anyone wants to judge me for complaining, I’ll go ahead and respond. Here’s what I say to you. I know, I hear you, and I love you anyway. :o) Note to my 40-year-old self reading this in 10 years... yes, I know... it's flown by... those were the days... I wish they were still little... I know. I know. I. know.

Faithful Is Our God

2010-05-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today's Sunday Song... Faithful Is Our God! Yes, He is!

There are no words.

2010-05-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is my daddy holding my 18-month-old son on Mother's Day. He's most commonly referred to, in our house and his, as Papa. He has 9 grandchildren and another 3 in heaven, one belonging to me. It's been 10 weeks since the stroke that almost took his life and the miracle God gave him to save it. The memories of those difficult days in ICU still sting. Every time I'm with him, I can't help but think of it as a second chance. At just 55 years of age, he's learning to speak a little clearer, walk a little more steady, and use his left side a little more every day. It's astonishing the progress he's made. I'm so thankful he's been given a second chance, that I've been given a second chance, and that my son gets to spend time with his Papa. He adores him and so do I. I really don't know what either of us would do without this man. Having him here with us means more to me than anything. There are no words that could express how grateful I am for the miracle we were given.

This week has been hard. Mother's Day in general was hard. It's been 6 months since my miscarriage. So much has happened since then, but nothing changes the pain. It is still so real and so present. My due date is approaching on July 1st. I always figured I'd deliver a few days early as I did with my first, so from the moment of conception (this time I just knew) to the moment I saw that pink line, I just knew I'd have a June baby. I know God has a plan and I know that this loss is a somehow a part of that plan. The comfort of my daddy being here has really helped me over the last 10 weeks. I know God's grace will carry me, no matter the difficult roads he leads me. My life is in his hands.

Lazy Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

2010-05-18T19:25:00.001-07:00

2 Boxes of Bacon Ranch Suddenly Salad
1 Can Tyson Chicken Breast
1 Cup Reduced Fat Mayo
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Skim Milk

Boil pasta according to package directions and rinse well with cold water. (If I’m serving right away, I pile on ice cubes until I’m finished with the rest of the recipe.)

Mix mayo, milk and Suddenly Salad seasonings together in a bowl. Drain chicken breast and shred finely, then combine with mayo mixture.

Add cold pasta and mix well.

I serve this with a plain side salad and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Love it!

You probably thought I was kidding

2010-05-17T07:03:00.001-07:00

when I said was considering tiling my windows with copy paper. Oh, but no – I really wasn’t. I’m working on a curtain project that’s going to take a few Saturdays to complete. You can check out my brackets (check). I’ve got rods to finish and curtains to make, but I was having such a hard time continuing to live in the bomb shelter blackness that result in my black plastic temporary window treatments. So, whether it takes me 2 days or 2 weeks to finish my new window treatments… I’ve made the switch from “plastic” to “paper” for my temporary ones. So, without further ado…

My temporary window treatments before…

and my temporary window treatments now…

Before…

After…

Seasonal depression’s no joke. Seriously, I think I was SAD because my brain always thinks its the dead of winter around here! Now?

I’m walkin’ on SUNSHINE… WHOA-O-AO… And don’t it feel good? Hey! :o)

I also changed out my two bedroom windows, so yes – it was a lot of paper. A roll of white paper would have worked wonders, but I had the copy paper on hand. I am much too impatient to wait on finding the time to make a shopping trip just for that.

Not Guilty and God Is Here

2010-05-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Two today since I couldn't decide between them. Be blessed.

How to Make Your Own Wooden Curtain Rod Brackets

2010-05-15T21:33:00.001-07:00

1. Purchase 1 set of wooden brackets to use as your template. We chose a double-rod bracket. They’re about $5/set which isn’t bad, but I have more than 25 windows to dress. That’s $150 in brackets alone, no rods, no curtains - just brackets. The cheapy ones would suffice, but I like these. Here’s the one I’m using in this tutorial:


2. Pick out your lumber. We used free-to-us scrap lumber from another project (well, trust me – we paid for it at some point, nothing’s “free” but you get the idea). Since ours was 3/4-inch cabinet-grade plywood, I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d recommend a 3/4-inch solid wood instead (pine for paint or oak for staining). For 8 sets of these brackets, you’ll only need about 2 pieces of lumber around 4 1/2 inches by around 27 inches.

3. Trace your templates. Position to get as much from your lumber as you can, but leave space for the saw blades.

4. Drill holes. Since we don’t own a fancy woodshop, we just improvised on cutting out the curves where the rods go. In the picture below, you can see the front rod “hole” (left) rear rod “hole” (right).

There’s dozens of ways to improvise, but we used spade drill bits to drill the “hole curves”. Center a 1/2-inch spade drill bit to drill for the rear rod hole curve (pictured below), then center a 1-inch spade drill bit to drill the larger front rod hole curve.

5. Cut out your brackets. Again, sans the fancy woodshop, we used a simple jigsaw to cut out the remainder of the openings for the rods. We also used the jigsaw to cut out the brackets themselves. For time’s sake, we saved the straight cuts between each set for the chop saw. (Template left, our first 4 sets of brackets right.)

6. Sand the rough edges. Since our freebie lumber was plywood, all the cutting and drilling left rough edges. Hardwoods would require less work.


The Dremil works well for hard to reach areas that need sanding. I’m not aiming for perfection here, just getting any major rough spots out.

7. Paint or stain your brackets. Once you’re finished sanding, you’re ready for primer and paint or stain.

8. Install. Using simple picture hanging hardware (anything for heavy pictures or mirrors, comparable to the picture hanger shown below), attach the picture hanger with wood screws to the top back portion of the brackets. Then hang on the wall using drywall screws.



We’re going for a wrought-iron appearance to match our fixtures in the main living areas, so we’re going to prime and paint ours black. So far, for 8 sets I’ve got $0 in lumber, $2 in paint, and $4 in hardware. Not bad! Stay tuned for my second window treatment tutorial coming soon:

How to make your own curtain rods for under $2 each!

PS, I’m a newbie. This is my first tutorial… I’m sure I’m doing tons of stuff wrong, so go easy on me! ;)

Linking to The DIY Project Parade, Debbiedoos Shabby to Chic, Something I Whipped Up Monday, Tutorial Tuesday, DIY Day, and Modern Craftswoman Monday at Tools are for Women, Too.

I was featured again! Woot, woot!

2010-05-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

What??? I can't believe it! I was featured again on Remodelaholic! I'm such a newbie, I really can't believe I've made her Guest feature list... TWICE! What a blogging honor!!! Thanks to Cassity for featuring my kitchen! She's way too good to me!

This has made my week!

Fireplace Update: Before & “After”

2010-05-12T06:34:00.001-07:00

I posted about painting my fireplace a few months ago and asked for advice about what to do with the insert. I took the advice and painted it all black. Here’s the before and “after”. It seriously needs another coat of paint, but I still love the improvement to the insert so far. I’ve got big plans for the glass for this summer. Oh, I cannot wait to get that finished! Until then, here’s a before and “after”…

We probably won’t use the fireplace, so I’ve got big plans to hide that ugly, dirty interior (and that rusty mesh screen)!

I’m thinking a bright white mantel and surround… sort of like this one.

Big mistake or great idea????? You tell me…

PS, For those concerned about the TV being too high… no worries. It’s not as high as it looks, plus it’s comfortable viewing since it’s tilted down several degrees. We measured beforehand for the wide mantle we’re putting up and left just enough room.

Good riddance, AdvanTech!

2010-05-11T09:26:00.001-07:00

No offense to the brand/product, it’s actually great stuff! I just don’t like decorating my home with it. I’ve had the unfortunate torture of looking at that ugly stamp all over my floors for much too long now.

So, Saturday we cleared the room…

and painted it!
This was my dining/foyer area in all it’s knotty-pine, dirty oak, carpet-glue-covered, patch-repaired gloriousness…

And now...

It’s not the most luxurious temporary fix, but certainly an improvement. The paint on those old hardwoods was an easy fix to kick that “old house smell” and a little prettier scenery to live in while we’re continuing the work.

(The dark floor really draws the eye to that slope in the floor underneath those windows… downhill skiing anyone? Good luck to me in making curtains… ugh. If anyone has any design solutions for that one, do tell.) Until we find the time to install those back-breaking hardwood floors that are stacked up in my master bedroom, the floor paint is a nice alternative to what we were living with in the meantime.

The bedroom hardwoods are all down. Here’s what the transition between the hall and the bedrooms look like now…

The hardwoods will continue into the hall, foyer, dining area, kitchen area, and family room. We’ve got our work cut out for us! In the meantime, I love the “change of scenery”!

Linking to Domestically Speaking's Paint Party!

Miscellany Monday

2010-05-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ha! This sounded like fun! Here's 5 randomly selected tidbits from my Messie life:

I have had foggy-mama brain all day... several days of sleep depravation will do that to ya. (Little one's cutting top molars, bottom molars... you know the drill.) So, I'm sort of an idiot today... that explains why I linked up before posting... I'm so sorry, Carissa!
I haven't had a shower today... welcome to work-from-home/stay-at-home-mama-hood. Perhaps I can sneak in a bath tonight.
I'm seriously thinking about taking down my black plastic window treatments and putting up copy paper tiled window treatments instead. Maybe fan-fold them before hanging? A little retro spin. I like it. It'd be a nice change of scenery from the current bomb-shelter feel we're apparently going for right now.
My kid fell up the stairs tonight... and yes, that proves he's mine. Looks like it will be a few weeks before I can leave the house. Between the nice floor burn under one eye from slipping out of a chair last weekend, the new scratch across his face (I accidentally scratched him with my wedding ring while fighting the little monkey hopped up on chocolate milk to try and wash his face before church yesterday morning... ugh!), and then the new fat lip from the incident tonight... I'm as sure as arrested for child abuse if I so much as step foot in our local grocery store.
I'm thinking my night will end with Bryers Brownie Fudge 1/2 The Fat Ice Cream which, of course, means I can eat twice as much. Yes, I know the image says Fat Free. Mine says 1/2 the fat... oh, well. Bryers, get it right. Update your website.

Now, go on over and join in before the party's over. Happy Miscellany Monday!

Made Me Glad

2010-05-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

I know it's not technically Sunday, but I couldn't skip this week's Sunday Song. I posted about my frustrations this past week, so this song was a real blessing to me. I had an old praise and worship mix playing Saturday while the hubs and I spent some time working on the house. It's like God was giving me the reminder he's been trying to give me all week in the midst of my funk. He has delivered me from all things. He has set my feet upon a rock. I will not be moved and I'll say of the Lord, You are my shield, my strength, my portion, deliver, my shelter, strong tower, my very present help in time of need! I will bless the Lord forever. I will trust him at all times. He has made me glad! Circustances may influence my mood from time to time, but circumstances won't take away my peace, my hope, my joy. Sometimes I just need a reminder.

Little One’s 18 Months Old!

2010-05-07T21:29:00.001-07:00

Motherhood has been the most wonderful experience. It started back in March of 2008 when I saw that faint line (again and again… just to be sure… we’d been together nearly 10 years and he wasn’t planned). My pregnancy was a dream and the birth experience was tough, but I can’t wait to experience it again! Motherhood isn’t without heartaches. Losing a baby to miscarriage in November of this past year was by far the most difficult trial I’ve been through in my 30 years. Through it all, the joys and the pain, motherhood has been the greatest gift God has ever given me.

Little one is growing so, so fast! It seems like the minute he turned a year old, he just started walking and talking at once! He’s faster and chattier every day! The hubs and I thought it would be fun to try and write down all the words he knows now since this is such a milestone age. So here goes, all the words we can think of that he says:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (he can count it out most of the time, but sometimes skips 6/7); A, B, C, D, sometimes E; amen, ant, apple, baby, back, ball, basket, bath, bear, belly, bird, bite, blue (as in his eyes are blue), book, broke (broke it), bye-bye, car, cat (plus sound), catch, cereal (ceral), chair, chicken (plus sound), chocolate milk (chockit milk), church, circle, clippers (for nail clippers), close, coffee, cone (as in toy construction cones) cook, corn, couch, cow (plus sound), cup, Daddy, dance, dark, diaper, dime (repeats well), dirty, dog (plus sound), door, down, drink, duck (plus sound), ears, eat, egg, Elmo, eyes, far (repeats well), feet, fingers, fish, fix (fix it), fork, frog, goat, got (I got it), Grandma, grape, happy, hat, have (have it), head, heart, hello, help, hit, hold (hold you, hold me), horse, house, Jesus, juice, keys, kick, kiss, knee, lick (wick it), light (pronounces the L great), like (wike it), loud, love (I wub you), Mama, me, meat, mess, milk, moon, monkey, mouse (as in computer mouse), mouth, more, music, names of several close relatives, near (repeats well), nickle (repeats well), night-night, no, nose, oatmeal, off (repeats well), on (repeats well), open, orange (as in the food), outside, oval (repeats well), Papa, pants, peas, penny (repeats well), phone, pig (plus sound), plate, please (peez), potty, puppy, quarter (repeats well), quiet (repeats well), rabbit, rain, reach, read, remote, rooster (plus sound), sad, sandwich, sauce, sheep (plus sound), shirt, shoes, shoulder, sleepy, sorry (sah-ee), spider (sider), spoon, socks, stars, sun, table, Tigger, tongue, trash, truck, TV, up, wash (wash it), water, watch, work, yellow, yes, yogurt, you…

Just as I was typing and he was having his playtime with daddy, I was filling in lots of words I left out as he played! I think we’re up to around 150 words or so. Wow. That’s a mouthful!!! He’s growing too fast and it’s breaking my heart! Seems like just yesterday… (sigh)

Kitchen: Before & During

2010-05-07T08:03:00.001-07:00

So, I’ve posted about my kitchen before in my whole-house renovation post, but I wanted to give it the official “Before & During” post it deserves.

Here’s the kitchen when we bought the home…
Here’s the demolition…
The new ceiling and lots of that funky NASA insulation that the hubs insisted on…
And here she is now…
I love my new kitchen. If I could get my arms around her, I’d give her a big hug. :) We've still got a long way to go (backsplash, hardwood floors, pot/pan drawer handles, etc.), but I enjoy this kitchen every single day with or without the finishing touches!

What motivates you?

2010-05-07T07:40:00.001-07:00

Maybe this would motivate me?

Motivate me to work from home, that is. Ahh, to be up there in that workspace. Instead, this is my harsh reality…

That’s my “office”. Sad, isn’t it? Feeling sorry for myself much? Yep. I know. Get over it, spoiled brat – you WORK FROM HOME. PS, I would take a picture without the back of my glider right in the way, but my house is dirty. So, not today.

I realize that so many people would kill to work from home. I thought I would, too. Working from home is easier in theory and on paper than it is in real life… with a toddler and for me, anyway. I love the IDEA of it. Actually DOING it is something else entirely. I’m learning fast that working from home is for self-starter, self-motivated folks. I’m also learning fast I’m not a self-starter and I’m not self-motivated. I’m also learning that laziness, procrastination, and work-at-home-mom – don’t necessarily mesh well all together for every mom. Especially not this mom. It was harder in some ways to drop little one off and go to work toting my breast pump for the first year of little one’s life… but for the most part, it was a breeze when I look back.

I’m not getting much accomplished. I think it’s anxiety. I’m overwhelmed. The bad thing about me and overwhelmed? I shut down. I just freeze. It’s like I wish I could stop the clock – freeze time – and catch up. Then start the clock. It’s like a kid who covers his eyes thinking that if he can’t see you, then surely you can’t see him. If I freeze in time, then surely the world will freeze with me. Sadly, that isn’t the case. The world is still spinning just as fast as it was when I froze. The longer I freeze, the worse it gets. My house is a disaster. The dishes and laundry are waiting. The work is piling up. So much to do, so little time to do it in, no idea where to begin.

So, my parents dropped in yesterday. Little one almost jumped right out of his dreams into my daddy’s arms (he was napping when I greeted them at the door… I’ve never seen him leap out of a full blown sleep like that). We sat outside on the back patio while little one played (conveniently enough, since my house is a wreck). Mama could tell I was down. I explained where I’m at and she asked me, “What motivates you?” I don’t know. I really don’t know. A boss banging on my office door barking where in the world is such-and-such, a husband griping and complaining asking “What have you done all day?”… maybe? I wouldn’t know. Neither of those things happen to me. My boss is 30 miles away. My husband is patient and kind, probably too patient and too kind. What else? Money? Not really. They couldn’t pay me enough.

I need rejuvenation. I need a change of scenery. I’ve not been on vacation since 2007. I’ve been accustomed to 2 week-long vacations every year for the 9 years prior to my vacation-less life. But that’s not going to happen anytime soon because of the hubs’ job.

I know I’ll reread this post and think, man I sound like a spoiled brat. I know this is just a vent. I know I’ve got to get out of my funk and no one’s going to do it for me. I realize all of this. But, it’s my ~~party~~ blog and I’ll ~~cry~~ vent if I want to. It’s just wonna-dem days. (For those who know ‘90’s music, you’ll get that. Holla.)

Still reading? I’m sorry this post is so long. I was getting better at shortening them up. I promise all my posts aren’t this long. I’ll do better.

Anywho, so what motivates you? Maybe you could give me some ideas or a kick in the arse. I probably need both.

Sunshine Award!

2010-05-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Barbie from My Freshly Brewed Life honored my blog with this award! Thank you, Barbie! (PS, I absolutely love her blog... check it out!)

The Sunshine Award is given to blogs that inspire, show positivity, and creativity. Here's some suggestions passed along for this award: 1) Put the logo within your blog or on your post, 2) Pass the award onto 10 fellow bloggers, 3) Link the nominees within your post, 4) Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog, 5) Share the love and link the person who awarded you.

While I realize blog awards smell of chain emails from 1998 and that whole annoying hit-me-and-I'll-hit-you-back-tag-you're-it sort of nonsense, I still would like to honor the one who I think genuinely tried to honor my blog by paying it forward. I'm passing this award on to a few of the sweet blogs I'm following these days... so, ladies in the list... humor me while I "award" you... I still believe some Sunshine will do us good every now and then! (And of course, I'm not following all the "rules".)

Frou Frou Britches

If Only Everyone Thought This Way...

Just Another Manic Momday

Life's Not Always Fireflies & Hummingbirds

My Lips In Stitches

Katie, Simply Stated

The Busy Budgeting Mama

Too Blessed To Stress

My Mother’s Day Wish List

2010-05-05T07:02:00.001-07:00

So, Mother’s Day is upon us. My son will be 18 months old this weekend. Sadly, my husband probably still thinks this is our mother’s “day”… not my Mother’s Day. So, for a moment… I’m going to pretend he’s going to read my blog and shop by my wish list. So, - honey? Here’s a few things I’d love to have this Mother’s Day. One of them, two of them, or heck – all of them. Knock yourself out.
I would love to replace my jeans. Because mommy-hood stole my 10 lbs from my once-upon-a-time curvier butt, hips, and thighs - I can now pull my old ones off while buttoned and zipped. Honey, I know you don’t understand this but I would love it if my pants didn’t fall off. These Calvin Klein jeans will do just fine.

I would love a bra that fits, too. My rib cage has shrunk, but my girls have not. Boo girls. Gross. It’s such a chore constantly adjusting. This one by Victoria’s Secret will work since I *hate* straps.

I would also love a new handbag. Normally, you know I’m cheap. I mean, I have been carrying a cosmetic bag in my diaper bag in lieu of a real handbag for months now. $30-40 would normally buy just about anything I’d ever want in a handbag. But something about this Juicy Couture bag… it just screams my name. And yes, you can just use this picture as inspiration. A similar handbag with a less painful price tag would probably be just as good with me.

I’d also like a new wallet. My black leather Guess wallet that I’ve had for 11 years now has seen it’s better days. I’m loving the Juicy Couture one to match the handbag, of course. Again, it’s okay with me if you shop for a knock-off.

I would also love a new coffee pot. I know small kitchen appliances aren’t usually good gifts for the ladies, but seriously? I want a new one - bad. Since our sexy black Gevalia pot broke, it’s been depressing to get my coffee from our back-up 11-year-old white Mr. Coffee-pot. Yuck. I’m not picky, another ole Mr. Coffee will do - just a pretty version that matches my kitchen, please.

I also desperately want to replace my bare-minimum supply of towels that worked wonderfully in my last master bath (sage green) with new ones that would work well in my new master bath (something in the khaki to chocolate family). These in Butter Pecan from BHG would probably do! I only need 6, you know I don’t like doing laundry!

I know, my list is boring, but they’re my wishes nevertheless. Any of this or all of this… man, that would make my Mother’s Day! A mother can wish can’t she?

So, what’s on your wish list this Mother’s Day?

Sunroom Remodel: Before & During

2010-05-04T06:59:00.001-07:00

Here’s the sunroom when we bought the house, complete with all 5 sets of sliding glass doors. The exposed brick everywhere just seemed to weigh the room down. Here’s 2 exterior sets of those sliding glass doors…
… 2 more exterior sets…
… and here’s the 1 interior set… through which you can see the guest bedroom where the old entrance used to be…
Here’s the interior wall complete with 4 gigantic steps…
some hideous wall paneling and a faux fireplace.
Here’s the demolition…
An enormous amount of construction…
And here’s how the room looks today (pardon my messie-ness… this room is the dumping ground for tools and project materials at the moment)…
Whew. It’s exhausting just looking back at all this work… and even more so thinking ahead to all that’s left. I’m seriously considering painting the concrete floors a dark chocolate brown color. Here’s a sample…
Love it! I CANNOT WAIT to finish this space. Once we do… I’ll be “living” in this room all year long!

Curtain Project: Materials – Thoughts?

2010-05-03T08:14:00.001-07:00

Here’s what I’ve put together for the curtain rods and window treatments so far.

This is SORT OF the look I’m going for… (I’m starting with the outside rod, I’ll do the inside rod later).

The hubs… King Indecisive… has turned me into Queen Indecisive. HELP! Will the 1-inch PVC and 2-inch ornament be proportionate??? Should I return the 1-inch PVC and go with 3/4-inch instead? Should I go with 2.5-inch ornaments and keep the 1-inch PVC? Or keep what I have? I’ll attach the Christmas ornaments to the end of the PVC curtain rods. I’ll paint both those and the brackets all black to match the rest of my wrought iron fixtures. I’ll experiment until I find a decorative touch to cover the joint between the PVC and the finial. And I am so wanting to back out of the drop cloth curtains idea… seems like an awful lot of work for not much savings. I think I’ll have $8 of material in each window and I can get cheap panels for $10-20… hmmm. The hubs is actually wanting to settle for the drop cloth for now. I don’t have the time, energy, or enthusiasm in me right now to curtain shop – neither does he. I read where they can be used as lining for cheapo curtains to make them more energy efficient so he’s all about that.
The curved PVC piece is to round this corner… I’ll put finials on the two ends outside the 4 windows since there’s not enough room to butt 2 finials in the corner.

I’m looking forward to tackling this project this weekend. Hopefully, I’ll have before/after photos sometime next week.

While I'm Waiting

2010-05-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Master Bath Remodel: Before & During

2010-04-30T06:24:00.001-07:00

Here’s how our master bath looked when we bought our house…

Here’s the demolition and construction…

And here’s how the room looks today…

So much work left to do (tile, trim, paint, decorate), but we’ve come such a long way!

One third... just like that

2010-04-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Where's this tiny little baby? He'll be 18 months old next week. Just last night we were listening to him shout, "I wub you!" I can't believe it. Time is flying by so fast. Why is it that time slips by so much faster as we age? And even more so once we have children. I cannot believe we're approaching the end of April. One third of this "new year" is gone... just like that. We'll be watching the ball drop again, bringing in 2011 before we know it! Blows my mind. I'm not loving how little I'm accomplishing this year. I live for Saturdays and wish my weeks away. Work, work, work. The hubs job, my job, the never-ending events that pull us in every direction - and here we are. Four months into this new year with little to reflect on as far as accomplishments. 18 months into motherhood and I'm just not sure how happy I am with where I'm at there, either. I have accomplished a few things, but not nearly what I had hoped by now. I was looking through pictures just last night, how fast my son is growing and how old my husband and I are getting. Such a painful reminder of just how quickly life is passing by. It's bittersweet.

This photo was from our last family vacation, August of 2007, just 7 months before I found out I was expecting our son. That was almost 3 years ago. That's what busy will do to you. Fast forward a few years to new, more demanding jobs, busier weekends, and more hectic lifestyles as parents and here we are. Knee-deep in a whole-house remodel, no time to finish it and enjoy it. Consumed with work, burdened down by life's troubles, and no time or energy left to really enjoy life.

God, help us slow down. Help us accomplish these things that stand in our way of living. Help us find time to enjoy each other, enjoy these fleeting moments of toddlerhood, and enjoy life. You created the institution of family first. Help us put first things first. Equip us to handle the hurdles before us. You know what each of those hurdles are and I trust you completely with them. Our lives are in Your hands.

Curtains Project: Update (Planning Phase - 1 month)

2010-04-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

So, as much as it pains me to admit this - it's been one month since I made the commitment to put window treatments up on just 8 windows. I've been married to the hubs for 11 years now and BOY, DOES IT SHOW. He's the King of of the P's (Procrastination and Planning) and apparently I've become his Queen. I love him dearly, but he's got so many wonderful qualities that I'd much rather have taken on. In our defense, we have been pretty busy these days.

So, anyway - we've been to the home improvement store about 4 times looking at materials for the project and I've shopped about 6 stores for just the perfect finials and hardware - we've yet to bring anything home. I've planned and procrastinated about all I can. This project is going to take a good Saturday's work, mostly for the help I'll need to keep little one occupied. I've got to work Saturday, so not going to happen this weekend. Maybe next weekend? I've made up my mind that I am not going to spend one red cent on these curtain rods or curtains (well, technically - I've got gift cards that should cover most of the materials). So, here's what I've planned:

1-inch PVC for the exterior rods (gift card)
5/8-inch PVC for the interior rods (gift card)
wooden double rod brackets rather than attempting to make my own (gift card)
2.5-inch Christmas balls for finials (I have these on hand)
plastic "rope" to cover the joint between the finial and the rod - mostly as a decorative touch, I don't think the joint would need much more than silicone/caulking (I have both on hand)
black spray paint to paint it all (gift card)
drop cloths for curtains (gift card)
(the sheer cloth for the inside layer of the curtains will probably come from my aunt - free - otherwise, this will be my only "purchase")
curtain clips or tab top? (I haven't quite decided on this yet)

Now that I've got the planning down, it just boils down to making the purchases and getting the work done! I've dropped a hint that I'd really, really love for the hubs to shop while I'm at work this weekend - we'll see. ;) So, perhaps before another month rolls around - I'll have a before/after post!?!? Let's hope!

All things unfinished

2010-04-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

I’m just so sick of looking at everything around me in this house, all the things that are almost finished, barely finished, no-where-near finished… all things unfinished. Case in point… here’s the chandelier hanging above my master tub:

The hubs, bless his little practical heart, sees no need in letting this chandelier hang in its proper position, much less putting on its globes. Since there’s trim yet to be installed (as you can so plainly see in the background), and painting yet to do… he feels there’s no need in risking it getting bumped or broken. Yes, that is practical. But UGH. I’m so sick of looking at it! At least give me something pretty to look at so as to distract me from the rest of the unfinished-ness! So, if it kills me – or even if he kills me – I’m going to pretty my place up in the midst of my messie-ness. So, plhhhhhhhhhhh. :p

Ahh… much, much better. I don’t care how not practical it is.

Held

2010-04-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

Facing my fear of paint

2010-04-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

I’m always on the look out for that perfect mirror for my master bath (about 25 inches tall and about 18 inches wide, in the perfect shape, in the perfect frame). It seems like it just doesn’t exist. So, I combed through my collection of mirrors (some from my first house and some I found in this old house when we moved in). I found this ugly, nasty mirror. No clue where it came from, but it’s just a few inches shy of what I want.

I have no idea why I’m so scared to paint things… but I truly am AFRAID. So today, after much inspiration from bloggyville, I took a small step. I’m too lazy to “tape off”, so I stuck some copy paper in the seams and figured that would suffice (it did).

Then I spray painted it black.

Then, I hung it up! It’s a little bland, not nearly what I want, but it works for the moment (and it cost me nothing). I was tired of waiting on the perfect mirror and even more tired of the little cherry-wood framed mirror I had propped up on my faucets in the meantime. I’m thinking I might add another frame to this one instead of buying a new one now! I think I have 4 different finishes in the room that actually don’t look bad all together. In this picture, I’m not loving it. Oh, well. It all works in real life and I’m thrilled!

In addition to this little victory for the day… I also attended a birthday party, went grocery shopping, and ran 3 rather annoying errands (all with a 17-month-old in tow). I’m rather proud of myself! And exhausted. :/

55-Minute Challenge

2010-04-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in a funk all week. Nothing much was getting accomplished. So, I called my sister and told her she had to help me snap out of it. She reminded me of the words of wisdom I so eloquently shared with her during her last round of funkdom... "Just put your big girl panties on and get over it!" Oddly, both are on my Top 10 List of Most Annoying. Phrases. Ever. So, what did my sister do next? She accidentally pulled me right out of my funkdom. I looked at my oven timer that I set for little one's nap (I'm really bad about forgetting when naptime's over and accidentally letting him sleep over, so I have to set my timer!) and told her, "Okay, I've got 55 minutes left of this nap and 55 minutes to get something accomplished." She said, "Okay... I'll race you!" Oh, heck-to-the-no you just didn't challenge me, big sister! It's on. She was working on organizing her bathroom... I wanted to tackle my bedroom. I took a before picture of my messie master bedroom (I'm absolutely too humilated to post) and 55 minutes later... took an after photo, just so I'd have proof to myself of what can be accomplished in under an hour! (Again, too humilated to post!) Oh, I was so thrilled! So much was accomplished in under an hour! Now my room is much tidier and I'm much, much happier! (And I know I had to have burned some calories running around here like a mad woman.) So, the next time you get in a funk? Just call your sister... or a friend... or frenemy... whatever... and give them the challenge! Or you could just pretend you just got a phone call from your most critical guest... and they'll be over to inspect and criticize in 55 minutes! Either way, I'm sure you'll find you can accomplish a great deal in under an hour! I did!

Prolific Blogger Award

2010-04-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Angie from Angie's Healthy Living Blog honored my blog with this wonderful award! Thank you, Angie!

So what is a Prolific Blogger Award? In the words of the maker..."This award is to all those prolific bloggers, who read voraciously, blog tirelessly and have made the blogging community such a vibrant place. This award is in recognition of their achievements and their enthusiasm. They are the people who keep me going!" Click here for the rules/origin.

These are several of my favorite blogs I'd like to award. They all keep me inspired and motivated with all I have going on around my house!

Amanda at Serenity Now - A Mommy's Solution to Staying Sane - Amanda throws a fabulous party and she always makes sure her guests keep mingling. She's a wonderful hostess who keeps you motivated!

Beth at The Stories of A to Z - I just LOVE everything about this blog! Beth is wonderful at presenting her fabulous work around her house. Her projects always keep me inspired to keep working on my house so I can get started decorating my place! She's also great at keeping us newbies in check with blogging tips that you must check out!

Holly at Homebody - Holly inspires me with her mad home decorating skills and her willingness to be real. Her blog's always an enjoyable read.

Jen at tatertots & jello - This is one of my favorites! She's oozing with talent and I love it when bloggers like Jen just put it out there! Recently, she's been giving some photography tips (which is awesome for horrible photographers like myself!) ;)

Kendall at Finesse Your Nest - Another one I love, love, love! Kendall's a pro, so I love it when she shares her work stuff! She literally turns trash into treasure! Her home is beautiful, but even the stuff that's already perfect... she's still itching to make it even more fabulous!

Kim at Newly Woodwards - Her blog inspires me because her beautifully decorated home came from nearly the same humble beginnings as ours. There's hope for my mess! ;) She's always doing something wonderful around her home!

Tricia at Life at the Zoo - Tricia always gives you something to think about and she's great at showing me things I wish were in my house!

Family Room Remodel: Before & During

2010-04-22T07:11:00.001-07:00

This is our family room when we bought the house (this shot is taken from the kitchen, it’s one big combined space). Honestly, had the knotty pine been salvageable, I so would have kept them since I do love them painted. The ceiling was obnoxiously textured, and even more obnoxiously low. The built-in gun cabinet that you can see to the right was my favorite… especially with all that hunting I do…
So, here’s the room in demo (and for those who saw yesterday’s post, I actually do still have this mantel… so paint it black and keep it? And too, what’s your thoughts on that hearth? It butts up to the wall on the left and curves short of the wall on the right. Hmmm.) Note the pocket door on the right - that oddly served as a second entry into one of the bedrooms down the hall. That had to go; I wanted the wall space on both sides of that crazy door.
… and here she is now! So, we raised things up a bit…. and lightened things up a bit (there’s a set of pretty new windows behind those vintage drapes of mine - perhaps they’ll make an appearance in the “after” shots someday… and the door’s gone! Viola! as someone I know would say! (please excuse the dust, the dirty highchair, and my horrible mix of furniture… and no, the TV was not my idea and yes, it stays…)

I’d say it’s progress! Wouldn’t you? Ahhh… I love it. *LOVE* it! We’ve got SO far to go, but this comparison reminds me just how far we’ve come and just how much I’ve got to be grateful for. YES, I’m SICK of remodeling sometimes and YES, I’m so tired of looking at stamped floors but, you know? Thank GOD there are hardwoods stacked in my closets just waiting for us to find the time to install them… (and building materials to finish other projects over there on the right). I know I’m probably making that whole “thou shalt not covet” thing real easy for you right now, but I am loving this house! I’m counting my blessings. I don’t deserve any of them!

Fireplace painted, now what?

2010-04-21T07:07:00.001-07:00

Here’s the before and ~~after~~ during of our fireplace. I’m stuck on what to do next. I love it painted, but I’m not fond of the black and brass insert. I really don’t want to fork out the money to replace it, but I’m not sure how it will look painted. All the trim in my house is will be white, so paint it white? Will the little “windows” look silly? I don’t know enough about them, but is removing the insert an option? Hmmm. Any suggestions?
I’m also stuck about the mantel. I bought a “mantel kit” (complete with a traditional mantel, surround, corbels, and pilasters) but I’m very tempted to take it all back since I’m sure we could come up with a much more affordable and creative DIY solution. Any ideas?
I’m linking up to Amanda’s Decorating Dilemmas Pary today, so be sure to check it out!

Rome wasn't built in a day

2010-04-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

. and people generally don't change overnight. In addition to the new look, I changed the title of my blog yesterday from Confessions of a Former Messie to just Messie Confessions. I changed it partly because it was a mouthful, but partly because I'm back-peddaling. I had hoped that between February and now, I would have already magically morphed into my ideal me. You know, the House-cleaning-Home-organizing-Martha-Stewart-home-decorating-Curtain-sewing-Toddler-wising-Play-date-scheduling-Made-from-scratch-meal-making-Superhero-mama... that me. While I am morphing, I'm doing it in a much, much slower (painfully slower) fashion than I had in mind... and quite frankly, much slower than the hubs had in mind, too. :( I do still have faith that I will someday blog my musings from the perspective of a "former" messie, but for today - I'm still a bonefied, certified messie. :( I still struggle every day with the managing the most common household chores right down to the laundry and dishes. I hate housework. I hate housework. I. Hate. Housework. Couple that with laziness and you've got trouble! I pray God will give me a love for it someday, or at least let me hate it just a little less. I'm down in the dumps about things right now, but I know things will get better... they HAVE to get better! Anyway, just confessing...

I've Been Featured!

2010-04-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my eyes... I've just been FEATURED!!!

I posted about our whole-house renovation last week and oh... my... goodness... Cassity over at Remodelaholic featured my post today!!! *Thanks, Cassity!!!* Be sure and check out Remodelaholic! There's always amazing things going on over there to keep you inspired!

I am...

2010-04-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Because I can't just hear a song, because music has such a profound effect on me, because music is alive to me, because the message behind songs seem to consume my heart like a fire - I have a lot of trouble listening to secular music in general. I still listen occasionally (I'm a sucker for top 40's and today's version of "country" music), but the songs seem to drudge up emotions that leave me feeling miserable most of the time (unless they're the Pollyanna-happy-positive-message-types, of course!). I'm not condeming secular music for anyone else, it's just generally not good for me.

If you love music the way that I do... if you soak up every word of the lyrics, if you hear every note, every beat, every detail of a song... you have to hear this song, "I am", my pick for this week's Sunday Song! Wonderful!

PS, I don't mean to be critical but they sure could have picked a better still cover on this video. This image makes Eddie James look a little *crazy*! I don't post videos to YouTube, so I wouldn't know - but I'm hoping users just can't control it. Honestly? I think it's kind of hilarious! Hopefully, it made Eddie laugh. I have a weird sense of humor, though. I'm quite sure that those who've strolled any of my posts realize any of the sarcastic, bone-dry humor laced in there! That's okay... I get it... you don't... I laugh anyway!

Have a wonderful Sunday! :o)

5 Minutes for Mom's 2010 Ultimate Blog [-After] Party

2010-04-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, party [or um, after-party] time!

For those visiting from the parties, please make yourself at home.  Click here to read a little about my blog.

Okay, now it's confession time. I'm cheating a little... I'm participaing in both the party AND the after-party from 5 Minutes for Moms!  I goofed and missed the original week-long party that ended yesterday (boo), but that's just the way my week's been going so I'm not that surprised! Anyway, I met a lot of great bloggers out in bloggyland through these very well attended events! There's so many, but here's just a few of them I want to introduce to you...

My Freshly Brewed Life... Barbie's just real (as ironic as that may sound, I mean it!).  A mother of 4, wife of 21 years, an inspiring encourager, and an accomplished artist! Enjoyed browsing her blog!

The Joyeful Journey... Joyeful's a 27-year-old mother of 4 and as tired as that makes me for her, she seems so full of life! Loved reading her poignant thoughts on the journey of motherhood!

Coming Clean... Melinda's a "recovering perfectionist" and a fellow "imperfect parent"! I'm not at all surprised that I'm finding it so easy to find so much in common with her!

Thanks for visiting!

Mission 8: De-clutter 50 items

2010-04-16T08:30:00.001-07:00

I'm on Mission 8 (De-clutter 50 items). I'm imagining the actual de-cluttering will be a breeze, so I think the hardest part for me will be determining which one area to tackle. I took the first week in February off and began my cleaning and organizing project, but we had so much stuff that at the end of the week I just had to box up the remainder and put it in "zones" for later. As painful as it is to share my mess with the world, here it is:

The paper zone in my dining room (please pardon our dust… these original hardwood floors are as clean as we can get them after taking up the carpet… will eventually be replaced with new hardwoods that you’ll get to preview in the last photo)...

the junk zone in my foyer (again, please pardon the dust)...

and the clothes zone in my master bedroom (PS, you can see the finished hardwoods we installed… so far we’ve installed them in 3 bedrooms, we still have the family room, kitchen, dining and foyer to go)...

Then there’s a “donation” and “not ours” zone (foyer) that I keep filling and emptying, but it could really use de-cluttering again now, too…

I just haven't had a chance to get back to any of it since I had that week off. Since Mission 9 deals with filing and Mission 10 deals with closets, I guess I will de-clutter the junk zone first. Hopefully, I'll have enough time and energy this weekend to de-clutter more than 50 items - perhaps even clear out the entire zone. Regardless, 50 items is a good start. I love these 30-minute missions because even when I'm feeling like I'm getting nothing else accomplished, I'm at least "checking off" SOMETHING. :)

Oil pulling: completely off-topic

2010-04-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Not that I have "a" topic, but this is probably more random than usual...

So, the hubs discovered oil pulling earlier this year. Oil pulling is this strange practice of swishing oil around in the mouth for about 20 minutes every day (sunflower or olive oil, etc., on an empty stomach, no swallowing, followed by 2 glasses of water). Apparently, it "pulls" toxins from the mouth. I know that mouth health is related to other isues like heart health, etc. Honestly, I'm not sure why it works or how it works, I just know it works. He and I started trying it and immediately fell in love with the results: more energy, more clarity, improved mood, less sinus and allergy issues, less pain (I've got lower back and knee issues), super-clean, whiter teeth - it was great! One month later and we were die-hard oil-pullers (yes, I realize how stupid that sounds). Sadly, that's about the time I fell off the wagon (or got on, that phrase has always confused me - whatever). The hubs is still going strong with it and has since completely given up his 4-cup-a-day coffee addiction! Now I have to make my own coffee every morning - boo. He's switched exclusively to green tea - good for him. Today I have decided that after a month or so of being back in pre-oil-pulling-blah-ville, I am officially back on the oil pulling train. Call me crazy, but I tried it this morning and after a week of all-time high pollen levels around here (and a week of all-time high snottiness, sorry, and sore throat), I am feeling much less snotty (sorry) and I can breathe a little easier! Seriously, I already feel better - no kidding. So, for those of you who suffer from sinus or allergy issues (or need a little more energy, pick-me-up, mood boost) - TRY IT. I hear it's also good for migranes, acne, slow metabolism, and lots of other random health issues (you can read all about it on the oil pulling link above). You'll feel like a crazy person swishing oil in your mouth, but it will change your life. Ah. I love, love, love it. I just think the whole world should oil-pull.

About my blog

2010-04-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in Amanda's Serenity Now's Dishing It Party today, so here's a little dish about my blog...

About the title... [Messie Confessions]...

The term "messie" is a term that my daddy told me about years ago. He said that he heard it explained once that the world is divided into "messies" and "cleanies": cleanies walk into a room and spot a piece of trash on the floor and won't feel comfortable until the trash is picked up and thrown away while messies walk into that same room and won't notice it, but if they do - they just walk around it. I'm a messie by nature and that was his way of explaining that it's much bigger than "I need to clean my dirty house, " but it's actually, "I need to change the nature of my ways," instead. I long to be a "Former Messie". Even though I'm still officially a messie, it's truly my desire to change. Perhaps with enough faith, I can.

I wrote my first post back in August of last year, but I didn't post regularly until February of this year when I traded my full time position in a busy medical practice for a quiet, part time, work-from-home version of the same job.

I started the blog as an accoutability tool for myself. I struggle with little things like getting up early, keeping the house clean and organized, staying on schedule at work, maintaining a routine for little one, living in the midst of a whole-house renovation, and the painfully slow progress we're making here and there. I blog about my "messie" life and my quest to become a better person in all of these areas. I blog about the things that matter to me like Sunday Songs and Wednesdays in the Word. Sometimes I'm all over the place, jumping from one random topic to another, but basically the message in most of my posts is that I want desperately to become better in some way. While I'm not great at it, I do love writing so this is the easiest thing in the world for me to do. I think it will really help me grow.

Blogging gives me a voice, allbeit a small and quiet one, but I really love having a voice. I'm sure it will get tiresome at some point, but for now I'm addicted. If someone gets a little hope or inspiration along the way, it makes taking the time to write even more worth while.

Whole house renovation: Part I

2010-04-13T11:18:00.001-07:00

We began our whole house renovation several years ago with the purchase of this old, neglected home. For some reason, my husband saw a world of potential from the very first walk through. It took several months, but I finally caught his vision and got excited about this house. We liked the overall floor plan, but it just needed a few… adjustments. We moved doors, moved windows, moved interior walls, took out closets and made new ones. Now that the bones are in order, we’ve got a great house to work with! We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve come so far. There’s been much progress since these photos were taken, so I’ll be sure and post a room by room snapshot of where we are now. I’ll apologize now for my lack of photography skills…. sorry, folks! I’ll also apologize now for the excruciatingly long post… so sorry! It’s a big project!

I’ll take you through the exterior of the house and through the main living areas in this first post. I’ll post the progress so far for the 4 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths later.

Here’s what the front of the house looked like before (notice the long, skinny windows) …

Removed the skinny windows and framed up normal ones…

Replaced the tiny door with a big one and here’s the new windows….

Up close, so you can see my lovely door (prior to the cherry stain)…

Here’s a slightly angular view (here you can tell it’s a split-level home, one story in the front, two story in the back)…

Here’s a pretty crummy pic of the front (full shadow, nice job)…

Now, here’s the back of the house… in all of it’s original glory. Notice the insanely small windows, complete with an A/C hanging out of one… the beautiful blue awning… the ridiculous entry on the left… AND right… (door on the left, TWO sets of sliding glass doors on the right… and two more sets on the side that you can’t see from here)…

The ridiculous entry situation was my first priority… the entry on the left was replaced with a window. The first entry on the right was framed out for the new doorway, the second was framed out for a large window.

The master bathroom upstairs got a new block window and the master bedroom got two new [normal] windows…

Siding and shutters were installed (PS, we immediately removed the white shutters from the tiny window downstairs shortly after this photo was taken)…

I’ll give you a quick run down of the split-level floor plan here since it’s easier to visualize from this photo above… the upstairs consists of the master bedroom (two windows, upper right) and master bathroom (block window, upper left). The downstairs includes the guest bedroom (window, left), half bath (tiny window, far left) , and sunroom (back door and windows, right). My laundry room is in a reach-in closet inside the guest bedroom. The half bath is also inside the guest bedroom.
Using the new back entrance, you’d walk through the sunroom straight up the stairs into the combined family room and kitchen. The family room, kitchen, dining room, and foyer are all in an “L”-shaped layout. The kitchen is in the corner of the “L”. There’s two bedrooms and a full bath off the foyer and dining rooms.

Our family room before (this view is from the kitchen)…

Our family room after demolition…

Our dining room before…

The dining room demolition revealed hardwoods but unfortunately, one room has knotty pine and the other has oak, the nice strip down the middle isn’t hardwood, then there was lots of damage throughout – dang it… but notice the irritatingly small opening between the dining room and kitchen…

Bam! 3 foot becomes 6 foot, and there you have a much more open feel…

From the dining room, here’s the original view out to the front foyer…

And the demolition that revealed those damaged oak hardwoods… :(

Here’s the framework in getting rid of the crazy skinny windows…

And here’s the new windows and new front door…

Here’s the old kitchen. I’ll be nice and call it rustic…

Here’s what I thought of rustic…

This is my new kitchen… isn’t she pretty?

Here’s the side that you see from the front entry. I went with a cooktop and a mantle-style range hood since it’s the focal point from the front entry… I’ll have to take more pictures, but the ceiling is an angled cathedral. The kitchen truly is the heart of my home.

Here’s the sunroom downstairs (these are the photos that require the biggest apology). This is why the old back door irritated me so much. These stairs go straight up to the main floor of the house (kitchen and family room). To me, the back door should be situated opposite these stairs – so I had it moved…

Framing for the windows and doors…

New sunroom windows…

New sunroom door…

Inground pool complete with plenty of algae and a broken slide…

Many hours of cleaning later…

So, that covers a good bit of our remodel but not nearly enough. There's so much progress that’s been made since these photos (yay!) but of course, I have to organize all my new photos before I can post again. It’s going to be a crazy week, so perhaps I’ll get to this photo organizing project over the weekend and post Part II soon!

These are the words I would say

2010-04-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Little one's only 17 months old now, but I know he'll be grown and having children of his own before I know it. Sure, I want him be well behaved as a kid and I want him to do well in school and all of that, but the real test of my parenting comes when he's asking for a young lady's hand in marriage, becoming a husband, father, a provider, and a spiritual leader. Fear. That's what caused me to wait so long to have children. I have often made choices considering "my 40-year old self", the main reason why I don't have pierced ears or tatoos... and the reason I waited nearly 10 years after getting married to have children. I just can't bear the thoughts of making such permanent choices for "my 40-year old self". I guess I just had a hard time deciding for my 40-year old self about becoming a mother. To me, it's the only decision in life that you can't undo. Would I regret having children too early or too late, or having children at all? The thought of raising someone's husband is a little harder than the thought of caring for an infant or looking after a toddler. Infancy and toddlerhood's the easy part. It's raising a man that scares me half to death! Every step we take as parents becomes part of the tapestry that makes this child a man. God, help us raise him well. I tend to overthink and analyze things to death before making a final decision on anything, so I probably would have never had my son had it not been for divine intervention. After almost 10 years of marriage and 10 years of successful family planning, we had an oops baby. I can only speak for my 30-year old self, but I am the happiest I've ever been having become a mother. I can't wait to have more children. I didn't write the song, but it sure seems I could have. When I hear this song, I want to cry at the thought of telling my son all I want him to know before I run out of time. The song pretty well says it all for me. In a few years, "these are the words I would say" to my son.

Mission #7 in progress

2010-04-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

I washed my car twice yesterday, and then a down-pour last night gave me a bonus rinse cycle for free. Don't you love it when that happens? So, on to Mission #7 - Be Happy! The first step of this mission is making a list of 10 things you love to do and ways to do them more often. I haven't made my list yet, but here's the sample list from the mission page: Take a bubble bath, Dance to 80s tunes, Read a detective novel, Watch a fave TV show on DVD, Go for a walk somewhere pretty, Listen to your iPod in the garden, People-watch in a cafe, See an action film, Play a computer game, Do a jigsaw puzzle. It just so happens that I have had a huge weight on my heart this week about something I love to do that I've been putting off for many, many years. My siblings have 8 children between them and they are all growing up way too fast. I remember changing my nephews diapers when I was 15... and he's 15 now. Much like a mother looking back with regrets, aunts do the same - or at least I do. I have so many regrets! I wish I had been the aunt that took them to the zoo, to the mountains, out to dinner, and over to my house for sleepovers - often. The hubs and I have been married for 11 years now and it's been the same old bag of excuses why we can't do these things... especially the sleepovers. You know, the classics: we have to work, the house is a wreck (because of the constant remodeling at our first house and now this house), we've got this church thing going on, we've got this family thing going on, we've got this project we're working on, we're so busy, we're so tired, yadda, yadda, yadda. Translation to a 3-year old little girl who's now 14: I don't even want to imagine. It hurts too much! So, tonight I'm having a SLEEPOVER! Yes, we're still busy and yes, we're still tired. Yes, the house is still a wreck. I can't handle all 8 at one time, so I'm just taking 3 tonight. It's such a small step, but the hubs didn't give me one single objection. He was happy to do something that makes me happy! I still need to make out my list and do more than just this one thing to mark it off the list, but this is such a huge step in the right direction for me. I could cry I'm so happy! It does nothing to make up for all the lost time, but there's absolutely nothing I can do about the past. Guilt won't turn back the clock and give me a do-over. I can only work with what I've got - today.

Mission #6 derailed me

2010-04-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Mission #6 (Detox Your Car) completely derailed me from my 52 Missions progress. I was doing so good before... completing each mission well in advance of receiving the notification for the next mission in my email. I just got Mission #10 in my inbox this morning... ugh! Now I'm behind! So, detoxing my car is now a huge priority. Mission #10 is about closet organization and I'm really anxious to get back on that, so I've got to get through 7, 8, and 9 in a hurry. I've done pretty good this week with my hours at work, so I think I'm going to use one of little one's naps today to work on my vehicle versus working on work. These missions are supposed to take 30 minutes and for this mission, washing the car is involved. I have an SUV, so it's impossible to wash it myself in 30 minutes. I don't want the hubs to have a heart attack because (a) I paid to have my car washed and (b) I took my car through a wash that would leave "swirl marks" - so that means I'm washing it myself and I'll have to stretch well beyond the 30-minute time limit. Funny, I think we've washed my car two or three times in five years - I think swirl marks on a clean vehicle would be a step up, but I pick my battles. I don't feel like starting WWIII over a stupid thing like washing my car... so, this mission's going to take at least one nap... maybe two. Either way, I'm going to mark this one off my list TODAY.

So why do you go to church?

2010-04-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Honestly, no one has ever asked me... that I can recall, anyway. I know why, but do you? Here's a hint. It might come in a very eloquently stated explanation including lots of big words but really, it can be summed up in just one simple word: it starts with a "W". Worship. That's it. In another wonderful sermon that I heard on one of several 4-hour round trips to see my daddy in ICU a few weeks ago, that one word has stuck with me. Worship. You know that annoying catch phrase... it's all about me... well, the church used it for a while, too. It's all about Him... or it's all about You. Even wrote a few songs about it. I'm not knocking it... twisting something the world is using and [cough] making it "your own". But I guess my point is, we try but we probably fail more miserably than we care to admit. Half the time, I think we're all just doing what pleases self. One of the greatest points the pastor made is the top reason most people change churches... you know, I won't be coming back here because "I didn't get much out of it." It, of course, being the sermon, the music, the congregation... blah, blah, blah. We all do it. We have those moments. We walk in expecting someone to shake our hand and welcome us with a smile, we walk in and expect some song to bless us, or some sermon to inspire us... US, US, US. When we should walk in asking ourselves, what can I give YOU today? What piece of my soul, what cry of my heart, what sacrifice of praise, what offering can I bring to YOU today? If all we took our eyes off ourselves, wow - what a different church we'd all be attending. What a humble group of people we'd be. Go to church! Worship! I'm guessing you'll be glad you did. If you haven't already figured it out... I'm talking to me on these Wednesdays in the Word. And yes, I'm trying to actually listen.

My baby’s first beach trip

2010-04-05T17:17:00.001-07:00

My brother and his family took a trip to the beach last week, so little one and I joined them Friday and Saturday. This was his first trip to the beach and he really enjoyed himself! I've only stayed two nights away from the hubs in 11 years, so one night away was very hard for me. I was so homesick. By 6pm Friday night I was ready to drive back but driving 8 hours in one day isn't smart for someone who isn't used to it. I toughed it out and stayed the night, so we enjoyed the morning on the beach before heading out.

In this shot, you can see my brother’s beach art… see the dolphin swimming behind little one? It’s pretty here, but it was fantastic in person!

We enjoyed the Easter Sunday morning service at church and had a wonderful afternoon with family for the rest of the day. I watched Papa take several steps without his walker and I watched him pick buttons out of Play-Doh with his left hand (one of his physical therapy exercises). God has been so good to us. I am so thankful to still have him with us. My child adores him and so do I. I don't know what either of us would do without him! All in all, we really had a great weekend!

The fleeting moments of babyhood

2010-04-01T18:27:00.001-07:00

It’s so hard to believe that in 6 days, I’ll have been caring for my little one outside my belly for 17 months now. Where has the time gone?

This tiny little 7 lb infant…

has grown and grown……

and turned into this little boy!

Every day I see a little more baby leave his little face. Where has this time gone? At 12 months he started walking and soon started talking. He keeps adding new words every day. Just last week, he started saying, “No, no, no.” when he doesn’t want another bite or doesn’t want to read a particular book, “Hold you!” when he wants to be held, and “Stop!” He’s developing a little sense of humor that keeps us laughing every day.

Nothing can prepare you for how quickly they grow. My memory of those early days with him is already fading! He’s growing so fast, I’m afraid I’m going to miss something! I’m sure I’ll feel the same way 20 years from now. Where has the time gone?

Wednesdays in the Word: Unity, a test of your character

2010-03-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a member of a family of 2 or 10, a church, an organization or group of any kind - unity is the only constant that will keep that group together. I heard one of the best sermons on unity on the way to see my daddy in ICU (one of many 4-hour round trips I made a couple of weeks ago). In the shortest possible paraphrase humanly possible, here's your 2-point sermonette:

Unity requires a conviction for unity.
Unity requires personal sacrifice, humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance (tolerance).

What marriage/family couldn't use a huge dose of all of these? Good grief, if every time I had an issue that came up in my marriage and I tried to apply each of these before opening my mouth... I would be a more quiet wife, that's for sure! When I heard the sermon, I was probably in one of the most stressful environments possible. My entire family was very worried about my daddy and emotions were running very, very high. We have a large family and an even larger extended family. Amazingly, the family really came together in agreement about speaking life over daddy and believing for his full recovery. I've mentioned before how God shares things by two's with me and he did it again with this idea of unity. I shared this sermon with my sister and it was amazing how much the subject of unity came up over and over throughout the week. Her father-in-law said a very special prayer/blessing over my family during one of his visits and he closed with a blessing of unity. My sister and I just looked at each other and enjoyed the blessing of confirmation together. I'll never accomplish living all of these wonderful characteristics of unity, but I do have a conviction about having unity in my marriage, my personal life, my family life, and my church. I think that's really where it starts.

Toys & books: before & after

2010-03-31T05:40:00.000-07:00

My family room is where we usually hang out in my house. Little one's books and toys are all stacked in the corner. I said I wouldn't be one of those people, but I guess I'm one of those people! In my defense, until we get the queen-sized bed out of little one's room (which will be there until the downstairs guest bedroom flooring is installed), he doesn't have much floor space in his room to play. For now, we use the living room as our family play room. I wanted to make the most of a pretty crummy temporary situation, so I picked up a set of baskets to help organize little one's toys and books. I'm sure I'll find good use for the baskets later on.

Before:

A couple of side notes about the items in the before photo: I'll be painting the wicker basket and using it elsewhere in the house (probably for rolled towels in my guest bath?). I'll also be painting the file cabinet and changing out the hardware to reuse it in a new office space. I have an idea to convert an old kitchette table into a desk and this little filing cabinet is part of my plan.

After (well, sort of... you get the idea):

The toys are pared down to the ones he plays with most often and the books he likes. The rest are in his room now. He's just transitioned out of a lot of his toys for his age, so it's time for a few new items. I have shopping plans this week for this. Obviously, we still have a LONG way to go in finishing our house, but it's the baby steps of progress we're making along the way that keep me sane and happy!