a 50% off hobby lobby frame, a scrap piece of beadboard, a leftover can of chalkboard spray paint and voila!
Also, chalkboard markers are awesome!
Monday, December 31, 2012
a chalkboard.
I like a good chalkboard. There are a couple little ones in the new house. We had a huge one in the old house. When it came time to fill an awkward open space above the kitchen sink I knew just what I wanted to do.
a 50% off hobby lobby frame, a scrap piece of beadboard, a leftover can of chalkboard spray paint and voila!
Also, chalkboard markers are awesome!
a 50% off hobby lobby frame, a scrap piece of beadboard, a leftover can of chalkboard spray paint and voila!
Also, chalkboard markers are awesome!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
merry and bright.
It was a very merry Christmas in our household... and a very busy one too.
We had a large out-of-town crowd that stayed with us for most of the week, at one point reaching 19 people. Lots of family, lots of laughs, lots of merry time together.
Many more holiday updates and pictures to come.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!
We had a large out-of-town crowd that stayed with us for most of the week, at one point reaching 19 people. Lots of family, lots of laughs, lots of merry time together.
Many more holiday updates and pictures to come.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Merry Christmas.
Before all the family starts rolling into town and holiday events begin, we just wanted to wish you all a very...
Monday, December 17, 2012
for a smile.
sometimes we need a smile, something that makes our soul sing, something that restores our faith in humanity.
and it gives us all a little glimmer of hope as our hearts are still heavy.
so today for a little smile, you get sleeping babies with sleeping kitties.
a little simple smile can warm your heart even just a tiny bit.
and an article worth viewing click here - moments that restore our faith in humanity.
and it gives us all a little glimmer of hope as our hearts are still heavy.
so today for a little smile, you get sleeping babies with sleeping kitties.
a little simple smile can warm your heart even just a tiny bit.
and an article worth viewing click here - moments that restore our faith in humanity.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
heartbroken.
I wake up this morning only to turn on the t.v. and see the same stories. The devastation, the unthinkable, the utter sadness. I think the blur of yesterday warrants you to wake up the next morning with the hope that it was all a nightmare. The hope that it was not real.
Our hearts are broken.
When you think you may be all cried out, they roll again. And the tears will continue to roll for some time. The babies calling out for their mamas, the teachers showing the ultimate care and sacrifice, the first responders and all those witnessing the horrifying scene, the families of every single person; child involved. child. children. It's so hard to even say those words in these circumstances.
It is too difficult, too devastating to comprehend.
As a parent, it's beyond words. I snuggle my girl tighter. I cuddle with her longer. I don't mind at all that she is more clingy to me lately than usual. I'll take every embrace that I can. I lay in bed last night just waiting for her to wake, missing her, almost hoping this is a night she will wake and I can hold her in the night. She did. We snuggled and cuddled and there was no greater feeling than her little beating heart resting on mine.
As a teacher, it's too easy to picture. Imagining the principal greeting the school in the morning, children getting settled into their classrooms, teachers smiling, teaching, loving those little ones. Teachers caring for their students, their children in every way possible. Teachers who are entrusted each and every day to keep these babies safe. The classroom is a second home, the children are a second family. And these teachers who did everything in their power to keep their kids safe, they are remarkable. Some reading books to their kids to keep them calm and distracted, some trying to keep their innocent little minds as safe and protected as possible as well, some pulling kids out of harms way, and all putting themselves at risk to protect the children first.
Something sunk in for me this morning as people were talking about 9/11. So many precautions were taken following, new laws and precautions, so much training for pilots, flight attendants, for their safety, for passenger safety.
Why are we not yet there with our schools? Our children? Too many incidents we have already experienced.
Political issues will be discussed, gun violence, school safety, mental health awareness. But as one of the Newtown community members said, we need to all come together for good things to happen.
As fear has sunk in a little deeper for families, we hold onto one thing that keeps us going... hope.
Hope that there will be change. Hope for a future where our children will be safe, and that they will not have fear for the safety of their own children one day.
My heart aches for all those children who did not get to go home and sleep in their beds last night, or get hugged a little tighter like the rest. There are no words.
To all the families, I am so so sorry for your loss.
Our thoughts and prayers and support are with you.
Our hearts are broken.
When you think you may be all cried out, they roll again. And the tears will continue to roll for some time. The babies calling out for their mamas, the teachers showing the ultimate care and sacrifice, the first responders and all those witnessing the horrifying scene, the families of every single person; child involved. child. children. It's so hard to even say those words in these circumstances.
It is too difficult, too devastating to comprehend.
As a parent, it's beyond words. I snuggle my girl tighter. I cuddle with her longer. I don't mind at all that she is more clingy to me lately than usual. I'll take every embrace that I can. I lay in bed last night just waiting for her to wake, missing her, almost hoping this is a night she will wake and I can hold her in the night. She did. We snuggled and cuddled and there was no greater feeling than her little beating heart resting on mine.
As a teacher, it's too easy to picture. Imagining the principal greeting the school in the morning, children getting settled into their classrooms, teachers smiling, teaching, loving those little ones. Teachers caring for their students, their children in every way possible. Teachers who are entrusted each and every day to keep these babies safe. The classroom is a second home, the children are a second family. And these teachers who did everything in their power to keep their kids safe, they are remarkable. Some reading books to their kids to keep them calm and distracted, some trying to keep their innocent little minds as safe and protected as possible as well, some pulling kids out of harms way, and all putting themselves at risk to protect the children first.
Something sunk in for me this morning as people were talking about 9/11. So many precautions were taken following, new laws and precautions, so much training for pilots, flight attendants, for their safety, for passenger safety.
Why are we not yet there with our schools? Our children? Too many incidents we have already experienced.
Political issues will be discussed, gun violence, school safety, mental health awareness. But as one of the Newtown community members said, we need to all come together for good things to happen.
As fear has sunk in a little deeper for families, we hold onto one thing that keeps us going... hope.
Hope that there will be change. Hope for a future where our children will be safe, and that they will not have fear for the safety of their own children one day.
My heart aches for all those children who did not get to go home and sleep in their beds last night, or get hugged a little tighter like the rest. There are no words.
To all the families, I am so so sorry for your loss.
Our thoughts and prayers and support are with you.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
a first and a few randoms.
You are probably thinking a first for Quinn, but no this will be a first for us.
Every time that Todd and I make a list and set a deadline, we always meet it. Sadly, we will not be meeting our "to-do before family Christmas at our house list" this year. I looked at it yesterday and I think I was only able to cross off two things, and saw two more that are in the works (this on a list of about 14 things). ugh. this wasn't even a close one. The culprit of our first to-do list failure...colds, flus, yucky sickies. It's been a full month now. I think last week was probably the best and no one was feeling sick or rundown for a 5 day period, but this week it returns. And of course it lasts long because it's never all 3 of us at once (but that is also a blessing because its helps for one of us to be healthy to take care of Quinn :).
Today's status report:
Mommy 100% healthy
Quinny 90% healthy - just a little residue cough from cold
Daddy maybe 30% healthy - he is home today, coughing feeling rundown and has self-diagnosed
himself with bronchitis. - UPDATE: It's the FLU the icky yucky nasty flu. Daddy
has been quarantined to a separate room of the house.
Lucy healthy, but maybe a little sad for all of us - she did have a little bout of kitty flu right after we
had the flu last month.
Throw on top of this that Quinn's 2-year molars finally seem to be coming in, I say finally because I have been tricked several times into thinking that they were, and boy I really wish they had already come in. This week we have a much more irritable, dare I say a little crabby, little girl.
So, key to a failed to-do list - letting it go and focusing on only a couple things. Our Christmas present project we are working on for Quinn and the first floor bathroom are the only things making the list anymore. Painting other rooms that we had planned, totally re-hauling and organizing closets top to bottom, shredding and organizing all office paper documents that haven't been done for a long time, etc. etc. etc.... all getting pushed to the next to-do list.
Not only is sickness a culprit especially for November, but this month we also just want to relax and enjoy all the pre-holiday festivities with Quinn and take the time with just us as we can.
All I want for Christmas is a healthy home.
I'm pretty sure I did not say All I want for Christmas are Quinn's 2-year molars. :)
----------------------------
A few recent cheap DIY projects:
In our Dining Nook:
One of my favorite projects I worked on in the new house were these wood planks. I think I loved it because it was one of those that involved buying absolutely nothing and using all materials we already had lying around.
I searched through Todd's wood pile in the garage found these planks, had him cut them down (but not perfectly, I didn't want perfect straight edges) then I sanded them, painted two coats of white paint we had, then one coat of gray paint (leftover from playroom) and then sanded them again to give them a distressed look (may be hard to see in the picture). Then I printed out a font on the computer I liked, placed it over the wood, traced it with a pen leaving an indentation in the wood, then took out my handy tiny paint brush and some black paint and painted the letters by hand (with an indentation guideline :), and finally sanded over it all again so the black was not so bold and a little more weathered as well.
This next frame has just been waiting for the new house one day, and I'm glad it is finally here and placed. I snatched up the idea from another blog, made my own print-out and utilized a Hobby Lobby gift card for the frame. (Hobby Lobby my absolute favorite source of frames - and always can get them 50% off.) The placement of this for our girl was key - it is in the dining nook of our kitchen near our laundry room door. Love that she can see it during our family dinners and while eating, and always before she leaves the house. (yes, I know she is a little young to be reading it, but as she grows - well it's perfect.)
This is one section of our dining nook. The two shelves used to be in Quinn's baby room in our old home, and they used to be a dark espresso. I painted them white and added some decor we already had.
Just a pretty pic of our girl also by our kitchen table. With a gold bow for Christmas.
And...our gallery wall.
Our family room has two big massive empty walls with no windows, dimension, what have you. To spice up the family room in an inexpensive way I tackled this gallery wall (one of my favorite things to do). Here is my personal philosophy on picture frames - I like to make the photo pop and have the color of the frame stand out from the color on the wall. I also like frames that only hold one photograph to draw more attention to the photo itself rather than the frame.
The gallery wall is on the wall opposite the fireplace. (The other big massive wall has a plan for a larger white entertainment shelving/unit with the look of built-ins....one day.)
Anyway, all of the frames we already had (except one again purchased with a gift card at Hobby Lobby). I painted them all white.
and then started to plan out where I wanted them to go. On other gallery walls I have drawn pictures, made a template, but here I just kind of laid out the frames a bit and then just started slapping them up on the wall. :) No measuring done. Most of the frames were hung using the Command picture hanging strips.
All of our projects have been very inexpensive and mostly utilizing items we already have, leftover paint, etc. I love a good project, and it's so fun to look around your home and see things that you did or made yourself that help make your home feel a little more homey.
And now Quinn and I will be heading out to Target to get a few things for a special fun-filled Quinn day tomorrow, plus diapers and all that fun stuff too. :)
Target note: ALWAYS check the coupons on their store website and the slips that get printed with your receipt. I have a $8 off $80 purchase and a $10 gift card back if you spend $50. I also only have a dozen items on my list but 4 of those had Target coupons, saving another $6. So in our $80 trip today, we will get back/save $24.
And on that note, Happy Thursday!
Every time that Todd and I make a list and set a deadline, we always meet it. Sadly, we will not be meeting our "to-do before family Christmas at our house list" this year. I looked at it yesterday and I think I was only able to cross off two things, and saw two more that are in the works (this on a list of about 14 things). ugh. this wasn't even a close one. The culprit of our first to-do list failure...colds, flus, yucky sickies. It's been a full month now. I think last week was probably the best and no one was feeling sick or rundown for a 5 day period, but this week it returns. And of course it lasts long because it's never all 3 of us at once (but that is also a blessing because its helps for one of us to be healthy to take care of Quinn :).
Today's status report:
Mommy 100% healthy
Quinny 90% healthy - just a little residue cough from cold
Daddy maybe 30% healthy - he is home today, coughing feeling rundown and has self-diagnosed
himself with bronchitis. - UPDATE: It's the FLU the icky yucky nasty flu. Daddy
has been quarantined to a separate room of the house.
Lucy healthy, but maybe a little sad for all of us - she did have a little bout of kitty flu right after we
had the flu last month.
Throw on top of this that Quinn's 2-year molars finally seem to be coming in, I say finally because I have been tricked several times into thinking that they were, and boy I really wish they had already come in. This week we have a much more irritable, dare I say a little crabby, little girl.
So, key to a failed to-do list - letting it go and focusing on only a couple things. Our Christmas present project we are working on for Quinn and the first floor bathroom are the only things making the list anymore. Painting other rooms that we had planned, totally re-hauling and organizing closets top to bottom, shredding and organizing all office paper documents that haven't been done for a long time, etc. etc. etc.... all getting pushed to the next to-do list.
Not only is sickness a culprit especially for November, but this month we also just want to relax and enjoy all the pre-holiday festivities with Quinn and take the time with just us as we can.
All I want for Christmas is a healthy home.
I'm pretty sure I did not say All I want for Christmas are Quinn's 2-year molars. :)
----------------------------
A few recent cheap DIY projects:
In our Dining Nook:
One of my favorite projects I worked on in the new house were these wood planks. I think I loved it because it was one of those that involved buying absolutely nothing and using all materials we already had lying around.
I searched through Todd's wood pile in the garage found these planks, had him cut them down (but not perfectly, I didn't want perfect straight edges) then I sanded them, painted two coats of white paint we had, then one coat of gray paint (leftover from playroom) and then sanded them again to give them a distressed look (may be hard to see in the picture). Then I printed out a font on the computer I liked, placed it over the wood, traced it with a pen leaving an indentation in the wood, then took out my handy tiny paint brush and some black paint and painted the letters by hand (with an indentation guideline :), and finally sanded over it all again so the black was not so bold and a little more weathered as well.
This next frame has just been waiting for the new house one day, and I'm glad it is finally here and placed. I snatched up the idea from another blog, made my own print-out and utilized a Hobby Lobby gift card for the frame. (Hobby Lobby my absolute favorite source of frames - and always can get them 50% off.) The placement of this for our girl was key - it is in the dining nook of our kitchen near our laundry room door. Love that she can see it during our family dinners and while eating, and always before she leaves the house. (yes, I know she is a little young to be reading it, but as she grows - well it's perfect.)
This is one section of our dining nook. The two shelves used to be in Quinn's baby room in our old home, and they used to be a dark espresso. I painted them white and added some decor we already had.
Just a pretty pic of our girl also by our kitchen table. With a gold bow for Christmas.
And...our gallery wall.
Our family room has two big massive empty walls with no windows, dimension, what have you. To spice up the family room in an inexpensive way I tackled this gallery wall (one of my favorite things to do). Here is my personal philosophy on picture frames - I like to make the photo pop and have the color of the frame stand out from the color on the wall. I also like frames that only hold one photograph to draw more attention to the photo itself rather than the frame.
The gallery wall is on the wall opposite the fireplace. (The other big massive wall has a plan for a larger white entertainment shelving/unit with the look of built-ins....one day.)
Anyway, all of the frames we already had (except one again purchased with a gift card at Hobby Lobby). I painted them all white.
and then started to plan out where I wanted them to go. On other gallery walls I have drawn pictures, made a template, but here I just kind of laid out the frames a bit and then just started slapping them up on the wall. :) No measuring done. Most of the frames were hung using the Command picture hanging strips.
All of our projects have been very inexpensive and mostly utilizing items we already have, leftover paint, etc. I love a good project, and it's so fun to look around your home and see things that you did or made yourself that help make your home feel a little more homey.
And now Quinn and I will be heading out to Target to get a few things for a special fun-filled Quinn day tomorrow, plus diapers and all that fun stuff too. :)
Target note: ALWAYS check the coupons on their store website and the slips that get printed with your receipt. I have a $8 off $80 purchase and a $10 gift card back if you spend $50. I also only have a dozen items on my list but 4 of those had Target coupons, saving another $6. So in our $80 trip today, we will get back/save $24.
And on that note, Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
a train ride.
a nearby town hosts a holiday lights event all for free, fabulous right?
Hot cocoa, popcorn, Santa and a train ride viewing holiday lights and decor.
We went with good friends and had a great time, well...minus seeing Santa (as per the last post).
Quinn looks excited right? I assure you she did enjoy it. :)
Hot cocoa, popcorn, Santa and a train ride viewing holiday lights and decor.
We went with good friends and had a great time, well...minus seeing Santa (as per the last post).
Monday, December 10, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
walk with santa.
Last night we joined our town to welcome Santa. We walked with Mr. and Mrs. Claus down Main Street to light the large Christmas trees on the courthouse lawn.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
the best sound.
a giggling little quinn.
lately she just starts cracking up at all kinds of things.
we are so loving this side of her. :)
this was watching a mickey mouse Christmas special.
lately she just starts cracking up at all kinds of things.
we are so loving this side of her. :)
this was watching a mickey mouse Christmas special.
Monday, December 3, 2012
christmas crafting.
Quinn and I have been doing a lot of Christmas crafting.
Usually each day we work on a little Christmas craft, lately involving stickers because she is obsessed with them and places them carefully and slowly onto her craft.
A few days ago we needed a proper craft for the start of December.
A Countdown.
She loved the glue stick. :)
Showing off her craft. :)
If anyone looked closely and noticed, yes we did it incorrectly. It is counting up instead of backwards. oops. good job, teacher. good job.
I think December is a little confused. High temp of 68 degrees today.
December, you (along with January) are on my approved months of winter, please make sure to bring some snow for Christmas. :) There are snowmen to be built, sledding to be done, and cups of hot cocoa to be drunk with glistening white in the background.
Usually each day we work on a little Christmas craft, lately involving stickers because she is obsessed with them and places them carefully and slowly onto her craft.
A few days ago we needed a proper craft for the start of December.
A Countdown.
She loved the glue stick. :)
Showing off her craft. :)
If anyone looked closely and noticed, yes we did it incorrectly. It is counting up instead of backwards. oops. good job, teacher. good job.
I think December is a little confused. High temp of 68 degrees today.
December, you (along with January) are on my approved months of winter, please make sure to bring some snow for Christmas. :) There are snowmen to be built, sledding to be done, and cups of hot cocoa to be drunk with glistening white in the background.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
simple holiday decor.
One of the things I knew would be a little challenging this year was not to run out and grab all the Christmas decor I loved and bring it home with me (especially since we are entertaining a large group for a week at our house this year). I LOVE decorating for Christmas. New house, new budget. Just have to wait until the after Christmas sales and utilize gift cards in order to decorate the house next year, which I am very excited about. That being said...I am working my skills and putting on my creative thinking cap to make our home still feel very warm and cozy and filled with holiday spirit for this Christmas season.
One strategy: finding free holiday printables and placing them in picture frames we already have. This has been fantastic! Added several of different sizes throughout the house. Command hooks/picture frame hooks are perfect for temporary decor.
Another, spot an idea, rip off the idea and make it your own. :)
On a Target shopping trip I saw a fun colorful holiday wreath that would go perfectly with our decor. It was $25. I went home and made my own for $6.
One (quinn) naptime later...
And LOVING having a fireplace to decorate, an official portal for Santa, a beautiful source on warmth on a cold winter night.
One strategy: finding free holiday printables and placing them in picture frames we already have. This has been fantastic! Added several of different sizes throughout the house. Command hooks/picture frame hooks are perfect for temporary decor.
Another, spot an idea, rip off the idea and make it your own. :)
On a Target shopping trip I saw a fun colorful holiday wreath that would go perfectly with our decor. It was $25. I went home and made my own for $6.
One (quinn) naptime later...
We also have our Christmas Family Checklist all ready to go.
Having fun finding simple ways to spice up our new home for the holiday.And LOVING having a fireplace to decorate, an official portal for Santa, a beautiful source on warmth on a cold winter night.
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