Happy Tuesday to all!
What are you up to this week? Are you doing anything exciting? Are you doing something you love? Well I am. I have my machine out and am working on a few sewing projects. I will take some pics and let you see...soon.
Project 1: We have a need for improved curtains...my are all highwaters...you know like a pair of short pants? Yup, all the curtains that I brought with me from CO fit the window width here at our house in MO but they are all too short. So I figured out a plan...I am in love with the canvas drop cloth fabric (it's a huge piece of fabric for cheap cheap cheap but if you go looking for some, make sure you don't get the drop cloth with the plastic backing) from Home Depot and I am going to cut the curtains about a 1/3 of the way from the top and add some of that drop cloth fabric in there. The DR and the LR curtains are getting the makeover and like I said, I will take some pics when I am all finished.
Project 2: I am also making a new curtain for my kitchen window (I love this window and am so excited to finally have a kitchen with a window!) using my new kitchen colors...turquoise and red (just like my blog...hmmm!). Oh on eBay last week I bought an amazing Fiestaware turquoise serving bowl! It's awesome! I have all white Fiestaware dishes and bowls and now am collecting turquoise (don't forget Dad...keep the eyes open and aware at all times...turquoise!)
Project 3: Z needs curtains. I found some fabric at a garage sale last summer and have had the fabric hanging (unfinished) with pushpins since.
So there we go, 3 projects to keep me busy this week!
Some of you might remember me blogging last year about Mom-in-Law's cruise around the world trip...well she leaves today on a 2 month jaunt through Eastern Europe. I have told her to forward me plenty of pics so I can share!
Have a great time Carolyn!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Another Pin Post!
It's Monday!
I love Monday mornings.
I love getting kiddos off to school and coming back home, pouring myself a fresh cup of coffee, sitting down to my computer without a kiddo saying "Mom you get 20 more minutes and then it's my turn" (I hate when my rules for them come back to bite me), and enjoying the peace and quiet.
I check out the news, check into Facebook, do a bit of "pinning", check into my favorite blogs and think about what to do on my own blog.
As for "pinning", Pinterest has been a big thing for me lately. I use for lots of finds but my favorite thing is to shop for fabric. I can't always buy it right away though so I pin the ones I love/want. Then, once I decide to make a purchase, it completely easy. I just click on my pin and it takes me right to that link. You can do this with anything...decorating ideas you get from a certain site, travel destinations, books you want to read, yummy recipes etc. It's like an online file cabinet for stuff you find online. It's great!
This weekend Katia and I worked on a quick easy skirt project. It turned out great but of course now we/she wants to make a lot more. This necessitated some shopping for fabric. I had her pin her favorite fabrics and when we are ready, we will go back to that board and choose our favorite...EASY! She ended up pinning about 20-30 fabric choices (gotta love that girl's enthusiasm!) and I thought I would show you some of her choices!
Her favorite!
My favorite!
She has awesome taste!
She has already "decided" she will be an elementary school teacher and but now also a fabric designer.
Sounds like a great plan!
BTW...these fabrics can be purchased at Hawthorne Threads, this is a great website for quality fabrics.
If you haven't tried Pinterest, try it, you will be hooked!
I love Monday mornings.
I love getting kiddos off to school and coming back home, pouring myself a fresh cup of coffee, sitting down to my computer without a kiddo saying "Mom you get 20 more minutes and then it's my turn" (I hate when my rules for them come back to bite me), and enjoying the peace and quiet.
I check out the news, check into Facebook, do a bit of "pinning", check into my favorite blogs and think about what to do on my own blog.
As for "pinning", Pinterest has been a big thing for me lately. I use for lots of finds but my favorite thing is to shop for fabric. I can't always buy it right away though so I pin the ones I love/want. Then, once I decide to make a purchase, it completely easy. I just click on my pin and it takes me right to that link. You can do this with anything...decorating ideas you get from a certain site, travel destinations, books you want to read, yummy recipes etc. It's like an online file cabinet for stuff you find online. It's great!
This weekend Katia and I worked on a quick easy skirt project. It turned out great but of course now we/she wants to make a lot more. This necessitated some shopping for fabric. I had her pin her favorite fabrics and when we are ready, we will go back to that board and choose our favorite...EASY! She ended up pinning about 20-30 fabric choices (gotta love that girl's enthusiasm!) and I thought I would show you some of her choices!
Her favorite!
 |
My favorite!
 |
She has awesome taste!
She has already "decided" she will be an elementary school teacher and but now also a fabric designer.
Sounds like a great plan!
BTW...these fabrics can be purchased at Hawthorne Threads, this is a great website for quality fabrics.
If you haven't tried Pinterest, try it, you will be hooked!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thankful Thursday...
Oh my...it's already been a week...
Today...
oh my...
Today I am Thankful for:
the sun
my mp3
and my kids' school (for teaching them of course and (selfishly) for giving me quiet time!)
Now it's off for a walk around the neighborhood.
I am so tired this morning! I can usually manage fine but today I think I am just beat. So I think my solution is this...I am gonna give myself a break. I will walk...just walk...and see how that feels. I usually worry about going fast enough to get my heart rate up but today I am just going to chill out and enjoy the morning...the birds, the sunshine, and all the amazing gardens around this town. I think I will also stop at the coffee shop, the book store and the hardware store that are merely blocks away from home. Yay!
That sounds like a good pick me up...the perfect morning!
I leave you with the fun we had the other day...Lili's class had a field trip to downtown. We got a private tour of the 2011 World Series Champion Cardinals Stadium and had lunch under the arch! It was so fun and I am so happy I got to go!
Today...
oh my...
Today I am Thankful for:
the sun
my mp3
and my kids' school (for teaching them of course and (selfishly) for giving me quiet time!)
Now it's off for a walk around the neighborhood.
I am so tired this morning! I can usually manage fine but today I think I am just beat. So I think my solution is this...I am gonna give myself a break. I will walk...just walk...and see how that feels. I usually worry about going fast enough to get my heart rate up but today I am just going to chill out and enjoy the morning...the birds, the sunshine, and all the amazing gardens around this town. I think I will also stop at the coffee shop, the book store and the hardware store that are merely blocks away from home. Yay!
That sounds like a good pick me up...the perfect morning!
I leave you with the fun we had the other day...Lili's class had a field trip to downtown. We got a private tour of the 2011 World Series Champion Cardinals Stadium and had lunch under the arch! It was so fun and I am so happy I got to go!
 |
| "Take me out to the ball game..." from inside the dugout! |
 |
| on the field! |
 |
| Walking to the arch...pretty impressive when you approach it! |
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Thankful Thursday!
I haven't done too much blogging this week...not much going on...just living life!
my set of Le Creuset pans
my grocery store
Trader Joes
the farm stand just around the corner
and...
the gym to away all the calories I eat!
Tomorrow I am headed to the St.Louis Zoo with L's 2nd grade class...yippee...We shall see how we fare! She has several field trips coming up one of which is a tour of the Cardinals B-Ball Stadium (you know, the World Series winners!). I wanted that one but all the parent spots were taken...quickly...so I got stuck with the zoo. Good thing it's a great zoo it's just that zoo's are always crazy this time of year with class field trips.
Well, we will make it, I am sure of it!
Happy Thursday everyone and remember to be thankful for the little things in life...they add up!
A
I am thankful today for...
my cooking abilitiesmy set of Le Creuset pans
my grocery store
Trader Joes
the farm stand just around the corner
and...
the gym to away all the calories I eat!
Tomorrow I am headed to the St.Louis Zoo with L's 2nd grade class...yippee...We shall see how we fare! She has several field trips coming up one of which is a tour of the Cardinals B-Ball Stadium (you know, the World Series winners!). I wanted that one but all the parent spots were taken...quickly...so I got stuck with the zoo. Good thing it's a great zoo it's just that zoo's are always crazy this time of year with class field trips.
Well, we will make it, I am sure of it!
Happy Thursday everyone and remember to be thankful for the little things in life...they add up!
A
Monday, April 9, 2012
A beautiful weekend and an update!
I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend and celebrated it in your own special way! We had great weather and enjoyed an egg hunt and bbq with our neighbors...it was really nice.
Our ideal way of celebrating Spring and the renewal of life!
Now for my reading goal update...I made it...pretty much.
One of my kiddos says I didn't but I say I did really good. I made it a week and spent most of my free time with the TV off and a book in my hand.
She thinks not because I watched a bit of The Masters (golf tournament). Does it count that I watched it with a book in my hand? It's golf...you can read at the same time.
Details, details...at least I did work on my bad habit of always turning on the TV and got 2 books completely read and started a third. It felt good and I didn't miss it too much.
So I think I will follow 2 rules...the one for my kids (I can hear myself say it right now) "it's been an hour, TV time is over" and my sister's rule of TV on after 8pm.
That will really limit my TV time as I go to bed at 9-9:30 every night.
That works!
Our ideal way of celebrating Spring and the renewal of life!
Now for my reading goal update...I made it...pretty much.
One of my kiddos says I didn't but I say I did really good. I made it a week and spent most of my free time with the TV off and a book in my hand.
She thinks not because I watched a bit of The Masters (golf tournament). Does it count that I watched it with a book in my hand? It's golf...you can read at the same time.
Details, details...at least I did work on my bad habit of always turning on the TV and got 2 books completely read and started a third. It felt good and I didn't miss it too much.
So I think I will follow 2 rules...the one for my kids (I can hear myself say it right now) "it's been an hour, TV time is over" and my sister's rule of TV on after 8pm.
That will really limit my TV time as I go to bed at 9-9:30 every night.
That works!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Thankful Thursday...
I hope you are having a great week.
All is good here. Not too much is going on this week...Oh except for my TV diet. Yes, it's been 4 days since I turned on the TV and I am doing fine. Almost 2 books down!
Back to the main point.
I am Thankful today for...
my first grade teacher, Mrs. Cleminger, for teaching me to read
authors who write good books
the library
a good comfy reading chair
a warm lap blanket
a fresh cup of coffee
quiet time!
Do yourself a big favor, just for one day, turn off the TV or computer, go to your library, get a book, grab a cup of coffee, sit in your favorite spot and let yourself get lost in reading wonderland!
You can thank me later!
What are you thankful for today?! Leave a comment below!
All is good here. Not too much is going on this week...Oh except for my TV diet. Yes, it's been 4 days since I turned on the TV and I am doing fine. Almost 2 books down!
Back to the main point.
I am Thankful today for...
my first grade teacher, Mrs. Cleminger, for teaching me to read
authors who write good books
the library
a good comfy reading chair
a warm lap blanket
a fresh cup of coffee
quiet time!
 |
| My spot! |
Do yourself a big favor, just for one day, turn off the TV or computer, go to your library, get a book, grab a cup of coffee, sit in your favorite spot and let yourself get lost in reading wonderland!
You can thank me later!
What are you thankful for today?! Leave a comment below!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I am a MOM!
I have talked a little on my blog about my feeling a bit empty in the "Me" tank lately. All my kiddos are in school now and my other-half works long hours and is gone a lot. My "work" hours are from 5am-8:15am and then from 3:30pm-8pm. From 8:15-3:30 it's just me and the cat...yes, laundry, toilets, vacuums, brooms, and dirty dishes are also here to keep me company.
For a while this was really getting me down. I felt like there must be something I could do between those hours that will fulfill me a bit more than the joy laundry provides. Ha!
The thing is it's very important to me to be here for my kids. I want them to know that I am here if they forgot their lunch, homework, or gym shoes and even if I gripe (just a bit), I can help them out. I LOVE our summers together. I wouldn't miss those hot summer days for anything. Yes, those days can get long and sometimes boring and by August I am ready for school to start but I wouldn't want to lose the chance to hang with them.
So yesterday I decided that I need to change my point of view. My family needs me. My family relys on me to provide important things for them. I love that job. It's the best job out there and it won't last forever. My oldest is 13 and will soon want to hang with her friends all the time. My youngest is 8 and that is only 10 years to go and then she could be off to greatness. I am going to stop my complaining and just be proud of myself for having such fun, great kids and be thankful to my other-half for providing me with that option.
There are things I am interested in doing though. If you read my post yesterday you know I love to read. So I just started volunteering once a week at our elementary library. I don't do much, so far just organizing shelves alphabetically but that's ok. For now, this is my course and it's good, and very important.
The best part...it's a decision, my decision!
Who knows, maybe down the road, this could lead to a position at one of the kids' schools?
Hmmmm...the same hours and breaks as the kiddos get?! The perfect solution? Maybe!
For a while this was really getting me down. I felt like there must be something I could do between those hours that will fulfill me a bit more than the joy laundry provides. Ha!
The thing is it's very important to me to be here for my kids. I want them to know that I am here if they forgot their lunch, homework, or gym shoes and even if I gripe (just a bit), I can help them out. I LOVE our summers together. I wouldn't miss those hot summer days for anything. Yes, those days can get long and sometimes boring and by August I am ready for school to start but I wouldn't want to lose the chance to hang with them.
So yesterday I decided that I need to change my point of view. My family needs me. My family relys on me to provide important things for them. I love that job. It's the best job out there and it won't last forever. My oldest is 13 and will soon want to hang with her friends all the time. My youngest is 8 and that is only 10 years to go and then she could be off to greatness. I am going to stop my complaining and just be proud of myself for having such fun, great kids and be thankful to my other-half for providing me with that option.
There are things I am interested in doing though. If you read my post yesterday you know I love to read. So I just started volunteering once a week at our elementary library. I don't do much, so far just organizing shelves alphabetically but that's ok. For now, this is my course and it's good, and very important.
The best part...it's a decision, my decision!
Who knows, maybe down the road, this could lead to a position at one of the kids' schools?
Hmmmm...the same hours and breaks as the kiddos get?! The perfect solution? Maybe!
 |
| What's your worry Mom? Life is good! |
Monday, April 2, 2012
TV or not TV?!
I think I have a problem...turning off the TV
Here's the thing...I love to read books. There is nothing better than a great book. One that can make you think about life or bring you to tears or make you smile and laugh. I love a good book!!
But...even when I have a good book to read and am really enjoying it, I will turn on the TV. I will waste so much time just watching needless stuff. It's really bad...it's crazy.
It all started this morning, I was walking around the library gathering books that I wanted and thinking "I shouldn't take too many because I will never read them all in the amount of time the library lets me keep them". Then I thought, "well that's only because you watch TV too much". Oh...sometimes those little men (lil' good guy-lil' bad guy) on your shoulder really point out important things.
So I can to the only rational decision...
I am turning off the "tube".
For one week, I am going to turn it off and read. All week. Just read. I want to see how quickly I can get through a stack of books. The TV is an amazingly addictive, evil, little thing. I have known this forever but it's hitting me how much time I just waste. I limit it for my kiddos...why not myself. I am the one with the problem, not them.
Now there are my favorite shows that I really enjoy but with the internet and now our Hulu, I can catch up on just about anything and do it at my leisure.
This will be good. I need this. I will survive.
So here is my goodie bag of books!!!
"The Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks
"Fly Away Home" by Jennifer Weiner
"The Blue Bistro" by Elin Hilderbrand
"The Family Fortune" by Laurie Horowitz
and...
"Silver Girl" by Elin Hilderbrand
They all look good right? It's crazy because I really want to read all of them but I am already missing the stupid TV.
Ugh...I sooooo need to do this...but why is it so hard? I guess it's hard to do the best thing sometimes.
So next Monday I will fill you in on how I survived Reading week.
I also need to stop blabbing on this post and stop surfing the internet. Another one of my big time wasters!
Oh wait...Just remembered...can I watch KU get their butts kicked tonight by Kentucky? That doesn't count right?!
Oh man...well, Good Luck Kentucky! You aren't my wildcats but mine aren't the ones playing KU!
Here's the thing...I love to read books. There is nothing better than a great book. One that can make you think about life or bring you to tears or make you smile and laugh. I love a good book!!
But...even when I have a good book to read and am really enjoying it, I will turn on the TV. I will waste so much time just watching needless stuff. It's really bad...it's crazy.
It all started this morning, I was walking around the library gathering books that I wanted and thinking "I shouldn't take too many because I will never read them all in the amount of time the library lets me keep them". Then I thought, "well that's only because you watch TV too much". Oh...sometimes those little men (lil' good guy-lil' bad guy) on your shoulder really point out important things.
So I can to the only rational decision...
I am turning off the "tube".
For one week, I am going to turn it off and read. All week. Just read. I want to see how quickly I can get through a stack of books. The TV is an amazingly addictive, evil, little thing. I have known this forever but it's hitting me how much time I just waste. I limit it for my kiddos...why not myself. I am the one with the problem, not them.
Now there are my favorite shows that I really enjoy but with the internet and now our Hulu, I can catch up on just about anything and do it at my leisure.
This will be good. I need this. I will survive.
So here is my goodie bag of books!!!
and...
They all look good right? It's crazy because I really want to read all of them but I am already missing the stupid TV.
Ugh...I sooooo need to do this...but why is it so hard? I guess it's hard to do the best thing sometimes.
So next Monday I will fill you in on how I survived Reading week.
I also need to stop blabbing on this post and stop surfing the internet. Another one of my big time wasters!
Oh wait...Just remembered...can I watch KU get their butts kicked tonight by Kentucky? That doesn't count right?!
Oh man...well, Good Luck Kentucky! You aren't my wildcats but mine aren't the ones playing KU!
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