All sorts of Good Things

It's been a few days!
First of several Good Things - my husband got our heater working again! HOORAH! It took 2 different trips to OKC and 3 different blower motors but he finally did it. He is awesome like that - I think I'll keep him!

Second Good Thing - I got a job writing for a website online! YAAA!!! It is challenging for me but also very cool.

Third Good Thing - Alec tried out for a part in the school musical of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and got a part! We don't know which part but he got one! YAAAA!!! Go Alec!

Fourth Good Thing - I have been a crafting/re-doing fool! I'm also linking up to 3 different parties - Kendall over at Finesse Your Nest for Shop Your House Sunday, Kimm at Reinvented for Trash to Treasure Tuesday, and with Maryann over at Domestically Speaking for her Power of Paint party! I'm having another MRI tomorrow for the Meningiomas ( I talk about that over here, here, and here ) and that means that I have had a TON of nervous energy to burn. That equals me being almost manic and getting a bunch of projects finished! So WOOT for me on that account! So hold on to your hats ladies - there are LOTS of pictures in this post.

First off are the Shop Your House items:

 

This old sewing machine used to sit in the middle of my looooong living room wall where the console table sits now. It is beyond thunderdome heavy so when we rearranged the living room the husband did not want to move it far - much less down the stairs into the basement. So we tried it at the side of the sofa - where we needed a table anyway - and it worked!

 This is the console table we moved down and now it is sitting just about where 

the sewing machine was - this needed to be here. It is holding several items I "shopped" for in my house. The little glass doodads and the clock on the left side were scavenged from other areas as was the skinny buffet lamp!

 Close up shots of the items! That bamboo wood frame also came from the Salvation Army. It was 50 cents.

Now on to Trash to Treasure and the Power of Paint!

First off are the mirrors!
A couple of weeks back I had posted a picture of a large round mirror I had found in my basement on another Shop Your House Sunday with Kendall. Well - I had a vision and it included LOTS of mirrors surrounding that large one on my dining room walls. I finally got it finished! 

 

This is the left side of the large window.

This is the right side.

This is a shot of the room. 

It is a work in progress! I still need to re-cover those chairs cushions but that is a future project!

I only spent a total of $12 on all of those mirrors - other than the large round one on the left as I already had that one. 

First - I taped the mirrors off. As you can see they were all sorts of types and colors!

 

Then I spray painted them Satin Nickel.

Then I went over them with a mixture of black craft paint and glazing medium, wiped them down and Voila! New, old mirrors! All came from thrift stores, Goodwill and the Salvation Army! Gotta love spray paint and glaze!!!

And a closer look at the other side too.

Excuse the finger prints on the mirror - my 3 yr old had been "helping". ;) 

Now the next project was my very looooong living room wall. I had NOT been happy with it since we moved in 5 yrs ago but I could not figure out what to do with it. I went on a rearranging kick and then it came to me - I'll showcase some of our family photos on that wall. 

Before

I know, a very 'tired' sofa and part of the blah wall behind it

Then I added a slipcover - BETTER - but not there yet. 

So I rearranged....

After

 All the photos are in Sepia (except the one large photo of Piper and I right after she was born) and everything is in a shade of dark brown frame.

  

These frames also came from thift stores, the Salvation Army and Goodwill and only cost me $8 total. I painted some of them dark brown and glazed with black and others I left as they were.

  

The husband thought I was crazy at first - hanging empty frames on the wall and then putting framed pictures inside those frames....but now he likes it. I dig the architectural element of it.

Trying to get the entire wall here...see it is still a bowling alley of a room but I think this helps break it up a bit and give it interest. I still need to get another basket for under the console table...or possibly an old suitcase to hold throws and pillows...still working on that one. 

  

And this is the After picture, with a cameo by Max, of where the sofa ended up. The picture frame wall is to the right. Still a work in progress here too. I need something large over the sofa...so I was thinking maybe 3 large photos of the kids, blown up and framed out in 11X14 frames???? Possibly???? I'll keep you posted!

Thanks for looking! I know it was long but I told you - I've been burning off nervous energy!!!

Our Heater Died

Well, we aren't sure if it is totally dead or not....but it is not currently working. It is 8pm and the guy is on his way out here to look at it.

Pray we don't have to end up buying a new one.  :(

Chocolate and Kisses and Fun Stuff

Yes, it's Valentines Day. I really don't do this "holiday" much just because I think it's a fake holiday designed to sell overpriced chocolates and junk we don't actually need. But, the sentiment behind the day is a nice one. A day that revolves around love *is* a good idea - commercialism be damned. Anyway I got the boys a couple of small-ish candy hearts and suckers and the hubby got a couple of items.

That was really it around here as I've been fighting off getting sick again and we were gone to a birthday party here all day yesterday. That wiped me smooth out. Seriously. That museum is awesome and a ton of fun but trying to keep up with 2 kids and dealing with a baby will make you need to take to your bed and sleep for 14 hours.

Something really cool happened while we were there yesterday. We went for our cousin's 6th birthday. So, needless to say, Alec was the oldest "kid" at the party. He war surrounded by mostly squealing 5 and 6 year old girls and their smaller, squealing brothers and sisters - including his own. Evidently while he was sitting at the table a smaller little girl couldn't see and he turned around, moved from his chair to another and then helped her get situated so she could see the blowing out of candles. I wasn't aware that any of this had occurred until a woman approached me and asked if I was "that young man's mother?" Yes - I said. And then she proceeded to tell me what a very polite young man he was. I asked what had happened and she explained the entire scene to me and went on to tell me that her Siciliy (the little girl in question's name) now thought that he was the cutest boy she'd ever seen.

It all made me smile and made my day. There are moments that you feel like you have utterly failed as a parent and then there are moments like this. And these are the ones that make you feel like maybe - just maybe you didn't raise a serial killer but possible a contributing member of society; or better yet, a good, solid young man.

Today is Sunday and that means another Shop Your House day. I'm linked up with Kendall over at Finesse Your Nest again. I did not get the projects I "shopped" and found last week done because the weather has conspired against me and my spray paint as it has snowed again off and on all week. So instead I shopped again yesterday, this time in the basement, and uncovered a couple more treasures! Here goes:

 

I found these tin squares and painted the top and bottom one a red color that we had left over from when we painted the dining room. They were just sitting in our basement waiting on a home. The one in the middle is actually made of wood and I had snatched it up at a thrift store about 2 months ago. I didn't have a place to put it yet but I rearranged the living room and voila! a spot for it!

  

OK - also this black stand and green bamboo I confiscated from the dining room and moved it to this corner in the living room. I think it works better in here and I like the pop of green over in this corner. 

Then I found this old mirror. I bought it several years ago at a thrift store and I've had it sitting in the basement ever since because I didn't know exactly where I wanted it to go. It is now living in the Dining Room. I want to do more old mirrors in here and this is the beginning. 

Another shot of the mirror - just closer up and you can also see some of the Dining Room in the reflection. 

That's it for me. Hope everyone has a good Valentines. Hug your peeps!

Feel Good Fridays 2

Today was Friday. And I had said last week that I was going to designate them as Feel Good Fridays. The only problem was that I didn't actually feel good today.

This was a hard day for me. It wasn't any one thing - more like the culmination of a lot of little things piling up. My husband has been out of town for the last few days and frankly, I'm tired. I've also been incubating some sort of slow growing viral sore throat thing and today it was really bothering me; even my ears were feeling stopped up.

Anyway I just felt all day like I hadn't gotten anything accomplished. I had all of these things that I wanted to get done and I kept feeling like I wasn't getting enough of them completed. And because of that I spent a good portion of today beating myself up about it.


Until I stopped and made myself think about and tally up all the things I actually DID accomplish today. By 3pm today I had done: 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, done the dishes, rearranged the entire living room, moved several things around in the dining room, and wrote 2 articles. All the while dealing with 2 kids under the age of three, making homemade Stromboli for dinner and getting the 12 year old to his first Valentines Day dance. I don't think that is too bad. In fact, after looking at it, I think I got a lot accomplished. Now, it is true that I didn't get to any of my crafty things today, nor did I get to hang the curtains in the dining room. But that is okay.

I am giving myself a break.

I'm tired of looking at myself and only seeing what I didn't do; what I lack, where I fell short. Because I gotta tell you - I got more accomplished than I didn't. And it's about damn time I acknowledged that. So that is what I'm doing tonight. A virtual pat on the back to myself through my blog. Good job Kathleen.

Now that both of the wee small people are asleep - I'm going to go relax for a bit. Before we get up and do it all again tomorrow.

What sorts of things are you guys overdue to hear some praise for - your virtual pat on the back? Let's hear it and acknowledge ourselves. We have to be our biggest fans too rather than always our loudest critic. So tell me ladies - let's hear the good stuff in comments. 

That "to do" list is daunting

Ever feel like you have so many things you have to get done that you just want to give up? Anyone? Please tell me it is not just me. Because I feel like that today.

I have the regular housework that needs doing: cleaning the kitchen, doing some laundry, and your basic dusting of the house. In addition I also have several crafty projects I would like to get too, two blogs to work on, 3 articles to write, an area rug to thoroughly clean (a doggie mishap *sigh*), I would like to rearrange my living room, and I have another Acupuncture appointment this afternoon.

It all just feels like TOO much to me today.

So I'm going to do the one thing that always helps me focus; I'm going to make a list. Eat the elephant one bit at a time - right? Something about making a list and then crossing items off that list helps. I get a sense of accomplishment every time I get to strike through cross something off and whittle the list down a bit.

Getting organized is one of my resolutions. I actually don't like to call it that because I feel like we are so accustomed to breaking 'resolutions' that it becomes easy to disregard. So instead I will say that getting organized is one of my continuing life choices. I'm making a choice to get myself more organized thus making the rest of my life easier. I hope. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

And now that I've brought up organization - that is another thing on my list. I need to organize the basement. All of my Christmas stuff just got thrown down there after New Years and I haven't gotten back down there to finish "fixing" it.

The list just keeps getting longer. I am not intimidated. I will conquer this list before it's reinforcements of tomorrow's 'to-do' list show up.

OK - enough talking about doing it - I'm off to do the actual doing.

Wordless Wednesday

A little something from Max to brighten your day...

 

Happy Wednesday!!!

Quandries and Give-Aways!

What's a girl to do? I have several painting projects that I would like to get underway but they all require me to be able to spray paint them and that requires that I be outside to do it. It is only in the 30's here and that, according to the can, is too cold to effectively use said spray paint. *hmph* I checked the weather and it says that we won't have temps in the 50's until Saturday and 50's, according to the paint can, is the coolest it can be for the paint to adhere correctly. *sigh*

So here is what I have planned to work on this week if the weather holds:

Painting

First, the table/magazine stand that I found during my shopping the house expedition. I am going to get it cleaned up, put a coat of Almond Satin spray paint over it, sand it and rough it up a bit, and then go over it with a dark brown glaze to age it. Hopefully it will turn out well. I'll post pictures either way.


Second, I have these 2 small mirrors that are currently an ugly cross between brass and gold. I'm going to spray paint them a silver Nickel and then go over them with the dark brown glaze too. I'm actually going for more of a "champagne" finish on these. But since I can't find a champagne finish spray paint I thought I'd try the brown glaze of the top of silver and just see how it turns out. I'll post pics of those too when they are done.

Thrift Storing

Tomorrow I'm taking Max into Norman to go to Mother's Day Out and that means that Miss Pip and I get to go cruise the thrift stores. WOOT! Nothing gets me more excited than a good thrift store outing! I'm searching for old mirrors but who knows what else I'll find. Maybe some cool fabric, baskets, or a nice old piece of furniture? What I love about thrift stores is the possibilities they hold. I like finding something that has been discarded and giving it a purpose again; a new lease on life; a second chance. That speaks to me.

The Husband is Out of Town 

And you know what that means; it is time to rearrange the furniture! HA! Poor guy - he never knows what he will find whenever he has to go away for his job for a few days. *giggle* I usually do things like this when he leaves. It gives me more time to move everything back to where it was if it looks terrible tweak what I've done! I took pictures today of what I'm dealing with in my living room and I'll post them IF the furniture arrangement scheme works out. The problem is that my living room is it's real long and skinny - a rectangley bowling alley shape and it makes me crazy because I can never seem to get the furniture placement *right*.

In the Mean Time

My son, Alec, who is 12 came home from school today in a funk. When I finally got him to tell me what was going on it turns out that a "friend" of his made a joke about me at recess. I have Bell's Palsy and I talk about that over here at my personal blog. I hate that I have this but there isn't anything I can do about it that I haven't already done or am currently doing. It just *is* right now. But his little buddy thought it would be cute to turn it into a joke and that hurt Alec and embarrassed him terribly. He was/is really angry. I'm not sure what to do without making the situation worse - but I guess I just want to ask - why do 12 year olds have to be so nasty? I can take it but why does that little asshat have to do that to my son??? Oh how I dislike middle school aged children...(other than my own, of course.)

And now...the Good Stuff aka a Give - Away!!!

I'm going to link up to a cool blog called Drab to Fab that is having a fabulous give-away! Go here to read all about it, and enter to win 3 different things! YA for fun give-aways!

Superbowl, Kids, and Shopping the House

We had a nice, lazy day today. We hung out, played a lot, and made a bunch of yummy food. Max continues to rock on the potty training, in fact he has filled in his potty chart completely and I am VERY proud of him.

Mommy Stuff

First of all - some pictures of the cuties I took today.

Our youngest - Piper - our little girl. She changes every single day. These days she is sitting up and working hard at crawling.

Then, our *middle* child  Max. He is a handful and then some.

And, our oldest, Alec. He is SO grown up now. Please excuse the hair - it needs to be cut but he is liking it long. There are worse things and I am SO not sweating it. It's a small thing - you know?




 





We made some yummy food today to munch on while watching the Superbowl. We made a Calzone from leftover Chicken Parmesian, Brats, Guacamole and chips, Brownies and Ice Cream. Max helped me "make" all of it.

Shop the House

And inspired by Kendall over at Finesse your Nest - during all that I went "shopping" in my house. Actually, I went shopping out in the garage.

I found an old magazine stand/table that belonged to my Grandparents. 

Literally 12 years ago I spray painted it Off-White and used it for awhile then stored it away. It is still Off-White but I have some plans for it that involve glaze. I'll get back to you on this once it's done.

I located the art easel that was Alec's when he was 3. Yes, I've drug it around and kept it all these years (Alec is 12). It needs a bit of refurbishing and it will be Max's. There are times it is good to be a pack-rat.

And LOOK what I found. 

Do you see those? They are old windows and they still have the glass in them. There are big, plain ones and some that have a small pattern along the sides. PSYCHED about these. No idea what I"m doing to do with them yet - but I'm excited. It usually begins this way....excitement.

So that was my Sunday and what I found when I "shopped" my house. I'll be working on these projects in the coming days (as long as the kids cooperate) and I'll be posting updates!!!

Feed Good Fridays

I'm going to designate Friday as the day I'm going to post about things that make me happy. Hopefully the list will be a fairly long one - but if not always, then that is OK too.


Lots of Mommy Braggin Going On

Max is potty training. Yes, indeedy, he is. AND whatsmore he is having SUCCESS at it. He filled in all the squares on Thursday on his success chart and started on Friday - yesterday. He got his SuperWhy potty prize. Today he has filled in all the squares for today and has earned his next potty prize - an Art Easel. He is going into the bathroom on his own when the timer goes off, getting undressed, and using the potty and then coming to get me to show me. I'm so proud of him.

Max also slept in his bed ALL NIGHT last night; no trips to mom and dads bed. When he got up this morning, at 7am, he came in and got in bed with me and said 2 things. The first was, "Mama - I slept in my bed all night!!!" I said, "I KNOW! I'm so PROUD of you!" And the next thing he said was, "MAMA I DIDN'T PEE IN MY DIAPER!" I said, "I KNOW! OMGOSH! You are SO AWESOME! OK, let's go potty!!!" And we did. And he didn't put up a fight. And it was most awesome.

Pip is sitting up all the time now. She doesn't topple much unless she is trying to reach something or her brother knocks her over.

She isn't crawling yet but she is on the verge. LOTS of up on the knees rocking and sometimes, accidentally, inching forward. So anytime really.

Also she does this tongue thing which is just hysterical to me. When she is concentrating or working hard at something she sticks her tongue STRAIGHT out. Remember how Michael Jordan would have his tongue sticking out when he'd make a slam dunk? Yep - just like that.


Alec is awesome. He is having attitude at times but really not so very much. For a 12 year old in the midst of puberty he is not much trouble.

He is a VERY good person and a wonderful, loving soul. He always has been. I don't have words for how much I love that young man. And he *is* a young man now. He is damn near as tall as me. His feet are a size larger than mine now (and I'm a women's 7 1/2) and his voice cracks pretty often these days.

I swear to God just the other day he was 3.
Just the other day...

All stuff about Me

I had Acupuncture a couple of days ago, I talk about that over here, and since then I have felt great.


The sounds of Loreena McKennitt waft through my home again. I have missed her sorely. I also have some Nag Champa burning. I have a white candle lit. The sun is shining. I am beginning to feel like mySelf again. That in itself is a Wonderful Thing.

Here's where I go all Crafty on you

I have managed to do a few crafty things this past week. Here are some pictures - they are not big deals but it gives me a creative outlet and makes me happy.

First I made some Jute twine balls *snicker* (I know, mentally I'm 12) Anywho - I got the idea from Kendall at Finesse your Nest and these are how mine turned out.

They are just Styrofoam balls wrapped in Jute Twine and hot glue. Really easy to do (took me like 10 minutes total) and cheap (!) and, I think, very cute.

I also wrapped a cool shaped, empty, clean olive oil bottle with Jute twine and filled up some old bottles (that were in our basement when we moved in and I wouldn't part with them) with wine bottle corks. I keep all the corks from the wine we drink, and have for 6 years now, and I put them in these old bottles. I like how it turned out.

The Jute twine balls *snicker* turned out so cute that I decided to attempt some others. I made wrapped one tennis ball in Raffia.

And another tennis ball wrapped in plain white rope.

I didn't have enough rope but I wrapped it until I ran out. I will finish this when I get some more because I LOVE how it turned out. I am digging the texture of it.

So that's it for today. My first Feel Good Friday. What kinds of things do you guys Feel Good about today????

Wordless Wednesday

Piper

On her hands and knees trying to crawl all the time now.
(notice the tongue sticking out - it is *always* out when she is working hard at something - how very Michael Jordan of her.)

Huh?

How I find her most of the time...under things...behind things...wedged places...

Sitting up on her own all the time now....and hangin with the Max Man.