Birthday Goodies

I just had to share some of the awesome things my dear friends and family got me for my birthday Tuesday. Lou started the celebration early on Monday night by surprising me with an iPod Touch. I hadn't asked for one, but he knew I needed it. Along with the player he bought me a years worth of free audiobooks! One per month for an entire year - Woohoo! I have had a ball picking out the ones I want to own.

My Mom left me my gift in the door the Tuesday morning: a copy of Emma...

and copy of My Life in Ruins...

along with a card with birthday money from her and Dad. :o) Ah, the gift of shopping!

Late that morning I met my friends at Chuck E Cheese so the kids could play and the moms could visit. We enjoyed the chat while the kids plugged coins into machines and regaled us with tales of the tickets they won. Karen and Keilee gave me the cutest, little white tea pot with various teas. It was so sweet! I just love it.

Wednesday afternoon the boys and I ran errands and I picked up an armband holder for my iPod for only $10 at TJMaxx.

Thursday afternoon a package arrived for me from Hong Kong. I knew what that had to be! The Totoro bento box Jennifer had ordered for me! It is too cute! I can't wait to use it!


Last night I asked Lou to watch the boys while I took a few minutes to go shopping. Since I haven't been to Hobby Lobby in ages, I started there. Just look at the treasures I found for under $20!





Lonnie and Brenda (Lou's dad and step-mom) are planning on coming by on Monday to celebrate again with me. Brenda had been sick this week so we postponed until she was feeling better. So this year, I have been blessed more than I deserve already and my birthday just seems to be stretching out until March. :o)

Progress at Last

This week has been full of progress. Thank you lists! The wall paper that has been peeling off in the bathroom has been glued down, the cabinets have been sanded, closets have been cleared and the cabinets have MOST of their first coat of primer/paint. What a week! I promise to post finished result pictures.

My primer was interrupted today by a trip to the ER with my youngest. Seems that his big brother beating him in 10-Speed Bike vs. Big Wheel was getting on his nerves so he reached out to grab the bike tire and got his hand caught in the spokes. OUCH! His wonderful Grand-gran was watching him at the time and called us right away to see what we wanted to do. We rushed him to the ER for X-rays. Thankfully nothing they could see was broken or torn so he was bandaged and sent home. We are so blessed! I shudder to think how mangled his hand could have been. As it is, he has several abrasions on the back of his hands, swelling and bruises up to his elbow. Nothing that won't heal with time and a little Tylenol. He opted out of the traditional post ER ice cream... because he wanted crab legs from Red Lobster. LOL! What can I say? The boy takes after his mother!

Next week looks to be another busy one. The list says I have to patch up the cracked drywall from the jacks we put in last summer, prime and paint said cracks, move the furniture to accommodate the new office area and start clearing out this year's old homeschool materials. It is the first year I can start giving away things for pre-school and kindergarten too. :o( Time marches on without regard for a mother's feelings, ya know?

Inspiration to Work From

I have been making slow progress this week on the house. I did manage to buy the Zinsser primer I needed for the cabinets and I have everything sanded and ready to roll-on-the-white-paint! We have been having a cold spell here so all of the outdoor projects are on hold until spring thaw, but with school in full swing and birthday season quickly approaching I will need all the things inside finished, and soon, to be done in time. With so much going on outside of getting the house ready, inspiration has been necessary. Not just for here, but for the house we hope to buy/build. So, just in time for Valentine's Day, here is what makes my heart skip a beat...


Storybook Homes
(Havisham is my favorite)


I am obsessed with Laundry rooms - big ones. Four guys = HOURS of laundry a week. Why would I want to do it in a closet?


Walk in Pantry - isn't it beautiful? Apparently no one in America cooks anymore because finding a house or even house-plan with a real pantry (aka larder) has proven more than a little difficult.


Secret Doors - Carson and I have a deal that we will have at least one of these in our new house.





Country Kitchen - I love the warm familiar feel of a country kitchen.


Window Seat - There is nothing like a window seat to make me want to curl up with a book!

But most of all...

Give me land, lots of land...

Creepy Crud

It seems like as soon as I mention doing work I get sick. I hope that isn't some kind of Pavlovian thing where the thought of work makes my immune system break down! Surely not! While I was sick this week I had lots of time to think about the upcoming move and after talking it over with Lou we have decided to move the show date up two weeks. Are we crazy? Probably. The New Home Owners Tax Credit expires on May 1st - the DAY we were going to put the house on the market. Seemed kind of stupid to me. SO we are shooting for April 17th - eight weeks. Yikes. If that date doesn't scare me into action, nothing will!

Blog? What blog?

It seems like the faster my life moves the more I get myself in gear. Maybe I just work well under pressure. The fact that I want nothing more than an empty calendar serves as a testament to my lazy bone being in good health. So setting a pressure date should be helpful right? Lou and I have set a House On the Market Date of the first of May. Why are we moving? We have three very active boys, their entire school, my husband's home office as well as housing my various hobbies and a huge hairy dog in just under 1600 sq ft of house sitting on just under an acre of tree covered land. It is just not comfortable to say the least. Having two of the boys sharing a 12 x 10 room is more than uncomfortable for all involved. There is also the matter of my hating living in town. I don't like having neighbors. Mine aren't so bad, it's just that they are THERE and I can hear them and their pets at all hours. I am itching to get my home moved somewhere with space and silence - well until my kids are awake anyway. Somewhere with (I can't believe I am saying this) fewer trees so there is enough sunlight to grow a tomato and enough room to plant a real garden. I have even tossed the idea of chickens or bees out there which caused Lou's eyebrows to form this alarming W shape - wonder what that means...

So here is the count down: 12 weeks until D-day and 14 projects (some major) that need finished before the house is show ready. Updates forth coming. Wish me luck!

Totoro Bag

One of Griffin's favorite movies is My Neighbor Totoro. There aren't many products out there (in America) that go with this Japanese classic. So when your 5 year old asks for a library book bag that has Totoro on it... you get crafty. I was going to applique Totoro onto a homemade bag, but while I was picking up my Wonder Under I found THIS bag for $3. Sold!

After piecing Totoro together and embroidering him, I used the WU to iron the pieces down onto the book bag. Once they were fused on, I stitched the edges down through the top zipper section (all the seams are hidden inside).

The eyes of the forest spirit need drawn on. If I did it again, I would make Totoro a little less cat-like, but on the whole I'm happy with it. I can't wait to give it to him tomorrow!

Pillows

I've been a bit bored with my living room. I mean I love the new look (couch, lamps, freakin' enormous TV), but the Bungalow Gold and White with more Bungalow Gold was getting on my nerves. I need COLOR! Since I have the same color in a lighter shade in the kitchen/dinning room AND hall, I decided to try to tie it all together using the accent color in the kitchen - blue! But not just blue - no. I wanted blue and RED with my gold.

There is NOTHING in blue and red unless you want a flag. Ugh. After four different stops I finally found a color and pattern I liked with all three of my colors in it at Hobby Lobby! JOY! A second stop at Hancock Fabrics yielded me some reminents in coordinating colors and some notions to finish things off; a little more blue, some red, a few zippers so I can wash the darn things, a few hours of sewing... and viola! Pillows for all!




There is one pillow in the top picture that I didn't sew, but even my Mom couldn't tell which one. I am pretty proud of that! Three of the five pillows are feather stuffed and wonderfully comfy. That is SO much better! Now if I could just find some edging in those colors for my curtains...