Hey, Blog, remember me?

I'm emerging... Out of the clouds and haze of having a newborn for a whole month now (really? 4 weeks already?), but also trying to solidify a few things I've been ruminating on for a while. I hate to say something as vague as that and tell you I'll be more specific later, but that's exactly what I'm going to do. My time is limited these days with caring for the older boys and attempting to nurse the wee one, so as I'm able to add to the growing drafts in my folder, I'll share my thoughts here.

Quickly, though, I can say some blogging changes will be happening, probably piecemeal due to that whole time thing, but the first one I'll start with is my kids' names. I've thought and re-thought about their monikers, and decided that at the end of the day I'm okay using their given names. So blog, meet Shea (aka Bear), Connor (aka Bunkin), and of course the newest Avery. These little men, along with their awesome daddy known as Hunny, are the light of my life and the happenings of my days, and as I write about them I will keep in mind their safety and what is acceptable to be posted on the Internet.

There may also be some format and background changes, as well as a possible URL change, so bear with any construction issues, please!

Other than Avery's arrival (more on that in a minute), our lives have been busy with hosting company for a week and some uncertainty with Hunny's job security. The dust of company has settled but alas, work has not. If you are a praying person and would like to pray for clarity and peace, we'll take it! Having my friend Amy here was a powerful tool to incite some action on my part. At first, I was very homesick for Memphis and friends there (church! community!), and I still am. But after some discussion, Hunny and I feel we moved here for a reason, and we want to make a good faith effort at figuring that out. We'd like to honor our lease, which still has one year, and to take that time to really be proactive with relationships, both for us and for the boys. So, hopefully you'll hear lots more on those successes! Down with loneliness!! Part of that means I continue to lie low online so that I can pursue real-life friendships, maintain some sort of cleanliness at home, as well as support Hunny as much as I can while he seeks a new job or stays where he is.


On to the picture-heavy part of the post!! That's what you were waiting on anyway, right?

Remember this picture (scroll down just a bit) of Phineas and Connor? Well, same photo-op but with Phineas and Avery:

Yup, Phinny still thinks my lap/the Boppy is for his personal use despite being occupied. And a little side note: he's expecting a litter of his own. Sigh... yes, our other cat Mia is pregnant. The kittens should be pretty darn cute, though!

And here is Avery's solo act; don't you love how newborns literally just surrender to sleep (even if it is on their schedule!)?
And, Elizabeth, if you're looking at these pictures, I promise we don't just have Arkansas apparel, despite my t-shirt and the one of Avery here and on my blog! Just sayin'!

What I love about Avery now: his faux-hawk (well, it also looks like the tuft of hair, er, feathers, on a duckling called Fuzzworth); his gas or dream induced grins-they're totally lopsided; his spindly little limbs...Shea and Connor were much more stout than he is; and his complete and utter mellow-ness. He's so chill all the time (except when he's hungry or gassy, and those you expect and desire!), it's strange. But in a good kind of way. :) I still can't figure out who he looks like, so that'll be fun to watch.
Anyway, that's all for now... I'll be back soon!

Leave of absence, sort of...

As is obvious by now, I've not been a very good blogger in terms of frequency! Part of it is simply being summertime, there is more to do, and part of it is just where I am in life right now. I've had spurts of things to say, but a lot of it would have been complaining, and I didn't want to drag anyone down with me so to speak!
To update everyone in my personal life, I have about 4 weeks til we deliver this baby, which I'm greatly looking forward to, even though I'm quite disappointed it looks like I will need a repeat c-section. I'm grateful that Hunny and I have two friends willing to come all the way to Texas to help us out, but I'm still battling fearfulness for surgery recovery (if it comes to that) and still needing to be Mama to two little guys at home as well. I'm also nervous about what 3 kids look like in "real life"--I thought going from one to two was hard!
Speaking of real life, this is actually my main incentive to take a decisive break from blogging (as opposed to the accidental beaks I keep taking). I need to get stuff done. I just got done reading an excellent article about being a calm mother and "getting off your butt parenting", but while I read those posts, I yelled at Bunkin at least twice without physically diverting his attention and redirecting him, and I ignored a plea or two from Bear for me to help him do something... also while having my couch covered in laundry that's been sitting there for two days not folding itself! I can make a hundred excuses for why I don't feel up to doing certain activities, but the truth is, often I take the lazy route, leaving me with disgruntled kids and myself highly frustrated as well. I need to take a season, especially with this new baby, to reprioritize balancing real life and all the other things that take up my time (crackbookfacebook, anyone?). I have a girlfriend who refuses to get on the computer at all while her kids are awake... I'm on mine all day long for various reasons. Instead of reading about parenting, I need to DO parenting. It's great to be inspired and convicted and read about spiritual disciplines or healthy/natural living, but to what avail if I'm not actually DOING any of those things?
So... I need a break. I'm sure there may be random posts here and there if I'm particularly inspired by something or just want to show off my latest crafty adventures, and certainly I'll post when the new little man is here, but til then, I'm going to lie low both in my own blog and in the rounds I make reading others' blogs (in fact, I'm going to clean up my sidebar and narrow down to the blogs I truly love and get something from instead of trying to keep up with the blogging Joneses and link to everyone).

Crafty Love

I've been wanting to try my hand at quilting for so long, and there are so many fabulous quilting blogs out there for inspiration that I've felt simultaneously inspired and intrepid to even begin. However, nothing quite pulls you in like the draw of the Stash, or in my case, the fabric store with its eye-candy: bolt after bolt of simple and designer fabrics, each with their own personality begging to be discovered. We do not have craft stores where I live. It's been amazing for me to discover this, and I keep thinking I'll wake up within walking-distance to a yarn store or some such miracle, but alas, I do not think this will be any time soon. However, one of the great little communities about 20 minutes away does have fabric and crafting stores, so today we went to Joann, and I was very overwhelmed with choices! Hunny took the boys to look at pets while Mommy browsed many different fabrics. I sort of had a tone-on-tone look in my mind, but when I saw a certain fabric section, I knew immediately I wanted some bright, happy colors. This is the quilt I want to make, and these are the beautiful fabrics we picked up today. (I'd love to disclose how much I spent on material, because I truly have no idea if it's a fortune or a deal, but it IS less than I'd spend on a quilt for a twin-sized bed. Oh, this is for Bear, by the way, as part of his birthday and graduation to big-boy bed coming soon! I can't wait to begin making this, but first, ironing fabric, and lots and lots of cutting--pray I don't have any snafus because I'm not sure I can handle that!

I wish I could portray the backing fabric better, but I was too impatient to wait for tomorrow in the daylight. It's sort of a cross between a mint and a pale lime (it's not blueish like mint green is in my mind, but it's not vivid like lime would be, either). I just love the rainbow colors, and I think it will be so bright and happy when it's all assembled. I'm SOOOO excited, I can hardly wait!!! I also intended to machine piece this together; however, I have no idea how to work my machine. That's a problem isn't it? I might be so ready to get this started that I decide to hand-piece it, which may not be the best in terms of neatness, though. Hmm.... Off to iron now!

Managing Chaos, part II

Phew! I'm finally back to blogging my Managing Chaos posts, and if you missed the first one on Beauty, you can find that here. The second part of my thoughts refers to the idea of Quality. I actually wrestled with what to write, partly because I'm still stuck on the notion of Beauty (the 2 can very well be interchangeable at times), and partly because quality seems to speak for itself. However, the more I thought about what Quality means, one concept came to mind. When I go to a restaurant or make a phone call needing sales support (or the like), I expect quality, demand it even. I know there are times that I have pitched a fit mentally or otherwise simply because I didn't get what I thought I deserved. Yet, how often am I the one with less than satisfactory service to my own family? I've served food with a bad attitude, I've cleaned the house with a grumbling spirit, and I've pitched my own temper tantrums with the slightest provocation. Thinking about the quality of service I offer to my own family has been humbling, particularly in this season in my life when I've been pretty selfish and frustrated. I am not going to freak out with unrealistic expectations, but I am going to attempt to think about serving them in a manner that tells them I love them enough to pull out all the stops for them and give them the best. I can offer the best quality food (whole, nutritious things with very little processing), I can offer the best room service (ha!) with natural ingredients instead of a bunch of scary chemicals, I can provide the best we can afford in terms of environment and toys, and I can put their needs over my own. I bet life wouldn't feel as "chaotic" as it does sometimes if I simply remember why I'm serving them and the best way to do that! This was a good lesson for me this week.

(And on a completely separate note, would you please pray for me as I have to make a big decision this week about my prenatal care?! Thanks!)

Managing Chaos, part 1

I read this post, and while much of it didn't really relate to where I think I am right now, this line completely connected with me: Managing chaos with beauty, quality, and ruthless simplicity. In my last post I mentioned how I can feel overwhelmed with Life with Littles, and it is precisely this concept of managing chaos that makes me say, "Aha! That's what I need!" But not only do I want to contain some of the craziness, I want to do it with Beauty, Quality, and (this is my favorite part) Ruthless Simplicity. Because I want to figure out in real terms what these three components look like, I'm going to blog a separate post for each of them, detailing how specifically they will work in our life.

In this season with my little guys at home (and one on the way, of course), I want to be diligent and faithful both, not only to them, but to my home and husband as well. And that can feel a bit like juggling puppies at times, let alone seem unsightly (say, when the house is a wreck and Hunny's due home in two hours). That's where Beauty comes in. If you're surrounded with beautiful things, don't you want to take care of them and keep them beautiful? Having finally just bought some new (via Craigslist) furniture, Hunny and I have laughed that we have "grown up" furniture, but the truth is that it's nice! We want to keep it that way, and Hunny's turned into this crazy cleaning machine... he has to straighten the living room every night, and I think that stems in part from the "let's keep this nice" theory. (Well, that and the "hey we spent $x on this and don't want to throw it away!) I've culled the boys' toys from time to time (cross-country moves are a nice incentive), and have decided to do so again so that I can replace some of the obnoxious bright plastic toys with some more classic wooden varieties, or even just toys that encourage more imaginative play. Not that we have to get rid of everything; I'm sure the silicone, oversize "lego" type blocks are just as good as a more natural version; I am, however, looking to get rid of battery-operated thingamajiggies as soon as the batteries no longer cooperate! Following with my last post, I'd also like to set up a specific space for Bear to work with some of the more hands-on activities I'm planning for him, and continue encouraging him to clean up when he's done.

I think I'm learning that beauty can come in several forms, too, for instance, just turning the classical music station on more often than the chatter-filled radio or another pet-themed kid's variety show. I love classical music, but rarely turn it on, so I'm going to aim to choose this musical choice a little more often. I go through phases where I need less sleep just keep the house cleaner than at other times, but I'd also like to go back to my FlyLady days, most specifically the idea that I want to "bless my home" (that's what she actually calls it; I love that it's not "chores," or "housework," don't you?). I'm also going to be a little more proactive to teach the boys to clean up after their first activity before moving on to the second-I get lazy and it's often easier to just do it myself, but that's robbing them of an opportunity to learn.

So, in short, I'm going to keep nice things nice through home blessings, cull the toys to replace lesser quality with a more beautiful and imaginative choice, and be intentional about the sounds and sights of beauty in our home, from cut flowers to music, and most importantly teach my children to love beautiful things and desire to take care of them. What do you think of managing chaos while keeping beauty, simplicity, and quality in mind? How do you keep your home beautiful?

Catching up

I've been blog hopping with the Ultimate Blog Party, but now I have to say I'm a bit pooped with it all! Not because there are bad blogs, just MANY blogs to see and check out! It's been fun, but I'm also in a time of needing to balance* this whole internet + real life thing. I mean, the kids, they hafta eat I hear. However, Hunny has been brilliant in this hellish interim time that I've been sick, so I've been lying low and being a little more still than normal this past week in vain hopes of getting better. [Insert imaginary whine HERE about how much I hate being sick. Because surely an adult woman doesn't complain, especially when she's being taken care of hand and foot?!?]
*Regarding balance: Hunny said something today that I thought was quite profound. We were discussing a blog post I'd read that asked for tips on keeping communication alive in marriage while during the parenting-of-littles stage, and I asked him what advice he'd give. He basically said something to the tune of "yeah, communicating is really important," but then he referenced something I said in another bout of me complaining a conversation about needing to find balance. He said it's not actually about finding balance (apparently, it's over-rated anyway), but rather, it's about finding the happy median. Hmmm..... that makes so much more sense when I think about that. We are in a season of two-under-two-with-one-on-the-way, and there are days (and weeks) that I feel completely overwhelmed with just the everdayness of it all: the laundry that never ceases, the kitchen that won't clean itself, and of course trying to maintain some semblance of peace and order in the home. I've felt pulled and pitted, always thinking in terms of "can't," "not yet," or even "won't" when I need to be thinking in terms of what I CAN do now, which is finding a place that is "good enough" for NOW and be in the moment. I was talking the other day to a friend about being intentional, and I really need to think (and pray!) more about how I can be intentional in each of my relationships right now.
Which brings me to why I'm posting tonight at 11:30 pm. :) I was mindlessly browsing through some Montessori blogs tonight (hello-I cleaned up my Internet sidebar and re-found all these awesome sites!) and this one caught my attention. The idea of making an activity box of things for Bear and I (and even Bunkin) to do together is BRILLIANT, I say! Why did I never think of this before? So often I muddle through my day, admittedly spending way too much time on the computer, and at the end I'm left wondering what the heck I even did all day, let alone how did I spend quality time with Bear. This is why I was even perusing my Montessori blogs; I was looking for age-appropriate activities to start incorporating into our days as well as begin honing in on some ways we can apply a little Montessori-inspired activities for home preschool. The making of our Activity Box is going to be an activity itself, but some of the other ideas that I pulled from that list are:
(disclaimer: I'll paste permalinks later; I'm just trying to get this info down, but most of them are on her list)
-tissue paper candle holder
-bird seed pine cone treats
-stamps/nature stamping
-petting zoo visit or feed the ducks or pet store
-make wool felt balls
-marbleized paper
-dye white flowers
-draw with washable markers and spray with a water bottle
-bake
-glue cotton balls to paper plates
-make ziploc icecream
-make playdough
I'll also put in some Montessori activities for more structured playtime, and of course I'll add those as I read more. Bear is such a routine kid that I think once he gets used to activity time, he'll love it so much. We've never really done this at home, and I'm very excited. I've just got to figure out how to occupy Bunkin while we do some of the not-so-appropriate for his age activities.
Ok, it's officially midnight, and I actually need to be awake early in the morning. Sigh. I'll post more about our activity box and fix the permalinks later. For now, though, I'm going to be praying through being intentional and trying to complain less!

Nesting

I've had several projects of things to do around the house lined up in my brain (is that a dangling modifier?), and I finally did one of them this evening! I read just recently a report that a woman was never more productive than when she was pregnant, and I get that; I've been a busy bee, and I'm gonna expose the skeletons in my closet... just kidding, but this closet is still pretty scary!

See?


Things thrown every which way....

Just a mess... books not returned when I got them out, pitiful yarn stash tossed aside...

And, yikes... same shelf as above, but with the bottom space: more books, missing glue gun, random candles from a party a year ago; that is some pretty bad organization!

Now?

This shelf is still mildly wonky, but that gives it character, right?

Yum, nice lined up books and photo albums, separated by category (knitting, gardening, quilting, pregnancy/birth, and old journals, if you must know!). Sigh. I just love organizing things, really... :)

Eh, still blah, but a tad bit better than it was before! At least there aren't any dangerous cords lying about!

It feels good to have this closet organized, and now I won't have to call Hunny when he's out of town asking if he's seen my latest knitting book or where I put some crafting supply. Yay!


Oh, one other thing I got done tonight was my Christmas Thank-you cards... yes, Christmas!! Oops... a little late, and I'm usually so prompt! It was nice writing letters and being reminded of the thoughtfulness of others, so hopefully I'm not in too much trouble for being a couple of months behind!

I'm here, sort of

I've been a bad blogger lately; I'm sorry. You know how when you firt enter blogging, one of the repeated bits of advice is to not get so caught up in blogging ABOUT your life that you don't actually LIVE it? Well, that's been me, except I haven't been blogging. Wait, I know that makes no sense.... It's just that I've become obsessed with a couple of things and have been doing so much research on the internet, and it's sucking all my time, so I just haven't had anything to say, because, well, I'm not doing these activities yet!! Argh! I so want to make a quilt. I've been staring at archive after archive of quilt patterns and just can't wait to get my hands on some fabric and try it. I also am itching to get my garden started, though I'm not sure how practical that is since I'll be uber-pregnant and busy with a newborn come harvest time! However, it would still be such an accomplishment to feed my family in part from my own backyard, so I've been researching Texas-friendly varieties, planting seasons, etc.
So.. the most boring post in the history of blogs, but I felt like I had to say something!! Kinda like my dog ate my homework or something...
But I promise, I'll live life and blog... soon!!

Try try again....

I can't stay away, which simply reinforces that I NEED to take a break!!! However, I got caught up in the bloggy giveaway carnival, browsed around that for a while, then got a dog. Hmm? Yes, I said I got a dog. Can I just say Sucker is my middle name? Hunny said he wanted a dog. He was sick, y'all. So he wanted a dog. I guess vegans don't want chicken noodle soup so they gotta do something, huh? :) So off to Craigslist I went only to find A) hundred of ads for dogs in the DFW area and B) lots of sad, sad posts of dogs on the kill lists at local shelters. And, if you remember my 101 list, I knew just what to do. So we got Sugar.* Tonight. She has been introduced to everyone but Bunkin who was asleep and Mia (Hunny's cat) who will avoid all of us for a month now. Phinny reacted as expected, but seems a bit more neutral now (ever notice how a cat's neutral is still laced with disdain?), and Pele seems pleased as punch that she has a new friend. I'll post pics of the new family member soon, I promise. (* Her name may change; this was her name at the shelter, but I'm not a fan... however, she's 4 months old and used to it, and Bear can say it easily, which is huge....)

By the way, remember this post? I'm on my way! I am now down 13 pounds, and I am amazed. I don't feel like I'm looking any thinner, but just seeing the number going down (a new trend, considering I've been with child for several years now, lol) is soooo encouraging!!! Way to GO!

And it doesn't really follow suit to talk about food after discussing weight loss, but oh well, we had a super yummy dinner last night that I actually thought to take a picture of! Did I mention i love fall? And winter squashes? I got an acorn squash at the store, intending to roast and enjoy, but then I decided to peruse some of my favorite food blogs, and I got inspired to stuff it with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). In typical me fashion, I couldn't leave the original recipe alone, so here is what I did, and it was soooo yummy!

Quinoa stuffed Acorn Squash

1 med squash

1 c prepared quinoa

1 c veggies (I used diced red bell pepper and celery)

3 minced garlic cloves

1 (15 oz) can beans, I used garbanzos

3 T soy sauce

1-2 tsp olive oil

various spices

I cut just the top off the squash, saving the lid, and removed the seeds for roasting later, and then microwaved it on high (placing just a bit of water in the bottom of my bowl) covered, for about 15 min. It was soft-ish at that point, and I preheated the oven to 350 while I was microwaving and sauteing my veggies. for sauteing, do what you normally do: water, broth, oil, butter. I threw the beans in last minute just to get them warm. I flavored with soy sauce and coriander, salt and pepper, tho I think the coriander could have been left out. (It was in the original recipe). Mix the veggies and beans with the quinoa. When the squash is mostly tender, I go ahead and fill it with the grain mixture (not packing it in; btw, I had leftover mixture and just saved it for light lunch for the next day) and put the lid back on, back into the oven for 20 minutes or til it's soft. I served it in quarters and it was very filling with a side salad. Very easy despite the several steps involved!!

And pretty, too: So, that's what I've been up to while I'm not supposed to be on the computer!!

Holy crafts, Batman....

Ahh, Bear has learned to love painting! A while back I babysat my nephew and Hunny wasn't going to be home, so in a moment of inspired domesticity, I decided to organize a craft (doesn't that sound ... organized?) for the over-2 crowd. I won't say it was a hit (there was some punishment and pumpkin-painting withholding going on at various points), but here were Bear's results.

And for yours truly, I got a much-anticipated box in the mail last week; I ordered some yarn from my friend Biz. The arrangement was I gave her the gauge and the pattern I hoped to knit, and she got to hand-pick not only the yarn but the color!!! I could not wait to see what she pegged me for, and I got heaven, y'all.... knitty heaven. See for yourself, though this picture does no justice to the milk/cotton blend that feels so amazing, and the color is gorgeous, and will look magnificent on me!
As I mentioned before, I saw my friend Brownie last weekend, and alas, I had made her daughter a little 2nd birthday present, which unfortunately got left behind (not in a Tim LaHaye kind of way, though). So, Brownie, here is LuLu's gift that is forthcoming:

Pretty aint it? :) In case you are awed by my photographic skills and have no idea what these are are not quite sure what these pretty blocks are, they are building blocks beautified for a young one, and for the older ones, a matching game as there are two blocks each of the different origami paper. I cannot claim this idea, but I need to look to see which blog I stole this from.

And last, but not least, in the early Montessori classroom, there is a work called smelling bottles (this is not the technical term, but I'm tired), which can be presented in many ways (matching scents, learning to identify scents, in general a sensorial lesson). Bear loves sitting on the counters (Thanks Daddy and Tio), and he discovered my spice cabinet. I have had the intention of making my own smelling canisters, but he kind of beat me to the punch. He LOVES sitting on the counter top, opening my spice cupboard and proceeding to open and close the jars and labeling smells as yummy or ewww (both highly technical terms). Vanilla is by far his favorite, and cayenne is his least favorite--he got a whiff of it in his eyes today (how NOT to do smelling). I love play that is learning and intuitive (I don't mean the pepper-in-the-eyes thing, just that by using his senses, he's learning: opening jars, putting lids back on, sweet, savory, he knows that Mommy uses spices in cooking, etc.) and so something that I will be implementing on the blog soon are some Montessori-inspired posts as I learn to encourage this environment in our home and prepare for home-pre-schooling.

Bloggy salad

I think the idea of "blog salad" is pretty witty... for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, it's when you post about random little things, kind of like all the miscellaneous ingredients in a salad. So, here goes.
I went to the laundromat yesterday to do several loads of clothes, and I had about $6 in quarters already and a $20 was my next smallest bill. And of course, I'd need to break the 20 to finish up, leaving me with about $19 in quarters. I also had an errand to run at the local supermarket (right across from said laundromat) and when I checked out, I apologized to the checker about paying for half the amount in quarters. This, this small, insignificant thing would have made me utterly embarrassed when I was younger, compounded by the clerk's reaction. She was so irate that I put the hard task of counting change on her I suppose. The interesting thing was, earlier in my shopping trip, I had the privilege of helping an elderly gentleman with some items, and the act of serving made me so happy, and I was saddened by this young woman's negative attitude. Yes, I can see that 70+ coins to count could be mildly trying, but it could have been funny, too, a chance to laugh or be grateful I don't live like this all the time, you know? Perspective is just a funny thing, eh?
Less interesting but more relevant to the theme of salad is the fact that I spent all of yesterday morning up to my elbows in pumpkin puree! I gutted and steamed and pureed 4 small pumpkins, and my hands are still orange to prove it! We roasted the seeds, and they are so yummy. I made two batches: a naked (olive oil and salt) version and a spicy chili-thyme version. So simple, so yummy, so nutritious! We got a 30-pound for our porch (that I plan on planting a pot of mums in) so it'll be interesting to see how many seeds we get out of that!
On the physical front, I'm down another pound (5 total so far), and I'm thrilled to be combining my hope to lose weight with a cause I believe in, so I'm going to walk (not run, yet) in the Water is Basic 5k.
Still to come... photos of one of my handmade gifts, a yarn surprise I recieved in the mail, and Fall craftiness from Bear!

Pumpkins, Bunkins, and Bears, Oh My!

Fall cuteness beware! Today we went to a pumpkin patch in Flower Mound, and while it wasn't the you-pick-it field of pumpkins I'd imagined, it was fun nonetheless.

Bear had fun picking out his own pumpkin

This week in cooking/baking I have made batches of both vegetarian chili and butternut squash soup, and am planning on preparing some pumpkin yumminess from today's picks-probably pumpkin bread to freeze for the holidays as well as some pumpkin butter or frozen pie filling. I am not sure why I have to type over here on the right of the picture, but don't feel like dealing with layouts right now!

How not to decorate

I love What Not to Wear, and I always joke that I am a total candidate for the show, as I'm a real schlumpadinka. I even know all the rules I'm breaking, so maybe that means I'm an even worse fashion felon. But in so many ways, I don't really care... I am who I am, and that is simple, undesiring of the accoutrements of the rich and famous fashionable. Really. I have long hair always worn in the same clip (or if I'm feeling particularly spunky, I'll pull it into a pony tail!), and my typical outfit is one of Hunny's super comfy t-shirts and some lounge pants. I don't do make-up, and I mostly try to brush my teeth 2x a day. Why all this blubbering about my lack of style? Because it spills over to my house, people. But unlike my ability to parrot Stacy(Stacey?) and Clinton's rules of what not to wear, I have no idea how not to decorate my house. I'm not saying my house is tacky by any means, but it's very plain and unembellished. I wish I had an interior decorator's sense of color and room design, but I don't. I'm quite clueless when gazing around a room as to its best layout and how to arrange the pictures or where I should put my knick-knacks. Part of my problem is we used to have too much stuff, and I've completed almost all of the 1000 Challenge (to get rid of 1000 things from my home), but all that has done is make the gaps a little more evident, not to mention we gave away a ton of stuff pre-move and need to replace some items. I'm holding out for higher quality furniture, though, (unlike S and C's advice to dress for the size you are, not the size you want to be) so that I'm not simply replacing them every couple of years. So, my question for you is how does one decorate? How do you figure out what goes where, or even what you like? I love something about each of the design styles out there: minimalism/art deco speaks to my love of simple; however, I want a place that we can live in and that is toddler-friendly; French country is warm and inviting, but I'd prefer less of the chintz; formal and some "traditional" layouts are gorgeous, but maybe over the top for my desire to be simple. See my point? I'm all eclectic with no place to go. (Ewww, that sentence is bad.) Tips, suggestions, ideas, websites, books.... all are welcome! I'll even post pics of my problem areas if that would help spark any creative juices! Help me dress my home or at least figure out who my home even is!

Works in progress

Besides peach-preserving, I have a few other things on my plate. For one, I have the intention of attempting to potty-train Bear before his 2nd birthday, which is looming very near! Hunny has some exciting work possibilities that are cropping up, more on those when we learn something a little more definite.
In the meantime, I am continuing to pursue domestic crafts, such as Helen's baby sweater, even though I am going much slower than I'd like due to a HUGE mistake in the lace pattern that I've had to frog and re-do. I HATE frogging!!!
I also went to an estate sale this weekend just to browse around, and I found some quilt fronts that have been pieced but not batted or quilted, so I thought I'd finally apply what Meg taught me and see if I can quilt these, that I did not painstakingly piece only to ruin if I mess up (is that terrible?). One is very simple and pretty, with a green and pink checkerboard flower pattern. It's not very big, so perhaps it can be a baby blanket?

The second one is kind of dizzying as it's a hodge-podge of shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns! But I like it precisely for its unpredictability and haphazardness. I'm sure it's a scrap quilt front, which makes me wonder at all the other blankets that must have been made over the years. (Which makes me think of how sad estate sales are... I felt mildly awkward rifling through this person's house with little stickers on everything denoting its presumed worth, yet the children must want or need this stuff gone or else there wouldn't have been a sale, right? Does anyone else think like this?) Anyway, here is the Krazy Quilt

I will show pictures of Helen's sweater when I get past the blasted lace part!
As for gardening, I'm delighted to say that I have one tomato almost ready to be picked. It's been red since the weekend; I'm just waiting for it to soften just a tad as we will eat it as soon as it's off the vine! I think Hunny is fantasizing over that tomato sandwich! My cherry tomatoes have not fared so well as I was trying to fix the stake and knocked two little bitty tomatoes off, then today I was showing Bear how exciting plants are, and he reached out and grabbed one of the only other tomatoes off! Pele ate it, so we only have one small tomato left! And my 3rd tomato plant has millions of flowers (which it has for a while), so I have no idea if it will produce fruit or not! My bell pepper also has one pepper still in the dark green, smallish stage, and I'm waiting for my chili peppers-I want salsa!!
Oh, and I almost forgot-I submitted a cake recipe to a Paula Deen Recipe Roundup cooking contest! I have no idea what kinds of things they are looking for in a recipe, but I'm pretty excited about the one I submitted. Funny thing is, I've never technically made this cake! I combined 4 components from 4 different (but favorite) cakes that I love, and added a few embellishments of my own. I called it a Sour Cream Marmalade Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting (that's a mouthful, huh?). I can't post the recipe here as I signed an agreement that it's never been published before and I want to keep it that way; however, if you think you might like the cake, I'd be happy to email it to you if you leave me a comment! I am making the cake this weekend for a welcome-home party for a friend who's been overseas for a while, so I'll take pictures of it then and let you know how the flavor actually turned out!!

Millions of peaches, peaches for me

Ok, besides being a very silly Presidents of the United States song, this was my Sunday. I found the website for a local orchard and they said their peaches were ripe for the pickin'! So, I made plans to pick peaches, and come home and can them. I was a little disappointed in the helpfulness of the high-schooled staff, as they did not know to tell me that the peaches were in fact NOT ripe and ready for picking. I walked all over the very vast orchard looking for ripe fruit, but alas, they were all small, hard as rocks, and in most cases green. Thankfully, it was not as hot as it has been!


So, I ended up buying some of the pre-selected fruit (they only had about two bushels out--that should have warned me!).

There were other yummy assortments of fruits as well.


Anyway, I finished my Rosemary-Peach Preserves yesterday, and I am so thrilled they seem to have set up properly (I was timid with my first solo attempt at home canning!). If not, we'll have peach syrup for pancakes! And yes, this is a sweet condiment, and a tad heavy on the rosemary flavor (yes, this is rosemary from my herb garden)! I've only tasted it from the spoon, not actually on bread, where I'm hoping it mellows a little bit. I'm very excited to go fruit picking again (with Bear?) when I can get lots to finish my other goals: Peach Butter, (regular) Peach Jam/Preserves, possibly even some Blackberry Jam (let me say, those blackberries are among the best I've ever had!! SO ripe and succulent!). I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor (haha! had to throw that one in!), even if my housework is lagging a little! Now I just need to finish baking bread as we are STILL out!

30s housewife

I think this is pretty funny, and I'm not sure if it's good or bad!

91 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Why I love being a homemaker

I don't know how I found this site, but I read it and just loved it. Some of the finer points are hers and not mine, but I wanted to keep it original so that it was all in context. For the record, i do love homemaking, but I also tend to get stressed out with trying to please everyone, or more namely all my various personas (best mom, best wife, cleanest housekeeper, etc) instead of just focusing on some of the small things (really small, like Bunkin or Bear!). Anyway, this blessed me in a sweet way, so thought I'd share.


Dear Sisters,
Oh, it was a lovely weekend. I made an angel food cake and calzones. Abbie and I made molasses-chew cookies. I was thinking this weekend of the pleasures of homemaking and thought I'd share a few with you.
I love homemaking because my time is my own. I dictate how my day will go and that is an awesome thing in this world. Many high paid executives do not have the freedom that I have almost every day.
I love homemaking because yeast, water, and flour make the best smell in the world!
I love homemaking because I get to decorate a corner of God's Footstool in exactly the way I like it with total creative freedom. No other person on earth will decorate in quite the same way.
I love homemaking because my kids get to lick spoons and bowls and smile with whipped cream and sugar on their lips.
I love homemaking because I can sit and read to my children all day if I want with every pillow we own under us.
I love homemaking because my uniform is a simple apron. When I put it on I feel like my grandmother and want to do so many "homey" things for my family.
I love homemaking because I get to keep learning new things to make my home a special place for my kids and my husband. Last year I learned decoupage and tole painting. (Many things from a library book!)
I love homemaking because I get to work in my garden and cut beautiful plants from it to bring into my house.
I love homemaking because I get to listen to beautiful music all day long which causes me to think of my Savior and LORD. My work doesn't even seem like work with Him on my mind.
I love homemaking because I get to cook some of the most wonderful food on a slim budget causing me to give thanks and praise to Him who shows me the way.
I love homemaking because I can go to the library and check out other women's wisdom which inspires me in my own kitchen and home.
I love homemaking because I can stop my kids at any time of the day and say, "Let's pray."
I love homemaking because I can lay on my bed and have great talks with my kids about the LORD and life.
I love homemaking because I get to smell up my house with some of the best smells on earth: homemade bread, apple pie, fried chicken, baked beans, and cole slaw. And that's just one meal!
I love homemaking because I can feel the softness of yarn flowing through my fingers as I knit an afghan for my kitchen chair.
I love homemaking because I can sit with other women and their babies and compare struggles and trials; then come away feeling so much better to handle my own babies and struggles and trials.
I love homemaking because I can look at each room in my house as a blank canvas to paint a beautiful picture on for my family. And slowly, here and there, I pick up the beautiful treasures at thrift shops or swap meets to make those canvases come alive with love.
I love homemaking because I create the atmosphere all day in my home. If I am at peace, they are at peace. And the King helps keep me at peace because I have spent time at His Throne in the early morning hours learning from Him.
I love homemaking because I have permission to fail while I learn. I have granted permission to myself recently which makes me feel a whole lot better about learning new things and not being afraid to fail.
I love homemaking because I can plan special little surprises for my husband that bring him such delight: homemade pickles that taste like Claussen's.
I love homemaking because I fill little mason jars with homemade jams and watch my kids open them in anticipation for breakfast.
I love homemaking because I can make lemon butter, scones, and devonshire cream for my daughter and all her little friends for "tea".
I love homemaking because all the little girls can dress up in hats that hang in my living room waiting for their next visit.
I love homemaking because when my kids are sick it is no inconvenience. I get to put them right to bed in their pajamas and bring them a "tea table" with a flower, tea, and some special treat to make them smile.
I love homemaking because I get to do things with beautiful fabrics.
I love homemaking because I can gather my kids in my room if I am sick and have them take care of me or just lay next to me and play.
I love homemaking because I get to cut my kids' hair and have them sit on a special stool I designed for them. Then I get the pleasure of looking at their hair for days knowing that I cut it.
I love homemaking because I get to scrub my floors by hand just the way my grandmother did. Then I get to tell everyone to stay off the floor just like she did.
I love homemaking because I get to hang out my clothes on the line just the way my mother did and smell the sweet air in them when they come back in the house.
I love homemaking because I get to stretch a budget beyond measure which gives me great joy to see so much done with so little.
I love homemaking because I get to put a fluffy feather down comforter on everyone's bed and run them out to the clothesline on a windy day.
I love homemaking because I get to smell a freshly bathed child.
I love homemaking because I can put a fresh tablecloth on my table and transform it into a fancy restaurant with a rose in the center.
I love homemaking because there is always a new recipe to try.
I love homemaking because I can cover up "holey rugs" with beautiful handmade throw rugs that someone's grandmother probably made.
I love homemaking because I can cover up stained couches with beautiful couch covers in a rose pattern my grandmother would have worn to church.
I love homemaking because I can sit in any room in my house and it is used to its fullest. No room is for show. Every room is pleasantly occupied.
I love homemaking because no one can make me laugh like my kids.
I love homemaking because I can grab my camera and capture three muddy kids in a moment.
I love homemaking because I can take full advantage of all the seasons. Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring never get by me. I enjoy each immensely.
I love homemaking because I can bring home some of the best books in the world and know they will get read.
I love homemaking because I know my kids very well and can work with them like no other.
I love homemaking because if I am sick of being inside I can go outside. And if I am sick of being outside I can go inside.
I love homemaking because I can kiss my kids thirty times a day if I want.
I love homemaking because the weather never affects my plans to stay home.
I love homemaking because it makes me more in awe of my mother, grandmother, and favorite aunts causing me to notice their work in great detail.
I love homemaking because my kids can get really dirty and jump in the tub before anyone's the wiser.
I love homemaking because I am the " LORD's Home Servant."
I love homemaking because no one can run this home like I can. No one knows that man of mine like I do. And no one can tell you about those kids that I live with like I can.
I love homemaking because I can watch a "Leave It to Beaver" or "Andy Griffith Show" and be inspired by June Cleaver or Aunt Bee to do a better job in my home.
I love homemaking because I have time to light candles, put on soft music, and start a fire in the fireplace.
I love homemaking because I know where my kids are, and that gives me great peace because they are beside me.
I love homemaking because I get to be HOME.
I love homemaking because God called me to this job and I love it!!!!
Love,
Laine called to be a Homemaker of God

How many words for a thousand pictures?

Ahh, this post is going to be chock-full of pictures of things that make me happy! Mostly creative endeavors on my part, and forgive the lighting and such on some of these. I'm still a bit behind the times and using our phone camera! This is the walnut-basil pesto I made. I liked our other batch so much (not to mention gave away the rest of it's rather large volume), I tried one of the variations in my cookbook!

Ok, for some reason, Blogger isn't letting me rearrange these pictures, so they're not going to make any layout/chronological sense (sorry!). This is my sweet (and 6 months old-wow) Bunkin and his BFF Phineas. Every time I nurse, Phinny comes out of the woodwork to RUN to Bunkin and lie on him. SO cute!
Last weekend I went to my friend Amy's house where a few ladies from our Bible study got together for hang out time and to meet Brownie's new little one, Helen. I saw a scrumptious-looking strawberry cake in the latest Paula Deen magazine, and begged Hunny to let me bake it for Bear's 2nd birthday party coming up, to which he promptly said "No, it's PINK!" So, just having to bake it, I brought it to our get together. Mind you, I'm an excellent baker, but my results usually taste waaaay better than they look.

The funny thing, though, is that after I'd baked the cake and was waiting on it to cool, I was tending to Bunkin and the house in general, and I realized that I hadn't heard anything from Bear in a while. You know what that means, right? Quiet kid = something is up! Sure enough, I walk into the kitchen to find one very proud little kid standing on the shelf in the bottom cabinets and reaching to the counter where this was the end result:

He isn't called Cookie Monster in our house for nothing. :) And, as you can see from the iced picture, someone just got a dollop more of frosting, and no one was the wiser (til I blabbed, of course!).

I'm finally seeing tomatoes!! WOOHOO! My hand is for perspective; the fruit isn't very big yet (these are my "sandwich-sized" plants), but they are there! I cannot wait to eat that first ripe yummy tomato! The supermarkets are still stocking "safe" and uncontaminated tomatoes, but to be on the safe side, we haven't bought any, so it will be a real treat!

This post is supposed to be about things that make me happy, and let me tell you, bright orange flowers like these truly make me happy. I'm not sure what they are, because I did not plant them, but they are hardy and very low-maintenance!

Another flower that made me happy as long as they lasted, which in Memphis heat was a pitiable week, were the gardenias right in front of my porch. Oh, the smell! It was heaven for that week.

I'm not sure why I'm adding Pele to the mix, but isn't she cute?

And last, but not least, was my first attempt at homemade Rosemary Focaccia. Hunny was slightly dubious (I think he said something to the effect of not liking rosemary), but the results were so yummy, we ate two huge slices before I was able to take a picture! This bread was surprisingly simple, and felt kinda healthy as I used my own ground whole wheat. I felt like a domestic diva making this bread: picking my own herbs, grinding my own wheat, kneading the bread instead of letting the dough hook take care of it... not that I'm bragging or anything!!

Well, I know this is the most picture-heavy post, ever, on my blog, but I hope they made you happy, too!!