August 2012 ~ week 32 {Willy Wonk-y edition}

one would think that by the sheer number of miles we put on our mom-taxi that this mama actually enjoys the hustle and bustle.  truth is, this mama likes down-time.  quiet.  home.  time to think.  and reflect.

"introverts unite.  individually."  hahahaha... love that quote.

i know that we could slow down a tad, but truth is... how do we choose to eliminate something which enriches the lives of our littles?  that must be the key... if it's not building little lives, it doesn't make the cut.

piano each week?  keep.
theater, even when the schedule calls for multiple practices weekly?  are you kidding me?  the girls would call cps themselves if we tried to cut this. ;)
dance a few days a week?  you should see the look on gracie's face at the mere thought of cutting this.
the occasional field-trip?  okay, so long as it's occasional.



there are several other activities which we could get involved in that i know would enrich us in other ways... but we have to prioritize and choose those we are most passionate about.



co-ops?  not for us.
university art classes?  again, no.



christian scout groups?  this is something we participated in for 2 years, then cut - to make room for other passions.

outsourcing more subjects in various organizations?  no, thank you.

devoting time to too many busy tasks can make one a bit wonky.



wonky.  although fun at times, it's not my cup of tea.  i like hot tea.  i digress...



for the past 5 weeks, our girlies woke each morning, without complaint, for theater practices.   a few times, gracie even tried to wake me earlier than my alarm clock.  ummm, no thank you.  good thing she's so stinkin' cute.  they committed their summer to willy wonka.  {interpret as: by the end of the day, mama is usually left feeling like willy wonka, himself, beat mama with a candy cane.}

them: YAY!!  
me:  yeh.  

truthfully, i'm passionate about it because they are.  i love watching them perform and grow confidence.  it's priceless, really, and gives their father and me swollen heart syndrome.



being a great mom, and giving our girls a great-memory-filled-childhood, is my passion.

it gives me strength to deal with another mom that has truly tested my friendship and patience over the past 2 years.  that, alone, could fill another blog post.  *sigh*  people are just weird sometimes.



any time i'm tempted to feel weary in well-doing, i look at the faces of our girlies.  they truly inspire me.  that... and a picturesque sky, of course, but the girls are a tad more entertaining. ;) 

 

this wonk-y edition is brought to you by hmama, oompa #1, and oompa #3.   

we shall share more of our willy wonka performance pictures soon (we still have 8 more performances to go), but for now... i'm soaking up the quietness of these last 3 days in which we have had complete. quietness. in the house.  nothing on the schedule.  just reading... and a little school organizin' for mama.  you know... as i prepare for another year for living life on the edge of wonk-y.

holla.

{for those who've asked...  i'm not sure when the mom-taxi videos will be up again.  my former video camera died, and i haven't fallen in love with anything else since. *sigh*  my girls miss them, too.}

april-may ~ week 18 {life's a beach}

sometimes, i get so caught up in the logistics of what needs to be done before we can leave our home - even for a few nights - that i'm tempted to think it's not worth the effort.

our schedules have been a lil' on the hectic side, especially hub's.  he doesn't get paid enough for what he contributes to his team.  there.  i said it.  i shall leave it alone now.  i'm sure that was a bloggy sin.  anyone else tire of all the unwritten rules of blogging?  anyone else maybe in need of some chocolate?

needless to say, we yearned to get away.  don't get me wrong.  we love a good stay-cation as much as the next person, but sometimes a person needs to escape the projects at every turn, begging to be finished, in order to truly relax.  our house is feeling like that about now.  things are beginning to fall apart.  dishwasher, anyone?  things need to be organized, painted, and repaired.  mama needs a new {to me} vehicle.  something dependable, while hubs is out of town, you know?  whine much?  pass the chocolate, please.

hahhhh... things are looking better already. ;)

so this week started with school.  again, i will say that i wish that i'd been educated like this.  we are continuing to breeze through the middle ages in history.  we love learning about this time period, but so much of it was flawed... and, dare i say, still quite barbaric?  eek.



relaxed learning. 
totally.
at home, or on the go.

i've been listing older curriculum to sell online to help pay for our much anticipated curriculum, sonlight.  the girls are chomping at the bits to order.  makes me happy to see them eager to receive books for school.  i plan to go through the house to see what else we can part with to raise funds.  wish me luck!

beau's favorite spot?  under my feet. 
right in front of the oven.
waiting for turkey bacon to fall from heaven?

 

theater.  dance and piano lessons.  

you know, the usual.

singing do-re-me harmony with my lil' maria.
dragging my child to the gym.  she has book in hand, snack and ipod within reach.  clearly, she was suffering, while not pedaling.

post-juice veggie massacre.  best multi-vitamin evah.
long-legged jasmine.  she fits in our family, yes?
gracie singing the sound of music upside-down.

a pic of my headboard.  because my 'must-do-before-we-leave' chore-list made me feel overfatigued... and old.  it's where i collapsed.  long enough to instagram a picture, that is.

on our way out, we picked up chili's.  because mom didn't put "cook dinner" on the to-do list. oops. {note sarcasm}  but you should have seen my list! 




when younger, i was a fish.  you couldn't get me out of the water.  this trip, i only craved time spent in a good book.  gracie craved email at the end of the day.  sometimes, she makes me desire an amish lifestyle.  it could be good for her.

we packed food for our three free nights in the condo on the beach.  hubs made most of the meals. lord bless him.  why does a grilled turkey and cheese taste better when someone else cooks it?

he was also the parent that was first to go in the water with the girls.  and build sand castles.  he's pretty awesome at it.

no worries.  mom got her feet wet, too.  searching for shells is what i like to do.  gracie and i collect them.




our closest beach is normally quite murky. brown water. brown sand.  but we're thankful for it.

even if we happen to pick the time of year during the annual seaweed invasion.  it's for the health of the beach, so i guess we can't complain. 



except when a huge batch of it wraps around your leg and you think the loch ness monster is about to eat you alive.

however...
if you stay out of the water to read a good book,
listen to the sound of the ocean, 
enjoy your kids nearby digging to china in the sand,
soaking in the salty breeze,
in the shade,
it's heaven on earth.  
or as close as we'll get to it where we live.

then, all of the work it took to get here, 
suddenly seems worth it.



until you get pinched by a crab.

{due to our science lesson, we were able to determine that this little guy was, indeed, a boy crab.  just thought you should know.}

the end.

bedroom makeover: nator edition

what shall i say about this young lady?  she is an old soul. lover of purple and blue. her temperament is classical.  her perfect day would be described as curling up with a good book or movie, while crocheting, on a rainy day.  of course, a lap-cat would be involved, too.

today is her birthday.  she looked up to the heavens and thanked god.  surely the rain must be a personal gift to her.  i think so.

she's now twelve.  and while i'm still trying to wrap my thoughts around that, my gracie {10 yrs old} decided to wear makeup to theater today... and had her first "stage" kiss.  if i'm being completely honest, my heart sank.  and other than in my computer, you will find me sobbing myself into a puddle.  at least on the inside.  {it's not a real kiss, hmama.  he's only kissing his thumbs. *repeat to self*}

i digress.

while nator {again, we never call her by that name} is quite easy to please, she has a specific taste.  it's not the obvious-flashy-girlie items on the shelf you'd expect a young lady to gravitate toward.  she repeatedly said that she would love a purple {secret} garden themed room.  i pinned things on pinterest, but my mind was reeling in place. 

gracie likes decor that pops and blings.  nator appreciates a calming purple.  i have to admit... purple has not always been my favorite color, but her new room has me thinking otherwise.

and as with gracie's room, you really can't appreciate the after until you've taken a gander at the before mess.  {she asked if i was going to embarrass her on the world wide web.  no, me?    then said - at least you have after pictures to show. *giggle*}  here goes...



keyboard next to the window. surrounded by stuff.  unmade queen-size bed.  surrounded by stuff.  many times piled high with clothes mom washed.  a free-standing mirror from my childhood.  surrounded by stuff.



bookshelf she once pulled books from as a baby.  surrounded by stuff.  several hand-painted canvases.  random wall art.  dresser from my childhood, housing an old tv - surrounded by... you guessed it, stuff.  noticing a theme here?  all enclosed in a faint lavender purple, topped with a glitter glaze.

since nator's room is 10x11, it housed the larger bed.  she is always the sweet hostess who gives up her room {that had to be cleaned beforehand} when guests from out-of-town sleep over.  but let's face it... that only happens once or twice a year.  it was really unfair to build gracie a loft bed and not nator... as much as she loves to play legos and paper-dolls on the floor.

so... after much deliberation, here is nator's room...

choosing from the olympic brand paints at lowe's, i went with palisade orchid.  the girls' ceilings are painted in blue silk, with white to help create clouds. 

under her loft, i gave my old desk {which was in gracie's room} a facelift, by replacing knobs, giving it a fresh coat of paint & poly, and re-covering the seat in a material adorned with birds and cages.  she loves birds.  

greenery {hobby lobby} to help with the garden theme.
turquoise sheet {wally-world} to create a tent underneath.


deep purple comforter {bed, bath and beyond}.  sheets {wally-world}.  bedside lamp {ikea}.  chandelier {ikea} - still needs shades.



*edit*  forgot to add the words i wrote on nator's wall -
i'll love you forever...
recognize that?  
i'll like you for always.
as long as i'm living my baby you'll be.

something we sing to each other.


she can use the seat at her desk, or turn it around to practice bach.

the shelves {ikea} are a work in progress, but give her plenty of room to add to her needlework, and book collection. plastic shelves {already owned} give her plenty of organization for legos.  she can slide these babies out onto the floor when she's ready to play with them.  have i mentioned my love of organization?  everything having a place?  hahhh...


she has always dreamed of having a library as big as belle's in the story of beauty and the beast - her favorite princess. i'd say we're off to a good start. 

 

piecing her lamp together {wally-world}, i decided to gift her the bird she swooned over in my bedroom.  it matched perfectly.  

as did the magnetic board {hobby lobby}, housing three little bird magnets.  the cutest!  dad built her a shelf to display her american girl dolls, as well.  her desk is the perfect hiding spot for all of her doll clothes, accessories, and smash book supplies.



her walls are adorned with a wonderful certificate from her first year participating in the music guild.  we plan to add to that.  

butterflies {from the garden section at hobby lobby} and framed book covers {printed at home}. {frames from tar-jet}



the opposite wall houses her dresser - another piece of mine when little.  it was given new knobs, fresh paint, & poly.



the wall is embellished with a small, whimsical tree, hand-painted in a darker shade.  vinyl birds {already owned} in turquoise, tying in the sheet hanging on the bed. 

there's an updated tv nator likes to watch, while playing legos and paper dolls. flowers, compliments of hobby lobby's half-off sale.

this afternoon, nator enjoyed lounging in her bed, listening to the rain, while watching a movie. this + theater = a perfect birthday, in her words.  there's no school on birthdays.  one of the many perks of homeschool.



as we continue to make our way around the room, we have a much more organized closet, our {already owned} room darkening curtain {bed, bath and beyond}, and bean bag.

oh, and a little sister... who enjoys waltzing in big sister's room at her leisure.  that's free.

the new rule: if you get something new, you have to get rid of something fairly equal in size.  "but does easter, birthday, and christmas count??"  and so it begins... ;)

hope you enjoyed the tour!  if you missed gracie's room, you can see it here.  if you are able to use any ideas from our rooms, be sure to let us know. we'd love to see your room reveals.

have a great weekend!

bedroom makeover: gracie edition

really, you can't appreciate the after till you've experienced the before.

i'm still in awe of the amount of bags {trash and donation} that came out of this 10x10 room.  or maybe it's shock.



my childhood desk, completely cluttered.
a tarjet dresser with very shallow drawers. a waste of $. 
most clothes, stored in plastic drawers in the closet.
stuffed animals, blankets, and lord only knows... 
crammed between the bed and wall.
as high as the bed.

bags, toys, scarves, and did i mention bags?
all piled high next to the bed.
we always shuffled our feet, pushing away the bags, to tuck her in at night.

sometimes, you purposely ignore the mess, for the love of your child.  who wants to give the 'born in a barn' lecture right before your littles drift off to la-la land?  we love our girls.  and they love us. those conversations were usually reserved for daytime.

when the room is this out of control, honestly... they don't even know where to begin.



posters, painted canvas, bulletin board, and random strings of yarn covering the light pink walls.
american girl furniture made from cardboard boxes.
the girls were always equally excited to see brown boxes by the front door.  for different reasons.

it took me nearly three days to move 'stuff' out of both girls' rooms.  good. heavens.  we said good-by to her free pink thriftstore headboard. *sniff*sniff*

room makeovers have been on the agenda for quite some time, so i've picked up things here and there, as they were on sale.

gracie's room now that i found the carpet...

cherry pink paint.  took nearly 3 coats.  we love that olympic is low voc.

the ceiling is painted a light shade of blue.  it's embellished with white clouds, using an old t-shirt, dipped in white paint (adding a little water).

i wrote, "... we'd still choose you." next to her bed, to remind her of something we tell her nearly every night.   

"if we lined up aaaaall the gracie's in the whole wide world, we'd still choose you.  and if we lined up aaaaaall the {insert current age} year olds, we'd still choose you.  you're a beautiful princess, and we love you very much."

the bedding came from tarjet - included hot pink sheets.

a dresser {with 3 deep drawers}, built for us when nator was born, once used as a changing table, now painted white. {it also weighs a ton = quality} drawer pulls spray painted from brass to silver.  the tall side is the perfect size for housing toys.

chandelier {ikea}. zebra shades {hobby lobby}.  shadow box {hobby lobby} housing gracie's pins and ribbons from dance competitions.

a green sheet {walmart}, hung on a tension rod to create a 'tent' under her loft bed.

daddy did an awesome job building the loft bed from scratch, using ideas found here.  really, we needed more floor space.

under the loft bed, a toy chest my step-dad built for us when gracie was born was painted white, padded with a cushion, trimmed in hot pink, now doubles as a seat for her new desk area.  there's room for her bean bag and a shelf to house her american girl dolls.

mirror peace-sign wall decals and frames {hobby lobby}.

on the other side of the room, we have a basket for her stuffed animals, the same polka-dotted curtain that we already had {hallelujah}, an ikea shelf, and drawer container to organize legos. the drawer container in her closet now houses shoes, hats, scarves...

i drew a whimsical eiffel tower, from ceiling to floor. decorating is my favorite part!  dad updated televisions - found on sale.  not a need, but a fun addition to watch dvds - no cable, of course.



organization makes me happy. 
knickknacks have been condensed to one shelf.
zebra bins {tarjet} house smash book supplies, etc.
and there's even room for more books! 



one of the biggest hits, was the green ikea lamp by her bed.  now they can read themselves sleepy - without fumbling with a book light.



zebra prints in $3 wally-world frames.  'peace'/zebra boxes {kirklands} found on clearance.  vinyl chandelier {hobby lobby}. mirror hung on the inside of the closet door.



wow... that was a lot.  still with me??

holding my breath, but now that everything has a place... everything finds it's place again!  

worth every callous on my hands. 

when you're surrounded by beauty, you tend to want to keep it clean... that's the theory we'll be testing. ;)


revealing nator's room soon...

{american girl} money saver

if you have girls, you've probably heard of american girl.  right?

who knew our house would be invaded with these timeless dolls?
we love them.  especially the historical fiction books accompanying them.

but they are expensive.
let's be real.

our girls only have as many as they do because they dream of which one they want for their birthday and christmas all year. two dolls a year adds up, year after year.  for birthdays, they get to pick - big gift or big party?  american girl doll and inviting a special friend for a day wins each time.  it's a win-win... you get to spend the most time with a closer friend.


i digress... oh, yes.  even the accessories are pricey.

so in an effort to save money.  you know, after we bought kits: doll travel, doll party, doll school... some of the do-it-yourself collection,  we figured out how to occasionally dress these dolls for less.  finally.


other than crocheting them hats and scarves to match our own, of course. ;)

are you ready to learn how we gave this doll such a posh dress for no extra cost and very little effort {huge bonus points in mom's book!}?

brace yourself.  

wait.  let's see if you can figure it out...

yep.  leggings.  well, one leg, that is.


just cut a one-inch slit on either side for arms and you've got yourself a formal, sun-dress, shirt... sky is the limit.


stacy and clinton may not approve of the one-legged-leggings {say that 5 times fast}, so try to avoid wearing them in public, mkay? ;)

feb~week 7/366 {be my valenine}

when events of the day leave one's head whirling, one blogs about the previous week for distraction.  it's for sanity, really.  

it's been a rough day.  life throwin' you a big ol' curve-ball kind of day.  no bueno.  wednesday has to be better. technically, it is wednesday now.  howdy, wednesday.  please be nice to me.

without further ado, i give you week 6...


we made it home from dance competition.  in one piece.  but it required a couple days to recover.  before home, we stopped at whole foods market.  essential oils always lure me in.  take a gander at this "road rage relief."  funny, eh?  however, the lavender gets me every time. hahhhhh...

we made valentine boxes for our homeschool skate party. 

tip: paint brushes could possibly double as drum-sticks.

unlike their mama, in the days of her youth, the girls are not skaters.  nator aspires to be, one day.  gracie simply tolerated the skates for 2 minutes before taking them off.  

we are in the season of dance competition and music recital y'all.  can't go messin' that up, you know.

mama was given this look until they came off...
sweet, yes?  but all is better when skates are off and friends are in tow.


a tea party for all...
all american girl dolls, that is.  plus two.

i just noticed that the 'baby' pictures of my babies are shown in this pic.  right there... behind the dolls. {excuse me while a grab another tissue}

 
our new traditional valentine's dinner.  at home.
two years... and going strong. 

  
shopping for last minute decor.
gifts: this year... birthstone barbies for the girlies.
assigned seating.  heart straws.  gettin' fancy. hand-made decorations. 
gangsta necklace... complete with twinkle light.  like i said... fancy.  if you turn the light on, you must be kissed.  it's some sort of mistletoe rule, according to gracie.


flowers. chocolate cake. dancin'. candles. music. lasagna.

we're lovin' this new family tradition.  
do you have any family valentine traditions?