Fall.

Grade school was great school for a number of reasons. But my favorite is how it forever shaped my crazy anticipation of summer. I no longer have the "last day of school" to fuel the excitement, but somehow the excitement comes back year after year. And summer remains to be a time of amazing memory making. You never let me down, Summer. But you kind of did this year. No hard feelings.

I went back to work in May. By work I mean the kind of work that allows me to be creative every day. Demanding, yes. Rewarding? Incredibly. Don't get me wrong, I'm over the top about my job. But I finally understand first hand what I've read on mom blogs for years. Dropping your child off at preschool for the very first time is possibly the biggest heartbreak a gal can have. The days where I wondered if I'd ever get 5 minutes for a shower suddenly seemed so sweet.  Despite the newfound joy of using parts of my brain previously in hibernation - and daily adult interaction - and wearing something other than workout clothes - and lunches void of peanut butter and jelly - my summer was one big hefty does of education in balance, boundaries and letting go of a messy kitchen. Sometimes, there's just not time in the day to get it all done. It's been hard. Just last week after dropping Max off at school, I got back in my car and suddenly tears came out of nowhere. I was the crazy lady crying in her car in an empty parking lot. So yes - at the risk of pity party indulgence - it's been a hard summer.

It became exponentially harder when Max had a seizure last month. He went limp and appeared lifeless. Within minutes of the paramedics arrival, he came to - and although at first dazed, it didn't take long before he was back to his usual (and endearing) shenanigans...pestering his new paramedic friends  to play choo-choo. Long story short, we went to the pediatrician - who recommended we see a pediatric neurologist - who recommend we see a pediatric cardiologist after detecting a heart murmur. In addition to seeing the cardiologist, the neurologist is bringing him back next month for an EEG - which, how they're able to keep a toddler still for 90 minutes is beyond me. 

So all this to say, I'm not a sorry sadpants over summer's departure. Maybe not this fall, maybe not ever, but hopefully one day, I'll see clearly the benefit of this particular season of life. With pain comes growth. I'm grateful that God makes my pain sweet. I'm trying to recognize the sweetness in the midst of the pain. He's up to something grand. Something much bigger than my day to day life. 

Vintage cane chairs get a makeover!

Yikes. Another 3 weeks have gone by since my last post! But these three weeks have been eventful. More to come on all that. Right now, I just have to give you a glimpse of my latest project! It's been a big one. Multiple trips to Home Depot (sometimes in a day). Lots of elbow grease (and hopefully more defined arms!!) And even some casualties. Like our deck. And a lawn chair. But it's been worth it! 

I found these chairs (which came with an amazing octogon side table) at a little, hole-in-the-wall garage shop off the side of the highway. All three pieces were in pretty stinky condition. But with a price tag of $50 for the set, I couldn't resist.

It's been a labor of love. But I'm on the home stretch now. All I need to do is decide on fabric and have these beauties recovered. Of course, making a decision on fabric could take me months. I've already gone back and forth. And back and forth.

Help! All suggestions are welcome!
At the moment I'm leaning towards keeping them light and neutral.
Like these.

What do you think?

LOST AND a new FOUND treasure

How has it been an entire month since my last post? Things around our house have been nutty. Too much happening all at the same time. And since giving birth, I've completely lost my ability to multi-task (translated means I've been nutty too.) Organization, I'll make you a part of my life one day. One sweet day.

But time has flown. I feel like it was just spring break week on MTV.  (I did not watch spring break week on MTV. Do they still do that?) While you've been productive in blog land, I've been lost in a cluttered mind.  I've missed you lovelies!

I'm excited for today's post! You know by now that I'm a sucker for anything DIY. And it's a lucky day for us, ladies, because the talented Anna of A Newfound Treasure, stops by to spill her to-DIY-for tips on how to create a look for less, do it yourself Dorothy Draper duo of chests.

Enjoy! And don't forget to stop by Anna's blog where you'll find more tricks, time-savers...and of course, treasures. You're welcome.

 

Hey y'all! I'm Anna from A Newfound Treasure, and today, I am sharing about my latest Ikea hacks. I have admired the Dorothy Draper chests for years and knew that the DIYs I'd seen online were perfect for our bedroom nightstands!

I started with 2 Ikea Rast chests and painted them in Rustoleum's oil-based glossy black paint.

I then used painters tape to section off where each gold inlay design would go. (This part took forever!) Once my rectangular boxes were all taped up, I got to painting. I used Liquidtex's iridescent rich gold (heavy body) acrylic paint. It took a few coats, for sure!

I free-handed the rounded corners. 

Next, I replaced the old wooden knobs with these gold ring pulls. And voila!

Lastly, I sealed up the dressers with a coat of polyurethane. Now, they are nearly indestructible! I should've done another coat of the gold paint, but I got excited. You can see where it's a little patchy in places if you look closely. They aren't perfect, but I am very satisfied with my looks for less.

What do you think??

[Please excuse the humidor and ugly cords in my pictures… this is real life, people!]

An update for when I'm old.

Okay, I'm sorry for the long update to everyone on the happenings at our house! Actually it's an update for me to look back on years down the road. I need to be better about documenting these precious years with Little Mister. And this blog feels like the place to do it. So consider yourself warned... this post is a peek inside our home life.

I swear this child is doing something for the first time each day. I tried to brush his teeth earlier and he screamed, "NO MOM!!!" which is new for us. He doesn't really speak in sentences. Especially when he's frustrated. Sunday over breakfast, he casually said, "Thank you, Mom" when I set his breakfast down in front of him. It was the sweetest sound ever.                                                                          
Of course, as with most toddlers, he makes some not so sweet sounds, too. When he gets frustrated at something and can't figure out how to verbally express himself, he just grunts or screams. Loudly. It can be quite deafening. But overall, he's a happy little dude.                                                                  
Although he loves watching golf and football - and learning to swing his club/kick a ball - he also happens to know choreography for more than one Wiggles song. I have to admit, this kid's got rhythm. He can "Rock-a-bye Your Bear" like nobody's business. But for Mister's sake, I hope he takes more of an interest in sports than kick-ball-changes and shuffle-steps.

He loves to run. Fast. If I turn my head to say hello to the neighbor, it's highly likely I'll turn back around to see him halfway down the sidewalk, arms out screaming, "Birrrrrr" at the pigeons he's about to scare. Or whatever they are.

Okay, that's enough for now. Don't be surprised if there's another one of these in the not-so-distant future. I can't trust my brain to recall these mushy memories when I'm old.

Ivy & Piper

So I admit that, yes, sometimes I'm late to the party. But in this classy case, better late than never. If you haven't stopped by Ivy and Piper, you simply must. 

Their mission? To help you create the home of your dreams by showcasing exquisite and so very chic interiors from around the globe. Their lookbook and online mag is published every two months. But if you need interiors like you need your morning coffee, get your daily fix here, on their blog.

Anyone in Dallas wanna buy a home?

We're putting our house on the market, and my back aches. I wasn't prepared for the prep work needed to make a home ready for the world of MLS. When is the last time you cleaned out your bathroom drawers? Or the pots & pans cabinet? Or the laundry room? Or that musty space under the deck where who-knows-what is lurking? It's eye opening. I'd rather be at the dentist.

A. We clean our house every week.

B. We're sanitary.

C. After what I saw, I was disgusted with myself. Mostly for the amount of dust and grime, and a little for the amount of huffing and puffing required from cleaning places and things that (clearly) get overlooked.

D. One could assume (correctly) that a couple spots in the house hadn't been cleaned since we moved in.

E. And I seriously swear...we clean the house every week. Mister is a bit of a neat-o cleaner.

F. I sincerely hope by the time we move again, we'll be silly rich and can hire someone to come in and do all this for us. And for the record, if I am ever silly rich, I would very much like to hand it out - Dumb & Dumber style...when they're in Asssssspen.

We had to take photos to post on our listing...and I played around with a couple of them. I'm easily amused by with the app store.

Sissy's Southern Kitchen & simply splendid vintage

mom in '74  & me at Sissy's Southern Kitchen

Thank goodness my mom held onto this most cherished little dress of mine. Or hers, I should say. And is it weird that I've named her Ruby? Yes. Regardless, Ruby made her debut in the photo above at my dad's 10 year high school reunion. Fast forward 30 years to me...in her closet...hunting for treasure. Blammo! What a treasure, indeed! I love this dress. I look for excuses to wear it. But on Friday night, no excuse was necessary - it was the perfect dress for dressing "in my southern best" for Sissy's Southern Kitchen's Grand Opening Party. (And by the way, I think my mom wore it best!!)

On a side note, Dallas locals…I can't say enough about the mouth watering food served that night. I couldn't stop eating the crab cakes, deviled eggs, spare ribs…and perhaps the best fried chicken I've ever had. You must stop in at Sissy's…it's simply splendid.

acrylic & water & spray paint, oh my!

I realize I made the statement in Parlour Art that it was time for me to purchase some grown up art for our home. But I can't help it. It's such a fun creative outlet to try to come up with something somewhat interesting myself! 

I'm having a ball experimenting with different textures, techniques and paints. Who knew that spraying paint on top of water could create a really neat-o effect?? Probably you. But this knowledge was new to me! It's a very simple and budget friendly way to create a cool, visual effect.

simple, modern DIY artwork
soon available on Etsy!!

Seeing Red

Are you well red? With Valentine's Day smack dab in the middle, February hails as the month for love. (And with so many birthdays falling at years' end, I think our parents felt this way too.) (Eww.) (Sorry.) The fabulous and oh-so-splendid blog, chartreuse & a twist, is celebrating the love this week with a color post on...wait for it...RED. I decided to link up and share my favorite red, red finds. Hop on over, link up and showcase your well red selves!

in a different light

I love good conversation. Especially with loved ones. And I'm rarely the one with nothing to say. I always have something to say, which I'm sure is annoying to the Mister. But the other night at my parents house, I was the weird, quiet one in the corner...the whole evening. It had been forever since I'd looked at old photo albums and I seriously think I spent hours on the couch, head down and knee deep in pictures. It was fascinating.


1. My mom was beautiful. She is beautiful. But I'm used to seeing the 65 year old mom each week. Seeing her at 20, 25, 35...she was so pretty. And stunning. And I don't think she has any idea.

2. She had great taste and wore her style well. I'm devastated she didn't hold onto more of it for my sister and I to fight over.

3. Why didn't she keep their furniture & decor, either?

Which brings me to my next point. Yes, that's me in the picture...but more importantly, how cool is that headboard??? This is a good reminder for me to hold onto things so one day, my grown children can have them. (I sound like a candidate for Hoarders.)

Anyway, I wanted to share how cool it was to see my parents in a different light. I found myself wanting to go back to the 70's and be friends with them. The looked to me like they lived life to the fullest and had a ball doing it.

golden years

Remember this post about the must try DIY gold fish scale artwork from crafty and cool two thirty-five designs?

Well, I tried it. And it was a success! Sort of.

More details to follow with photos of the finished project! Just gotta patch up Little Mister's handiwork and figure out a place to put this huge thing!! Special thanks to two thirty-five designs for the inspiration and tips!

chalk it up

The last time I saw my china was right before Mister and I got married. Almost 5 years ago. Poor china. Oh how I loved you, all simple and sweet with your delicate silver, paisley detailing and promises of grand dinner soirees. Me in heels, a stunning dress, no wrinkles on my face, no splattered tomato puree on my satin hostess apron. Oh and polished nails. My guests? In awe over the centerpiece, the delectable food, the gorgeous table settings...and the hostess. "How does she do it?" they all wonder.

Wait, hold on. I'm about to get to the point. 

Let's be honest... a. I don't prepare meals in heels  b. I need botox  c. I don't own a satin hostess apron  d. my nails look like they got attacked by a blender.  e. dinner soirees at our home look more like kabobs on the grill/beer in the fridge/and football on the tv. Oh and f. no one wonders how I do it...they wonder what that plastic Elmo magnet is doing in their coleslaw.

But hey...I'm okay with that. Fortunately for me, there's Chalkboard China. I was introduced to this Dallas based (and functionally fabulous) line of chalk-friendly tableware earlier this week. And I'm hooked. It meets me halfway in between exquisite china and chinet. My favorite is the carafe. How clever. And chic! I'd love to have a few of these out on display for my next get together at the house, each filled with a different wine and creatively labeled with the help of a little white chalk. And the wine glasses to go with them, of course. Forget putting a little charm around the stem...chalk is much cooler.

Whether you're like me (and have all your china in storage) or you're the hostess with the most-est, Chalkboard China works for occasions (and hostesses) of all sorts. Fancy-schmancy or board games and burgers. Which is my fancy-schmancy.

*available online and at select retailers nationwide

Southern Fried, simply stated

If only I could learn to speak man. Conversations in bullet point are as foreign to me as a wardrobe chock full of Stanley Korshak's finest. Unfortunately. That's why this Valentines day, I'm leaving the three paragraphed, mushy, pink and red card at the grocery store and opting for a simpler, chic and cheeky way to say "I love you" to my Mister. Dallas based Southern Fried Paper gives the old greeting card a witty spin, helping you say what's on your heart in fewer, funnier words than you might have come up with on your own. Check out more by visiting SFP's Etsy shop!

parlour art

My walls are in need of original, professional pieces of art. I may be just dangerous enough with a brush and some paint to put something reasonably interesting on canvas, but enough is enough. It's time for me to be a grown lady, and invest in some eye candy. Nichole at Parlour has an eye for this kind of thing. I found some beautiful pieces, thanks Nichole!, and thought I'd post a couple of my favorites. If you're into aesthetics, you'll be quite pleased over at Parlour. 

 

linky love

Links I'm lovin'!!

always say thank you in style with an oh-so-chic merci

who doesn't like a killer color combo

fall in love with this sweet sixteen

and more happy colored inspiration


ENJOY!!

grateful and optimistic

"when are we opening Christmas gifts?"

"will someone please tell me when we're opening Christmas gifts?!?!"

Christmas is splendid. Days and hours of fellowship, food, naps...and endless amounts of entertainment from Little Mister and all his cousins. It's been wonderful. And I'm exhausted. December has a way of zapping my energy and by the 23rd, I'm swearing I'll never, ever go to the mall during Christmas season again. (this is a lie, as i always go to the mall at the peak of craziness.)

But always, without fail, the 24th arrives and I've lost all the worries of getting Christmas cards out, shopping done, gifts wrapped...and instead, a much needed peace takes the place of it all. And gratitude. For family, salvation, love and grace...which is what this time of year is all about anyway.

Now I'm ready to ring in the new year (sans kiddos) and look ahead to what 2012 has in store.  Wishing you all a very festive New Year's celebration and a fantastic start to 2012!!!

Merry Christmas!

DIY Advent Calendar

Sometimes Christmas decorations are, well, not exactly in line with our chic taste for decor. Speaking of chic, Finley at Mommy Chic shares a fabulous idea for a modern, DIY advent calendar. It's definitely appearing at our house next Christmas...Thanks, Finley!

Read more about it HERE.

Beauty and the best...

...the best of what I've found out there, that is. Mind you - I'm no beauty product expert. But I'm constantly on the search for great, new finds - and I can't go into CVS (for cleaning supplies) without leaving $50 in the hole on make-up or nail polish. So, a beautician I am not. But a (rather ridiculous) consumer of anti-aging/thickening/polishing/brightening/anti-acne/this will make you look 10 years younger beauty products, I most certainly am.

So...without further adeiu, I must tell you about my new favorite, scandalous mascara.

Scandal'Eyes by Rimmel London.

I love it. And since I like mascara (like, as in, like putting on more than I should, perhaps) and my lashes don't clump when I go back for that unneccessary, second coat, I'm all over it. The brush is big. Almost so much that it gave me a bad first impression. But after using it just once, I knew I was hooked.

You should try it. And for the sake of showing off my rationalization skills...you did just put forth a rather hefty 2 minutes of cranial effort to get through my wordy review. You deserve it.

And thank you for letting me share my excitement about over my new beauty find! I know before too long, I'll have another mascara that I'm thrilled about, but I'm certain that Scandal'Eyes will forever be in my top 5.

Okay, beauties. All for now...I'm off to bed!

Go-go gadget legs...

How is it that, despite always wanting them, it's my son that got them. Long legs. I've come to appreciate the not-so-long variety. I mean, might as well. They're not going anywhere and if they ever did, I would sure miss these shorties. But back to the story - Little Mister has what I like to call, go-go-gadget legs. And today he used them to crawl out of his crib.

crawling & climbing all over the stairs
at our family photo shoot.

*photo courtesy of the
lovely lady at Recently

Just like any other day, I put him down for his afternoon nap, and immediately retreated to my favorite stomping ground (my desk, not a bar.) He cried for a minute or two and then...quiet. About five minutes later, I heard a big bump, and I considered going in his room to check on him - but with no teary sounds of pain...or any cries whatsoever...I went back to work on my super import (insert a little sarcasm) tasks, as usual.

It was about that time that I heard a sweet little noise, and turned around to see him peeking around the corner at me, with a grin the size of his pillow pet and a bright red, left cheek...which I later realized was the party favor from trying to party outside the crib. I truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Oh mercy, what do the days ahead hold for us? (please say they hold at least a little bit of sleep!!)