A Month of Sundays

And so it has been a month of Sundays since my last entry. Has the idea of a lazy summer, complete with swimming hole swimming, porch swing swinging, ice tea sipping, and of course, recreational blogging, become a thing of the past? No, surely not - but sometimes such simple pleasures have to take a backseat for a while so that life can take the wheel and get to where it needs to go.

Ours has been an unusually busy summer so far. As I've mentioned before, our place of worship was just remodeled and all the work was volunteer - so we helped with that along with our regular weekly volunteer work. During this time, we also had a two day Bible education program that we attended the first week of June, then a special visit from a traveling minister and his wife for a week. Tomorrow, we are leaving for another (3 day) Bible education program, which is out of state. I've been packing and cleaning and planning for our trip for a week now, along with spending some time with a dear friend that's visiting this week from Pennsylvania. So all of this has happened within the last four weeks and as you can imagine, I haven't had a moment to focus on much of anything else.

There is a time and a place for everything, though, and after this trip I want to share with you a few decorative changes that I've made to Twice Remembered recently. Like most of you, when I have guests over, I'm motivated to "fluff the nest" and spruce things up a bit. And I've still been making my weekly trips to Goodwill and always find a little something special to bring home. More and more, our home is looking like a little old French style country cottage. I often think about how years ago, more than anything, I wanted to buy a hundred year old, dilapidated house (with lots of character!) to slowly fix up over the years. That didn't happen. Instead we bought a nondescript 30 year old house to work on...for years. But it is interesting to slowly see the backwards progression of our home. It really is starting to feel like that 100 year old cozy farmhouse I envisioned for so long.

I hope all of you are having a delightful summer and I look forward to being back on my regularly scheduled program after this trip! Take care and we'll "see you" soon!

2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway - Just Around the Corner!

It's almost here! The 3rd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway! I'm so excited and just wanted to let everyone know that on May 1st, I will post the official Cottage Charm Giveaway details and will then begin compiling "the list" of giveaways as they are posted by hosts/hostesses! I will keep adding to the list for the entire month of May, so if you are planning on hosting a giveaway this year, you've got some time! I'm going to take my giveaway photos next week and have my giveaways listed at the very beginning of May :)

Check out my last post for a little more info, but remember that all the specific instructions will be posted on May 1st. Just a few days away!

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Now on a personal note...I'd like everyone to know that I've been doing ok - and thank you so much for the warm well wishes that I've received lately. I know we worry about those that we don't see blogging as much as usual and this year, well, this year I think so far I've blogged less than I ever have in all my years of blogging! I feel bad about this...blogging has always been one of my favorite hobbies and I love sharing and exchanging ideas. At the same time, I continue to struggle with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms that can just be relentless. Trying to get just the basics done (basic cleaning, laundry, dinner, caring for kids) is very overwhelming at this point so I just do what I can while the rest seems to pile up around me until hubs can come home and help or I can get to things on better days. This in combination with trying to live on a tight budget (who isn't nowadays?) has really had an impact on our productivity - the three things you need at least a little of to complete projects are time, money, and energy.

The "Good Friday Tornado" damage here in Tennessee that you may have seen on the news happened right down the road a few miles from us, so hubs has helped with the cleanup efforts, plus our place of worship is about to undergo a remodeling project of it's own this weekend and he will be helping with that during the weekends for most of May. So our own projects have taken a back burner for the most part right now.

I've wished a thousand times that I could be the girl I once was in my early 20's (well before I knew anything about the Internet!) She was a project-a-day kind of girl - and with a baby in tow! But for now, I find myself taking a step back from projects here out of sheer necessity. I hate to say this on my blog because I strive to inspire and motivate but... I'm tired.


"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams..."

That said, we are, with our snippets of time and when I'm up to it, continuing to work on my studio furniture. I miss, miss, miss crafting and I feel like above all else project-wise, the studio must be completed first. Hubs has been working really hard on a huge shelving unit this week. I'm really crazy (or is it cruel? !) for giving him such an ugly, beaten up piece of furniture to work with. Can you see it there? It's been in our garage for years holding paint cans and tools and such. We've already added additional shelving to the cubes, and a new top and bottom, and we will also be adding beadboard sides and back and some fresh trim around the perimeter. I have no doubt that by the time he's finished trimming it out and dressing it up and I'm finished painting it, it will be a treasure!

So how have things been going for you? I always love hearing from you :)

You Know Renovating Is a Way of Life When...

You go to give your child a final tuck in for the night and find nestled between their blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals, a 4'X 6" piece of drywall. Do I dare ask her why? :) I guess coming from a family that has plugged their tub drain with a small, squishy plastic frog for the last 4 or 5 years, this is totally normal behavior for a child.

Um, right?

LolliShops: The FrouFrou Friendly Market Place

Have you heard of LolliShops yet? What is it exactly? From the Lollishops site...:

"LolliShops is a juried, online selling venue for talented artists, collectors of vintage and art supply vendors. LolliShops will appeal to those who love...

* Elegant Whimsy
* Romantic Inspirations
* Fanciful Creations

... artists will enjoy setting up their own, customizable store fronts while LolliShops patrons enjoy feeling like a kid in a Candy Store!"

I'm really excited about this new venue for crafters/collectors/artists and patrons who love whimsical, romantic, and fanciful type items. The site is projected to open near the end of October.

While you are visiting LolliShops, don't forget to check out the:
~LolliShops blog to stay up to date with the latest happenings
~LolliShops Flickr Photos to see samples of the beautiful work of the many Lollishop vendors that have been selected so far
~Pre-application if you would like to apply to LolliShops.

Also, even if you aren't interested in running a shop, you can help spread the word about LolliShops buy putting a button on your blog...you can just copy and paste the button coding from the bottom of the main LolliShop's page.

I hope you enjoy the site as much as I have so far - and it's not even "open" yet!

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On the homefront, little did I know the last time I posted that things were about to go downhill in a big way for me as far as my health goes. Hubs had been terribly sick as were a couple of the children, but I felt like I was holding my own though not feeling well (little twinges of congestion in my chest, tickles in my throat). I as I said in my last entry, I was just determined to rest when I could thinking I'd be back to my old self soon. Ha!

Let me tell you, I have been bed bound now since last Thursday morning. It turns out that I have acute Bronchitis. Goodness, talk about miserable! Up until today, I literally coughed probably 21 out of the 24 hours of the day. Any small movement, any attempt to speak even, would bring on a coughing fit to end all coughing fits - the really violent type of coughing fit where you can hardly catch your breath, your insides burn, your throat is irritated, your back and shoulders hurt, your abs throb, your gag reflux kicks in, and you feel like you've given yourself a hernia. My poor children thought I was dying:( I've been telling them all along that it wasn't as serious as that, but I guess physically, I looked to them like I must be on the brink of death! They'd get out of bed at night with very serious and concerned faces, sweet things, and come to my bedside..."Mommy, are you ok?!" When I came back from the doctor with my prescription strength medications, they needed to be reassured..."So you're going to live now???"

Hubs has been wonderful...he's done so much. Of course, I missed school registration and it was he who took the day off work and went in and filled out all the paperwork for three children, did the girls' shoe shopping, organized their backpacks for the first day of school, watered my flowers, did the laundry, took the kids to two parties this weekend, and so much more. He has admitted that it's very hard to be a "single" parent!

I would be remiss if I didn't admit that our little cottage does need a woman's touch again after being neglected by me for almost a week. With so many other important things needing to be taken care of by Hubs, the dusting and sweeping are low priority (though he did sweep and mop a couple of nights ago!) I'm really looking forward to being back on my feet again - and today I've felt better for the first time since all this began, not nearly as much coughing, thank goodness!

A Rain Poem

Rain, Rain

Rain, rain - don’t go away,
Right now inside we’ll gladly stay.
In our pajamas all snug and warm,
We’re prepared for any old storm.
Blankets and pillows for long dreamy naps,
Cuddles and kisses while sitting on laps;
Reading great books by soft candlelight,
Drinking hot cocoa is such a delight.
By the bright, dancing fire we toast our small toes,
Smelling bread in the oven and soup on the stove.
Playing fun games and creating fine art,
Writing new poems straight from the heart;
Hearing raindrops above so heavy and loud
On the roof that we know is solid and sound.
Feeling quite cozy as we happily play
In a tent made of sheets on this dark and wet day;
Soft music flowing through out our calm home,
Thankful we are for this nest of our own.
Eating warm cookies so nice and sweet,
Yes, rainy days are such a treat.
Rain, rain - don’t go away,
We’ll play in the sunshine another day.

~Kim Bouldin
©2008

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some rain! I know parts of the country are still in an awful drought and are dealing with heat, fires, and just plain old misery. I really shouldn't complain, but I thought I'd at least write a poem about rain lest I forget what it is!

I was thinking, as I do every now and then....Wouldn't it be fun to have a "Rain Party" on one of those dark, dreary, rainy days (that we will all hopefully get soon!)? Nothing extravagant, mind you, and no invitations would even be necessary as it would be a small and personal family event. I think some planning would be required, though, because we can never really count on weather forecasts. But a rain party simply must take place when it's raining, don't you think? A few simple items saved up and put away for just the right moment would be all that's required. Most of us with children already have games on hand, but maybe you'll run across one you've never played and decide to put it in your "Rain Treasury" as a surprise for your kids. How about some great poems and stories your kids have never heard? They can be collecting for the rain treasury, too, which I'm sure would be a lot of fun for a child. Some fresh crayons, paper, clay, or maybe even a little paint are great ingredients for an art filled rainy day. Letter writing is a fine rainy day activity as well. And small homemade wrapped gifts would be delightful to set aside for a wet day. So many possibilities!

Fresh baked bread may be a little much for some of us to tackle on short notice, but there are many other less time consuming bread recipes out there (biscuits and quick rolls, whipped up start to finish in 20 minutes!) or what about your favorite cookie or cake recipe? I haven't tried this "Rich Roll Cookies" recipe from the Joy of Cooking but it's gotten great reviews from others. I've been looking for a good rolled cookie recipe for cookies that can be cut out with cutters and decorated - a great rainy day project! Now to buy cookie cutters shaped like raindrops and umbrellas!

Soup is a wonderful rainy day food and I'm sure you have your favorites. My family likes Chicken Corn Soup and Potato Soup best. But a good old can of Cambell's Tomato Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches is just as delicious and is the perfect comfort food.

No rainy day would be complete without lots of candles, so stock up on your favorite scents and have them ready to go when the rain starts pouring. Even when it's too hot for a fire, candles send out just enough warm,flickering light to give you and your family that wonderful, cozy feeling. Better yet, you can buy glass lanterns at places like Wal-mart for $5 - you'll have a bit more light if you want to read or play games by a flame. We used glass lanterns in our kitchen for months during our remodel and I miss them!

Along with decorating for your rain party with candles or lantern light, try making a simple old-fashion paper pennant banner to string across your fireplace mantel. If you're like me, you have plenty of colorful scrapbook paper on hand...just make yourself a cardboard triangular shaped template and use it to cut your papers. I'm in the process of making mine - it will simply read R-A-I-N-R-A-I-N. If you'd like some old fashion letters to cut out and glue to your pennant banner, feel free to use either of the two styles in this R A I N document that I created for my own banner. (The first font is called Quentin Caps and the second is called Mary Jane Antique if you like the fonts but want to create different words to print out.) The way I attach the individual letters together is by punching a hole in the upper two corners of each triangle (with a hole punch) and stringing them together pieces of yarn tied in bows. Ribbon will work well, too. Scrapbook paper would be great, also, for making colorful long paper chains to string up here and there. Oh, I really love the idea of spending sunny days to create rainy day decorations:) It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Saving up for a rainy day" ! After your rain party, just carefully pack up all your decorations and store them for the next time!

If you'd like a copy of my poem to print out for your next rainy day, you can download it here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!



I haven't been around in over a week - would you believe I finally had my yard sale?!?!? Boy, am I glad to get that out of the way because it required so much of my attention and energy. The highlight of the yard sale this weekend was the bake sale the kidlets had with some of their friends. They had so much fun! Granted, I literally stayed up all night Thursday (I never went to bed!) baking cookies for Friday's sale, but it was so worth it. The kids also sold lemonade, sweet tea, and soda. Below is a photo...you can see that they made a banner like the one I've described above (so easy even for kids!)



I apologize for all the emails that I've missed lately...I've got some catching up to do, for sure! Thank you all for all the wonderful and thoughtful comments about my fireplace idea...I have a semi-plan in mind already!

"Wait a Minute Mister Postman...."

So you want to know what it looks likes after having an online yard sale? Something like this! I wanted to drop a note to everyone to let you know that your packages were mailed on Tuesday as planned so you can start looking for your goodies as quickly as parcel post can get them to you (which could be shorter than the estimated 2 - 9 days or longer depending on your location and the mercy of the USPS!) I want to send a huge thank you out to all those that stood in line behind me at the post office - they were so patient and had a great sense of humor:)

I was really antsy about getting everything mailed out (plus, we really, really needed the space!) so I ended up working throughout last week and weekend packaging and labeling boxes. I decided to put off my actual "on location" yard sale until after I had all of that taken care of and until after our upcoming trip to Alabama this week. I still needed to get a lot of shopping done for our trip (that's what I'm doing today!) and I also wanted to be able to get our house as clean as a house in the middle of remodel could be. I love coming home to a fresh house! So that's what I'm up to this week, shopping and cleaning - and hopefully I'll have time to make some baked goods for the trip as well.

I haven't shopped for clothing for myself in so long. I'm really a closet fashion freak, but when much of your time is spent painting, demolishing, remodeling, and removing drywall dust bunnies from your nose, you tend to get rather use to wearing stained and ripped sweats and t-shirts. But how I do love a pretty outfit every once in a while! Today I'll be hitting many of the local thrift stores (trying to avoid the housewares department) and shopping for clothing. I got my haircut last week (think long layers of Bohemian styled hair) and would you believe, I actually bought some new makeup? Green eyeshadow, no less? (It looks better than it sounds, really!)

Anyway, I'm going to go girly for the day and will be working on preparing the family for our trip so I'll be scarce for the next week.

I'm leaving you with a bit of French inspiration to think and dream about. Don't you just love this beautiful cornflower blue? I love how it just completely perks up the grey stone exterior of this French cottage. So lovely!

Strawberries and Cream Muffins + A Little Update

Isn't it odd, don't you think, that I've chosen to breathe a little life into my blog by posting a recipe? Well, you see, I did mean to post this recipe well over a month ago but if you only knew how topsy turvey things are at the moment, you'd understand why I'm only now getting around to writing out this sweet little recipe... Thanks to all who keep checking in for any signs of life:)

We've begun more deconstruction here at the house which has included tearing out a coat closet in the living room (to make room for a future secretary or book shelf) and also taking apart our daughter's closet in order to expand it. She had two small closets but we are creating one larger closet with just one door instead of the two. This work has to be done, along with tearing down our hallway ceiling to raise it a foot, before we can put our flooring down. We are inching our way closer to real flooring at last!

And in the middle of all this, we are getting ready to have our yard sale in two weeks and there are piles of "things" everywhere! Throw in there that May has been the month for school projects galore and we also have two upcoming school musicals this week (for which I must finish two costumes in the next few days!)...and not to mention that we've all been taking turns being sick for the last several weeks. One week when hubs was away, I was so ill that I stumbled head first into the bathroom door frame and it knocked me out to the floor for a little while. My oldest daughter came in and was curious as to why I was "sleeping" on the floor:)

Sadly, we also lost our pet cockatiel Buddy this month, the one that we bought after our parakeet Skyler died last year. I've never written about Buddy because I was so afraid something would happen to him - I didn't even want to buy him to begin with to tell you the truth, for the very same reason. But it wasn't very hard to fall in love with the little guy, and did I ever! Unfortunately, hubs didn't know Buddy was
on his shoulder one day a few weeks ago when he stepped outside onto the deck. Buddy took off and went up, up, up, and away like a helium balloon. I just really don't think we are cut out for birds, as much as I love them, and I told hubs that there would be no more. We have taken all the right steps to try and find him and have spent many hours posting flyers, calling vets and animal clinics, talking to neighbors, and canvassing nearby areas, but nothing yet. I still keep my eyes upwards when I'm out and about, though. We all have been down about losing him but it's a different kind of sadness than when we lost Skyler. It's a sadness with a little bit of hope attached to it. Even if we don't get him back, we can at least hope that someone finds him and that he has a good home somewhere.

Somehow in the midst of the chaos, the baking bug bit me and I've been busy whipping up cookies, muffins, and breads. I even concocted a little recipe of my own based on a combination of other recipes. I call them Strawberries and Cream Muffins (with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting). The kids really loved them! Here is the recipe:

Strawberries and Cream Muffins with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Muffins:
1 cup fresh strawberries (frozen can be used)
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup sugar(1/4 C for strawberries and 1/2 C for muffins)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on lemon preference)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Muffins:
2. Cut up strawberries into small chunks and gently stir in 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, cream 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3-5 tablespoons of lemon juice. Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and add to creamed mixture alternately with cream and milk. Fold in strawberries.
4. Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin tins and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 24 - 26 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
Frosting:
5. Combine softened 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Blend with mixer until smooth and spread on cooled strawberries-n-cream muffins. Top with whole or sliced strawberries.

Where Credit is Due

Digital scrapbook elements obtained from http://www.digital-scrapbook-art.com/ and http://digitalscrapbookgrapixs.blogspot.com/ .

On a Personal Note...

Our hearts here at home are very much saddened this week by the plane crash on Saturday that killed five. They were all our brothers in the faith, but one in particular we knew personally for many, many years. Because of his fine example as a caring and devoted husband and father, Hubs looked up to him so much that he wanted him to give our wedding talk when we were married, but we ended up marrying in North Carolina where hubs lived at the time. We are all shocked and deeply saddened and send our love and prayers to all the families and friends affected by this tragedy.

I hate to dwell on the negative - but also this week, hubs grandmother suffered a heart attack which has left her heart at 15% capacity. She is home now but is very frail and weak - and of course we are worried for her.

Just wanted to give a heads up...it's been hard to concentrate much on anything else. We've all passed around some sort of bug here for the last few weeks and everyone is finally better (I think!) and so we're trying to get back on track...

I hope everyone is doing well:)

We'll Miss You Always, Skyler

All of us here at home are simply heartbroken. Words just can't express the pain that comes from losing a pet - a small and dear creature that was just as part of our family as any of us. Skyler brought us so much joy and happiness and laughter. His personality alone was enough to win our hearts - the way he went out of his way to be with us, on our heads or shoulders or in our faces giving us "kisses" as only a little bird can. We will miss the way he sang with me when I would sing You Are My Sunshine to him...he would stop when I stopped, sing again when I resumed...the way he would just sit and listen to us when we talked to him, cocking his head left and right as if he were truly trying to understand the words we spoke...the way he would play like a silly bird in his cage filled with handmade toys, strings of buttons and bells...the way he would perch himself on his teddy bear toy every night as he slept...the way he loved to play with ink pens and shiny coins...oh, and so many more precious, little things. We'll miss sharing our popcorn with him, petting his little head when he let us, hearing him "laugh" and say "Skyler Baby Birdy" and "Hey Skyler Skyler" and other sweet feathered words, we'll miss the little reminders that he was out and about - the chewed corners of our magazines, the birdie slobber on the mirrors, and other tiny things birds are known to leave behind now and again. We'll miss the way he'd run through wet paint lids and then leave his tiny painted footprints behind him. We'll miss the way he'd sing with the birds outside when the windows were open and even the way he refused to eat fruits and vegetables - and the way he'd land on the dining table and run from plate to plate trying to steal away with some morsels of our food. We'll miss having such a happy, happy little being around...There is so much, little man, that we'll miss about you.

There was a terrible accident early Sunday morning. Our youngest girl was coming into the sunroom and slammed the door behind her. Skyler was trying to quickly fly in after her and the door caught him. He died instantly. My little girl (6) was beside herself...she scooped him up and brought him to Hubs - she was crying and shaking uncontrollably and our hearts broke both for her and for our Skyler. Like the the rest of us, she is a true animal lover (we don't even kill spiders in our home). Our 12 year old - who was mostly responsible for the care and keeping of Skyler (they roomed together and were very close) wasn't even home. She had stayed the night with a friend the night before but was sure to "tuck him in" before she left, covering his cage with a sheet and leaving classical music on for him just as he liked. Hubs had to go and pick her up early without explaining to her over the phone why - and then in person he told her what had happened and that she needed to be home so that we could bury him together.

It was oh so hard. We found a pretty decorative box with a hinged lid and blue ribbon, and soft white tissue paper to line it with, and tucked him gently inside. We buried him in our front landscaping bed and later when the girls are feeling up to it, we'll find some special flowers to plant over his little burial spot. My 12 year old wants to make a word stone with his name on it, but she wasn't up to it today. Of the three girls, she's taking this the hardest. Everything is a reminder. We love birds and tend to "collect" them through our decorative accessories and even on the clothes we wear (from dresses to ties). Even hearing the outside birds sing hurts, but I know that won't last forever.

Yesterday, to help get our minds over what had happened, we left the house and fed ourselves comfort food at a favorite restaurant, went to a park, rode our bikes together, stretched a blanket out by a stream and read, splashed in a creek, and then hung out at a bookstore for quite a while. No one wanted to come home. No one wanted to see the reminders. In our haste to leave the house, we forgot to put the cage away, so it greeted us first thing as we walked in the door. Our first instinct was to want to say hello and chit chat/babytalk with Skyler, and our hearts were once again heavy when it hit us that he was gone. Today, we've tried to keep it light here at home, working on art projects, listening to music, and smiling, laughing, and playing as the mood hits us. Last week, the girls made clay sculptures that we baked until hard. They didn't have time to paint their sculptures then, so they did today...my middle child had made a "Skyler sculpture" and it was the first one she painted to be given as a gift to my oldest daughter.

I hope this doesn't come across as overly dramatic, but this really is our first family tragedy that has hit our children so close to home. They've lost great-grandparents, but they didn't really know them and while they were sad, they weren't distraught like this. Except for a hampster we had briefly when the youngest were babies, they've never lost a pet in death.

So I've reminded them that they won't always hurt so much and that with each passing day, it will get a tiny bit easier. Soon, we won't first remember the tragedy itself but instead will remember the pure joy that this little fellow brought into our lives. I've had plenty of crying bouts myself and I've let them see how much I hurt, while at the same time trying to hold back the tears at times when I feel they need to see me strong. I reminded them of this verse and hope that it somehow brings them as much comfort as it brings to me right now...

Do not two sparrows sell for a coin of small value? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. ~Matthew 10:29



Thank you all *so much* for the kind words and well wishes below concerning my wisdom teeth. The surgery was an utter success and my pain has been minimal. I haven't even needed a prescription for pain - just ibuprofen now and again. The day after my surgery, Saturday, I rested for a little while at home and then spent the rest of the day to myself outside the house, visiting thrift and bookstores, reading and walking in the park. Thank you again, everyone:)

Then and Now Pics - 15 Years Since High School

I realized today that it's been 15 years since I graduated from high school? What? How can that be? A lot has happened in all those years, namely marriage and three children, four if you count this house we're trying raise. I feel older sometimes - (I think), but most times, I still feel like that teenage girl of a decade and a half ago. I'm happy when I feel like a spring chick, when the music is up loud and I'm dancing in my bare feet with my kids or seat dancing alone in our (snort) minivan...when I wear plaid and polka dots and vintage floral (sometimes all together!) and a long hip bag and comfy slipper style shoes and a headband and pink blush and lip gloss. By the way, I haven't always been fond of wearing the color pink, but for months now I have been. Knowing I'm wearing pink blush just makes me smile at everyone I meet:)

Most of the time, my head is still in the clouds - thinking, dreaming, planning, creating. I'm still highly disorganized and messy - the way I kept my high school locker should have clued me in that neatness was not one of my strong points. Yes, I know *how* to be neat and I prefer to be orderly and of course, I do what I can to keep things tidy and clean in all our main living areas, but goodness, don't look in my locker..er..my closets and storage areas, and beware if you drop in while I'm working on a project! Oh, and NEVER look in my purse!

I think I've always been the type to march to my own beat and look at things a bit differently than the mainstream, but I'm not so sure I was always comfortable about it. Within the last couple of years, however, I've learned that much of my reservation around people really is just all in my head and that I care(d) entirely too much about whether or not folks were judging me for one reason or another. Now, with very few exceptions, I.just.don't.care because there are way too many more important and interesting things going on. Is this a 30-something realization? I found this in my 1924 "New Book of Etiquette" in the section on self-consciousness:

"What is self-consciousness? Unquestionably, self-sonsciousness is the result of too much self-thought. The self-conscious are always conscious of themselves, wondering whether they are impressing people, hoping that they are not making blunders, uncomfortable, unhappy, ill at ease! ...Forget about yourself! And there is only one sure way to forget about yourself. Think more of others! Take a keener and more sincere interest in people. Send your thoughts abroad, far beyond the selfish little boundaries of your personal world...It is when we forget ourselves that we do the really worth-while and interesting things. It is when we forget ourselves that we find beauty everywhere around us, that we see charm in the most commonplace people, that we feel happy and at ease in the company of our fellow beings. Forget about yourself!"

Isn't that wonderful?

So, about that photo above... The tiny photo on the left side was my 1992 graduation photo. Bangs! I had bangs! Well, everyone had bangs then only they teased theirs into "poofs". I tried bangs again last year, but they don't suit me now. Nowadays, 99.9% of the time I wear my hair up as pictured on the right. Someone recently told me that I look more mature with my hair down. Hmmm - don't know if that's the look I'm going for, lol, though at nearly 34, perhaps I should consider a new down-do. Would a couple of braids count? I remember when I went into labor with my third child, I had really long hair and sported one tiny little braid down the side of my head. So now I have photos of me holding my newborn with my long, hippy hair. I guess that's the extent of my long down-do style, but I've had many medium length styles:)


I'll be "away" for a while as I'm having all four wisdom teeth removed on Friday. I'll be *so* glad when it's over and I'm back in the swing of things around here. I've been working like crazy to get the place in order so that I can rest easily over the weekend and next week. If I'm able, I'll try and post some photos of the nest I made for my recovery. Take care, everyone!

Little Mud Pies (or "What Could Happen When You Paint a Chair Red")

If you have kidlets of your own, you may mind this entry entertaining. If you don't yet have any, consider this a "cautionary tale". I try not to write about my little ones on this remodeling blog, but I'll make an exception today...

We had a long but wonderful weekend. We were away at a two day Bible educational assembly. It was very refreshing and though there was a lot of sitting and listening involved, my little ones were all very well behaved. Monday was a very special evening as well because it was the night of our annual memorial of Jesus' death. The kidlets were good, then, too:)

By Tuesday, I was really tired and decided to use the day to mostly rest. I did get out and pull the weeds out of the landscaping beds hubs built for me a few weeks ago. Soon we're going to be filling them with more dirt and some flowers. While I was outside, I was mentally planning what flowers would go where and thinking about what a lovely job hubs did in building the beds. And then I thought about the fact that the little ones had been so good all weekend and how they would love the opportunity to do something out of the ordinary and fun. After school, I asked them..."Wouldn't it be fun for you guys to make mud pies with the old dirt in the flower beds?"

Ooooh, they were so excited! I told them they could use their plastic play dishes for their "pies" and decorate them with pebbles and wild flowers. They were thrilled! The old dirt in the beds was dry so I told them they could use the hose to moisten it a bit because, afterall, who likes a dry pie? While they "baked", I was headed to the backyard to paint one of our old ladderback chairs red - an easy project that I've been meaning to get to for a year now. (We're getting ready to have a big yard sale to get rid of things we don't use, so this chair was one of those use it or lose it items.) "Please rinse your feet and hands with the hose before you go into the house." Those were my only instructions.

It didn't take long to paint the chair...maybe about 20 minutes. As I headed to the other side of the house, imagine my horror surprise when I realized that I didn't have cute little pebble and floral decorated mud pies waiting for me, but a giant, messy MUD POND instead! I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the floor, lol. The kidlets were wading in the landscaping bed and the water was well above their ankles.Mud was *everywhere*...the house, the sidewalk, the window, the sunroom floor. They had apparently been splashing and bellyflopping in their newly created pond, too, from the looks of their clothing.

I admit, I was really irritated. But at the same time, the whole situation was hilarious (unbeknownst to them) and I just had to take photos to remember the day they made "mud pies". Even though I scolded them and they apologized, they told me they had so much fun wading in that flowerbed with the mud squishing between their toes.

And just so none of us will ever forget, I'm going to have this photo printed and framed...I've entitled it Little Mud Pies.


By the way, the pond waters finally receded this morning, thank goodness.

Thank You

I wanted to thank you all for all the nice comments and emails that I've received over the last couple of days. Hearing from visitors always makes me smile:) I am working on replying to these lovely emails and it's taking me a little longer than I prefer! You see, our home computer is in our office/sunroom. It isn't cooled or heated in there (yet another future project!) and I find myself shivering to the bone when I try to get anything done on that computer in the winter. So, I've been waiting until later at night when the house is quiet, the kids are tucked in bed, and I can use hubs laptop when he returns home from work. I do try to read my mail during the day, though (wrapped up in a blanket, no less), and then respond in the evening by the comfort of a warm and cozy fire. I'm quite longwinded, as you know, so I manage to get a small handful of emails off in an evening. What's the saying? It's quality, not quantity, that counts? Thank you all for your patience. I really appreciate all your thoughts and comments!

Last week, the temperatures here were in the mid-60's. My sweet little hyacinth bloomed in our otherwise empty flower bed like spring was here to stay. I just left her alone until the cold weather was at our back door. Finally, the night before the big freeze, I grabbed an old pot from the garage and replanted her. Now she'll enjoy being inside all winter, just like the rest of us:)

Five Things

How Fun! I've been tagged by The Litter Box House to write five unknown things about little old me:)I've been writing for quite a while now about this house remodel and cottage style but very rarely reveal much about the girl behind the scenes. I did write a couple of other entries about this One Woman last year (you can find them here and here), so I'm going to try to come up with five things that aren't even on those lists (if I can!). Here goes!

1)For a couple of years, I ran my own web design business. I taught myself HTML somewhere between the births of my last two children (born 15 months apart!). I was highly attracted to the design aspect of web design, but the coding end - and I only could create webpages by hand coding - was very tedious and everchanging. It didn't take long before I lost the time and desire to keep pace. After we moved into this house 3 1/2 years ago, I gave up the business and spent more time on a more hands on design project - this house! Here are some of my favorite site designs (these aren't the official sites, just the designs I created(... Coffee Shop, Primary School, and Photographer.

2)I had all three of my children in three completely different settings: a hospital, at home, and at a birth center(the birth center was just a quiet and comfy birthing suite in the back of our doctor's office). They were all textbook births, all three labors lasted less than six hours each, and somehow I was able to live through them all without pain meds and without strangling my dear husband. My last child was born at 1 am and by 7 am, hubs and baby and I were sitting down to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

3)For years, I felt it was very bizarre that someone named "Anita Stockman" worked at every Wal-Mart, K-mart, or any other big store I visited, for that matter. I was in my mid-twenties before I realized that it wasn't "Anita Stockman" that was being paged to aisle 12, but "I Need A Stockman on aisle 12". Lol, I made A's in school but can be very, *very* dense at times. Hmmm, and there was the time I tried to send several rolls of quarters up the air tube thing at the bank drive thru. I just couldn't understand why they-would-not-go-up! They started to go up...they tried to go up...then down they would come. Then I'd push the SEND button yet again. Finally, the teller, who sounded quite exasperated, told me that the sign says "NO ROLLED COINS!!!". How embarrassed I was when I had to then take those coins into the bank and face the teller in person. So, yeah, I'm a little ditzy, but I'm trying:)

4)I know most renovation bloggers don't talk about religion, but I would like to say that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. My family and I spend time each week preparing for and attending five different Bible based discussions at our local place of worship called a Kingdom Hall. On the weekends, we participate in a door-to-door work where we share encouraging thoughts from the Bible with those in our town. We don't participate in holiday activities or get involved in political affairs, but we are very interested in what the Bible teaches about the times we're living in and what it says about the future. Incidentally, my not taking pain meds during childbirth has nothing to do with religious beliefs - that was strictly my personal choice at the time:)

5)And lastly, I'm in the process of creating and building up inventory for an online cottage shop that I have a goal of opening this summer. I'm not going to spill any details right now, but I'm having loads of fun creating my products so far. I've reserved a domain name, an Etsy shop, and a shop blog to keep everyone updated when I add new items. Anyone else thinking of opening a store anytime soon?

Well, that's it! I'm going to tag a few folks now...it was difficult choosing who to tag, there are so many lovely cottage and renovation blogs out there!

I tag Pink Cottage,
Prairie Rose House,
Folded Gingham,
The Old Painted Cottage,
and Under a Blue Moon.

Oh, by the way, it goes without saying that one thing about me is that I love thrifting. Everything you see in the photo above came from a thrift store (except the boots). The whimsical black and white wallpaper, the skirt, the green sweater...Yes, I'm a thrifter through and through!

I am a Mother / Perspective

Tuesday I wept because two of my girls got "untidy" haircuts from a less than experienced hairdresser. I wept because my house is a mess and I don't know where to start in putting everything back together for the umpteenth time. I wept because I have no confidence in myself to complete anything at the moment. I'm a mother and a wife and a homemaker, and I guess all mothers and wives and homemakers feel like this from time to time.

Then I found a few photos that put everything into perspective. If I knew all the things that went on in this world, bad haircuts and dust and "unfinished projects" wouldn't be the oh-so-earth-shattering events that I make them out to be sometimes. But I think the few things I saw today are enough.

Please note: None of the links below reflect a political stance on my part and I am not sharing them because I have a political agenda of some sort or another, though the directors of the photo videos may. I welcome comments, but please, none of a political nature.

I'm sharing these links because I am a mother - I'm a human, and when I see these photos, I see my own children, as you will see yours. Wherever we live in this world, most of us just want a true home for our children and family, and to keep them well hugged, kissed, loved, and protected. If I can do just that much, I should be so very thankful.

(*Warning - some readers may find some of the photos in the first link disturbing)
Over the Rainbow 1

These are happier (don't let the first frame, sarcastic in nature, fool you), but you'll still need a tissue...
Over the Rainbow 2

"A True Home"

A True Home by Ernestine Schumann-Heink

"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is home."

I found this tonight on a Celestial Seasononings box (Candy Cane Lane Green Tea) and thought it was pretty special and so very true. Though our houses are all very different, I'm sure most of us want to have the particular kind of "home" as described above:)

"I Wanna Talk About Me-Me-Me-Me"

i feel: pensive

i am a: loner of sorts

i am wearing: floral jammie bottoms and a tank top

i hate: the telephone

my best friend is: plural

i look: comfortable

i am often mistaken as being: put together

i am becoming: hot in this sunroom

the song that is playing right now is: just the sound of birds, cicadas, and kids

my favorite memories are: those of heartfelt talks with family and friends

my worst memories are: only memories

my favorite vacation place is: a cabin in the woods complete with a fire, books, music, and friends

the song that best describe my life is: All Four Seasons & Banana Pancakes

i want: more patience

i am making: goals

i want to be: reliable

i try hard to: be understanding

my fear is: losing touch with loved ones

my hopes are: real and wonderful

i enjoy: reading and creating

when i get older, i: am afraid I might grow up.

i am trying to decide: paper or plastic? j/k What to make for dinner...

the leisure book i’m reading now is: Sweet Apple Farm along with four other books...

little luxuries of mine are: coffee with whipped cream while checking my email, chocolate for breakfast, warm and fluffy towels from the dryer, a nap in my cozy bed, iced green tea on a hot summer day, staying up late and sleeping in, the smell of a bookstore, a homecooked southern meal, dining by myself at a restaurant - my only companion being a good book...

when i fall for like someone, i: think of them often

one of my weaknesses: not staying motivated

my favorite colour is: not pink

my favorite television shows are: about forensic science, home makeovers/ decorating, history, Monk, King of Queens, ugh...can't think of anything

a person i adore is: Do I have to name just one?

places i would go in a heart-beat are: North Carolina Mountains

the person that i’m thinking about is: Jeffrey

i love the way: my bird struts when he's happy

i hate the way: some things work out

a vexation of mine is: my laundry basket of mismatched socks

my favorite time of the day is: after dark

summer time is: hot and lazy

i try to block out: heartache, fears, and worry

my life is: full

my favorite season is: spring and fall

after school, i: dreamt for years that I was still *in* school and hadn't studied for that all important test

one thing i can’t be happy without is: my relationship with Jehovah

i’m trying to: be strong

it hurts when: I'm misunderstood

like my father always says: "You'll always be my little girl."

the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do was: make the right choices despite the consequences

before i go to bed, i: enjoy the silence of a quiet house

the first thing i do in the morning is: sigh

the best thing about life is: you get to start over each day

i never knew that: pigs could fly

my room is: restful and full of children's books (and a few toys scattered here and there)

i cannot: watch sports

i love going to: goodwill

i dislike: shallow people

i cry when: I feel helpless

it’s: going to be ok:)

i love the movie: A Beautiful Mind

i am feeling: hungry

i listen to: what people have to say

something that makes me smile is: an inside joke

something about a person that attracts me is: humor, selflessness, honesty, humor

love is: strange & complex

traveling is: something I look forward to doing in the future

it is time to: go get some iced green tea

i’m ticked off because: where did the day go?

The Woman Behind "Cottage Life"

I'm 32 years old.

I feel like I'm 19.

The picture above was taken when I was 30.

Mothers who smoke especially repulse me.

I've never seen an R rated movie in my life.

I long for simplicity.

I don't like to ask for help and rarely do.

I love yard sales and bargains.

I have one cup of coffee a day. It's waiting for me when I get up (hubs makes it) and I'll either drink it in the morning or have it over ice with whipped cream in the afternoon. I always add whipped cream on top...always.

Black and white photography inspires me.

I can't eat breakfast before 9 in the morning.

I love cuddling with the girls, giving them kisses and smelling their sweet skin and hair.

I have a heart murmur that's never given me any problems.

I like to make sure people are comfortable.

I married the only boy I ever kissed.

I can't stand cartoons made for grown ups. They annoy me to no end.

My husband loves cartoons made for grown ups.

I like white noise - it's soothing to me.

I don't like talking on the phone unless I need to.

I love baskets.

I am extremely detail oriented.

I love the idea of being completely organized.

I am utterly disorganized.

I worry too much.

I'm a dreamer.

I'm learning to let go of the things that weigh me down and negatively affect me.

I believe in kindred spirits.

I'm allergic to cats.

I wish I lived in a farmhouse.

Color is a necessity.

I can tell who has "kind eyes". It doesn't mean that you're not kind if you don't have them or that you are kind if you do have them. Certain people just have kind eyes. My father, Robin Williams, the father on The Waltons, (and for you local folks, Dan Miller the anchorman).

I've been a stay-at-home mother for 11 years.

I love nerds.

I feel sorry for old abandoned houses and have an urge to explore ones I discover (though I never actually have)

I'm sensitive to the cold. My house usually feels as warm as an old woman's home...

I'm enthralled with how things were done in the past.

I always root for the underdog.

I dance in the car.

I never pay attention to my fingernails unless I'm chewing on them. Filing them and painting them is a waste of my time.

I hate to drive.

I don't like sports.

I love spicy foods...yummmmm!

I'm a wee bit scatterbrained. (3 kids + remodeling = where's my brain?)

I strive to be a nurturing parent.

People often ask me to help them decorate.

I buy and listen to mucic according to my moods, no matter the genre.

When I was 16, my driving instructor gave me my liscense against her "better judgement".

I really have no idea how to correctly spell license.

I've never had a real car accident, though I backed into a parked moving truck within two days of buying our new van a few years ago.

I love the mountains. I wish I could be tucked away in a cabin somewhere right now.

I don't wear rings of any sort, not even my wedding. They annoy me.

If I hold the door for you, please say 'thank you'.

I show a lot of my emotions whether I want to or not. I hide even more out of complete necessity, though it hurts like crazy.

I've taught two of my girls to read.

I like to mow.

I long for solitude.

I don't like high heels.

I adore Drew Barrymore's personality...

I love do-it-yourself projects.

Art and poetry and music and words inspire me.

I love cozy evenings by the fire.

Icecream makes the world go round.

I can't bake cookies. Jeff is the cookie king in this house.

I'm drawn to artistic people and am blessed to know several.

I feel out of place among most people.

I'd love to take a photography class one of these days.

I love cowboy boots and cowboy hats, though I own neither. I secretly wish I were a cowgirl.

I'm a homebody and would only work full time if I absolutely had to. I would miss home too much...

Folding laundry is a bore. Matching socks for a family of five is torture.

I look forward to rainy days, for the most part.

I believe people don't smile enough.

I make a mean pot of soup.

I love blankets and have way too many.

I wish I could bottle the smell of a bookstore...the perfect aromatic blend of coffee and new books...ahhhh...

I'm afraid of heights.

Music is a necessity.

Our house is spider friendly.

Now that I'm in my 30's, I care less and less about what people think of me.

Laughter really is good medicine.

I have way too much work to do right now.

Keywords: personal

Blah, Yay, and more Goodwill Goodness

Ugh. I wish I had some exciting entry with dramatic photos to share. I don't, but I at least want to check in and say hello to everyone. Today would have been a perfect day for me to get tons of work done because my little one stayed with a friend all day. I've had this day planned for about three weeks now so I could specifically work on the cabinets without distraction. BUT, and there's always a but, my fibromyalgia got the best of me today. I ended up on the couch or in bed most of the day while I got further behind on the dishes, laundry, and remodel work. Generally, I don't have as many problems with chronic pain like I once did, but sometimes - especially when there is a change in the weather like a rain front moving through, a change in temperature, etc, my body rebels.

On a happy and totally non-house related note, Lindsay, my kindergartener, brought home the results of a year end computerized reading test she took. I can't help but to be proud that she's reading on a third grade reading level:) I'm so glad that she enjoys reading as much as she does.

Do you all know that you can shop Goodwill online? You can actually bid on items like you would on Ebay.

"Shopgoodwill.com is the newest Goodwill store offering a wide array of antiques and collectibles pulled from Goodwill’s vast inventory of donated goods. From unique one-of- a kind items to estate pieces, the depth of resources is enormous. Revenues from auction sales fund education, job training and job placement programs for people with disabilities and other disadvantages."

Among many other things, they have some really cool antiques available....Check out Shop Goodwill!

Too Much Makeup for Work Clothes

Yesterday, I had on too much makeup for the work I was doing here at home (painting window trim). I had eaten at an eclectic, whimsical restaurant for lunch and didn't bother removing my "face" when I got back.

Knowing that I don't really get all dressed that often, or go to too many unique restaurants, I really went all out yesterday in getting ready for this special lunch. I pulled out a long, ankle length shimmering purple skirt (has been in my closet for 2 years...tags still on). I decided that I'd go for "gypsy style"...so I wore a little black tank with it and a flowy bright green lacy shawl over that. On my head, I tied back a large silk colorful purple/pink/green scarf...the gypsy look almost complete! I layered some beaded necklaces, put on some dangling earrings, and then slipped on some flats. Next- makeup. I purposely went overboard with the blush. And the purple eyeshadow. I don't even remember owning any purple eyeshadow! Before walking out the door, I grabbed my red crocheted purse and slipped my blush and purple eyeshadow into it...just in case. And I brought Fetch, one of my dogs. I was going to probably the only restaurant in the city that allowed you to bring your (well behaved) pets. He's small...he slipped right into my red purse.

At the restaurant, I was greeted at the door by a short blonde girl with pink sparkly earrings and a long colorful necklace. She reminded me of a princess almost. She was wearing a short, light blue and purple shimmering dress. The skirt looked like a tutu. Her cheeks were rosy pink and I was comforted by the fact that she, too, was wearing an overabundance of purple eyeshadow. (Did I mention that this was a very eclectic restaurant? I blended right in!) Not only was it eclectic in style, but it was cozy in feel. The girl in the tutu showed Fetch and I our seats. There were no chairs in this restaurant, but there were comfy pillows on the floor. My table was in front of a grand fireplace, though it was too warm to be lit yesterday. There was light classical music playing...and a chirping caged bird right next to my table! I quickly forgot about all the work I had to do at home, the dishes piled up in the sink, the multitude of projects that needed my attention, the floors that needed sweeping...

I ordered a ham salad sandwich, corn on the cob, strawberries and unsweetened tea for lunch. It was heavenly! The waitress was even kind enough to bring a chew bone for Fetch, which she (Fetch) thoroughly enjoyed. For dessert, I had the most scrumptious cherry pie that I've ever had in my life! I quickly forgave myself for breaking my no sugar diet...it was a special day, after all.

As we were paying the bill, the young waitress brought a sweet treat for Fetch. She was a dog lover herself, and thought Fetch might like her very own strawberry icecream cone. My little dog must have thought she was dreaming!

On my way home, I thought about my memorable afternoon...hoping that I would never forget it. Life goes by so fast. There is always something to do, always a project to be completed...and so very little time. How important it is to make time for the most important things.

I walked down the hall to my bedroom and changed out of my fancy clothes, knowing that I would probably be wearing them again in the near future. After all, Zoe's Restaurant is the best in town. One would be crazy not to go back.

After changing back into my old clothes, I went to the kitchen. My little five year old Zoe was there, still wearing her purple eyeshadow, necklace, and tutu...It was time for me to make her lunch:) I was still wearing too much makeup for work clothes, but I didn't care.

A Little Cabinet Update & Notes from the Heart

Just a note to say we are chipping away at our cabinet project. We've finished the inside of two cabinets and have another coat of red to put on the shelves. I cleaned and sanded the corner cabinet in order to start painting it today. Wow, it's amazing how much gunk comes off a surface when you use degreaser. I thought my cabinets were clean, but I was wrong!

Yesterday Zoe and I did a little Goodwill hunting and found a few treasures. I found a few earthy baskets to add to my growing little collection, a giant wreath, a cool frame, and a sweet little urn/vase. I'll try to take some photos soon.

There is a thread going on at the Cottage Living forums about what we are least proud of concerning our home decorating/renovating. It's been a depressing last couple of weeks, thus very easy for me to focus on the negative. Here's what I wrote:

I have been *so* depressed over the state of my totally undone home. I was out of town this weekend and stayed with family and while there, I was just in total awe and envy being in a completely put together, nice, clean home. Everything there so neat and organized...and did I mention clean????

Here, we are pretty much living on a construction site. We remudded the walls in the living room and kitchen and we're still trying to get the drywall dust off the surface of everything. Our kitchen floor is old beat up and scuffed up linoleum. We will be ordering hardwood floors within the month, so we're not going all out to clean up every paint drip and drywall mud plop. Have I mentioned that we ripped out our living room/hallway carpet last spring? I was having major allergy problems and it just had do go. Good thing - I don't even want to think about all the dust that would have settled into it. Even so, we've been living with painted plywood floors (painted to seal them so the kidlets wouldn't get splinters). Black,of all colors (it was cheap oops paint). Like our old linoleum, it has tons of paint splatters, too, and just looks dirty. We have a corgi and beagle who are constantly shedding - and the hair really shows up on the black plywood - and I sweep everyday. Even though we're ordering floors soon, that doesn't mean we're putting them down soon. Hubs wants to get the major painting projects finished before we put down our flooring.

Hmm, should I continue, lol?! Our bathroom is completely gutted now save for the tub, (thank goodness for the tub!). We want to get our living room and kitchen wrapped up before putting the bathroom back together. It feels so icky being in there...no drywall, one lonely light, plywood flooring, plastic sheets protecting the yet to be tilled tub surround...*sigh* We had to move the bathroom door down 10 inches to keep it from hitting the toilet in it's new location, which means that we have more drywall work to do in the hallway, too.

Apparently, the way this house was built, the only thing keeping the door casings in place is the trim around the door. We're replacing ALL the trimwork in the house (it was built nearly 30 years ago with cheapy trim). We took much of the trim off most of the doors when we mudded the walls. Last night, our coat closet door and part of the casing literally just came crashing down out of place due to the lack of trim around it (now revealing all the clutter within). *Ack!* A far cry from the nice, peaceful, SAFE home that I stayed at while out of town this weekend.

There is so much left to do in this whole house remodel and sometimes it's so hard for me to focus on what we have accomplished. I'm terrified that someone will stop by just to visit, lol. I know exactly where I'm headed with this renovation and what it will look like when it's complete , it's just a tough getting there!

Let me add to that that my little girls have the most boring, unimaginative bedrooms ever. Beds and dressers. Since we'll be replacing trim and remudding the walls in those rooms, too (and because we're so busy with the rest of the house), I've put off doing anything nice. We truly do have a long road ahead of us here. I wish I could snap my fingers and it would all be done but I know that's just crazy talk. One thing that keeps me going is knowing that the longer that I whine and lament over being in the middle of this tedious remodel, the longer it will take to complete it. It also helps to know that every little bit of work that we do here (however slow the progress) is important and is one step closer to the final result.

What is important is that my kids are healthy and happy and seem to be pretty much unaffected by all the chaos and general state of ickiness our house is in right now. When I was growing up, my parents did a major remodel which I'm sure took many months (funny I don't remember how long it took). I do remember at some point having to wash dishes in a plastic bin on the floor because the new cabinets and sink was not yet installed. But that's about all I remember. Makes me wonder how much my girls will remember about this remodel????

Months ago, I promised the girls an End of the School Year party this summer. Looks like we may be looking for an alternate location, lol. There's a new park in town...maybe there?

Well, I better find an activity for the ZoeMiester to work on while I start painting again. Love to all:)