happiness:lame

happiness: sold my first oil painting (to a neighbor & assured her it came with me as a friend for life)

lame: purposing the kitchen cabinets

happiness: how the cabinets turned out

lame: the rain, rain, rain & sick kids

happiness: A's prayer last night which went a little something like this: Dear Heavenly Father, we are grateful we know everything, and we are grateful that B isn't feeling very well. (clearly we don't quite understand what grateful means yet?)

lame: the couch that broke in the middle of kitchen cabinets.

happiness: watching Bug deliver dinner to a sick neighbor via the jazzy scooter.

lame: preschool is officially over for the year. I am pretty sure my tears at the graduation party were from the loss of my wonderful monday & wednesday morning freedom. Here's hoping I get a graduation party when she returns back to preschool in the fall.

happiness: front row seats to the rugby game this weekend, and extra happy Bug doesn't play anymore. What a rough sport. I remember how it made my stomach churn to watch him and worry about the injuries that would come. Although I swear I can take Bug now. (what a weakling) Maybe I should have played women's rugby?

Here's to the happiness:lame ratio being heavier on the happiness side of things. However, I think we could all do with a little less rain.

cross your fingers for me

Geeze Louise. Can you stand one more list-crosser-offer post from me? Feel a little weird about these. Like I am tooting my own horn. But, I suppose that is what blogging is all about when you get at the root of it. And I am pretty sure only my dearest family & friends read this anyway, so you already know me to begin with, and will go easy on me.

Anyway, back to the point. No more ramblings. For the moment at least.

Another of the big goals is selling one of my oil paintings. I have felt so venerable about this one (can you say fear of rejection?). I have decided to go the consignment store route (hence my love for these wonders). I have just emailed 3 of my ultimate favs.

Anxiously awaiting their reply. Holy moly. Probably don't contact me for a couple of days because I'll just be freakishly annoying about it...all tense and unsure of myself. All I am wanting is to sell one. Just one. For all my stay-at-home mom friends out there, you know how it is: the career I simply adoreded pre-kids becoming a distant memory, as my time is now spent day in and day out not getting a paycheck, and then the value of producing something with my own two handsin hopes of getting some outside source's approval? Am I alone here? (this is where I realize I am already becoming very needy, and must end this post quickly.)

So, my friends since some of you are good enough to feign interest in my creations, here they are: (in no less the worst picture quality ever. shoot. please imagine each not as washed out as they appear.)

cabin with poppies 5in x 7in blue bird 5in x 7inradish 5in x 7 inwindmill 12in x 16inroses 2ft x 3ft

So here's hoping that they get approved, and then some consignment buyer steps in and has to have one.

a few more done

In case you're wondering, I am still hard at work at my 30 before 30 goals. I have a few I'd like to declare DONE.

And since my post with them all listed is under construction, I'll just share the few I have accomplished thus far here.

#3. paint an oil painting to go over the stairs in our entry way. Done. Took me a few trys to get the look I was going for. I know it still needs a frame. Bug is actually going to make it for me. Making the total cost of this project ridiculously low. Also, I searched far and wide for a vase that seemed fitting. Got a little fed up with the lack of choices. Finally found this beauty deeply discounted at Pier One. {note to self: must make Pier One a new go-to location}(insert my apologies here for not having high quality photos.)Also, must tell you I have great friends. One in particular (who is a florist) did these fresh flowers for me, cut straight from her yard. Couldn't stop staring at them.Which brings me to my next point:

#19: invite neighbors to dinner. On a whim, I signed up for a neighborhood progressive dinner party. Thinking of this list, I also said we could host.

We ended up have 9 couples over that night, which I am happily using to cross of my list. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my goal, but I have no qualms about crossing this puppy off my list. This also sparked the garage door getting painted, and the florist friend poking flowers here and there around the house. In fact, florist friend also was my c0-garage door painter. Now I am simply spoiled and will demand that if any groups of people are coming over, she MUST precede them with flowers.#12: Re-purpose jewelry box. This one took a lot of time. More than I usually spend on a re-do. But well worth it. It is already a staple piece in my bedroom. Love how it turned out. Love that I got it for free. Love that Miss A and Mr. B generally leave it alone. Love that I can now request more jewelry.P.S. note the rose on top. Planning on wearing that to church tomorrow in honor of Mother's Day. My own little homemade corsage.#7: Read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover. I have 10 pages left, but I am still counting it. I really pushed hard so that I could cross this baby off. I also should mention I am currently in 3 book clubs, and wanted to make this book a priority...

And this morning, I finished something that I was excited to do for a while but a little unsure how to do. When my grandma passed away over a year ago we were able to pick out some of her jewelry. I got this earring that had no mate. I was determined it still had not lived it's life, and wanted to give it a reawakening, but didn't have a plan. Until now. (note the necklace below)

This will always been a special reminder of my grandma, and how I miss her and my other grandma this Mother's Day. They both were particularly wonderful women.

Now I'm off to humbly work on following in their footsteps.

Happy Mother's Day.

can you spot the changes?

In case you've been wondering whats been occupying my time lately, here's a little treat for you.

Yes we recently moved a few months ago into the grandparents house (may they both be resting in peace). And it has been my particular goal as of late to give the front a face lift.

Growing up I always enjoyed the pictures that you had to circle all the differences, so give it a go.

Here's the before:

And here's the after:A bit different wouldn't you agree? Couldn't be happier with it. So glad it was relatively painless.
But lets see how many differences you can spot.

Did you get 9ish?

01. Removed storm door.

02. New doorbell (I will forever love Restoration Hardware for their $10 amazing doorbells)

03. Removed scrolly ironwork in front of front window (while Bug was at school one night)

04. Removed extra scrolly ironwork around railings.

05. Made our own shutters. 7 in all.

06. Hung new lights (2) on the porch, (1) over the garage.

07. Painted the ironwork black.

08. spray painted the mailbox and added some vintage charm with some letters and numbers found at an antique store.

09. Painted side door to garage and garage door. (just painted the garage door this morning. Can't get over how much I love it)

...I think I have everything. We also removed the address #'s because they freaked me out, quite frankly. In their place I have a new one, waiting to be hung. So not pictured here. Guess you'll have to do a drive-by to take it all in.

Thank you to Bug for being the kinda guy that when I say "I want shutters." He says, "how deep of a groove would you like on each board?"

We've gotten sunburned, windblown, and snowed on. All in a matter of 3 weeks. Bushes still need to be manicured. And certain plants to be planted.

But for now: onto the kitchen.

the boy

For my friends that have boys, are going to have boys, or have girls and need some boy appreciation.

Lately I have been pondering the difference between boys v. girls.

Well, pondering makes it sound like I sit around thinking solemnly deep thoughts in a quiet spot for a few hours.

So lets scratch that.

Lately I have been briefly throwing my hands in the air in exasperation as Mr. B continues to prove he is very different than his older sister.


This guy turns everything into a racetrack. Everything. Like mom's arm. Or the family popcorn bowl filled with popcorn. It seems he is challenged by any surface to try and defy it. And don't get me started on how we can never leave the house without a set of wheels in his clutches. Or for that matter, how he manages to nab one from the nursery room each Sunday, squirreling it away until we get home. I think we owe them about 20 by now, and the kid hasn't even officially turned 18 months yet.


This guy was a late walker. But has made up for it. He would never wear shoes. He was a master at shedding them. I was so worried we would loose some here and there on our outings that I wouldn't even bother to put any on him.

And then the first steps came. Which he's never stopped since. And quickly the association began that shoes=going outside. If you happen to do a drive-by, you will see us out front. Mr. B will be walking the sidewalks. I will be right behind him. As soon as we get to the neighbors driveway on the east, I flip him around. We walk/run to the neighbors driveway on the west, I flip him around again. I feel like we play this game of human ping pong 70 times a day.

Shoes no longer stand a chance around here.

If I was going above and beyond, I'd pull out a pair of Miss A's shoes from this same era. They would not compare to what we have currently happening around here.

This guy still hasn't officially started talking, but he has a few patent growls, screams, and other "boy noises" well refined.

This guy l.o.v.e.s. to be outside. I really am thinking of erecting some small tarp in the backyard. Sure he would be fine for at least 4 or 5 months. So different than Miss A who has to come check in with me, bring me a flower, play around a bit and then eventually beg me to come out with her.

This guy also has me worried about keeping up on the trends of boy hair, boy clothes, boy activities. Growing up with all sisters has me worried.

But don't get me wrong. This guy is lots of fun. He pairs nicely with the older sis. Nothing better than giving him lots and lots of kisses.

Can't imagine life without the boy.

documenting

Sort of worried we are setting A up for disappointment. For some reason she is under the impression that whenever she sees something that strikes her fancy, "I'll get that for my birthday." (Which is still several months away.)

She'll come up when I am looking through a magazine and say, "okay, mom I'll show you what I want for my birthday."

We'll be cruising down the aisle at the store and she'll definitely pick more than one item out on each aisle of what she'll be getting for her birthday. (usually anything in a pink container or remotely princess related)

On Monday while driving her to preschool she was trying to tell me something, talking quietly. I finally had to turn off the radio and turn around in my seat to understand her. This was it:

"Mom I want braces for my birthday."

Do they even give braces to kids in the single digit age range? I asked her where she had seen braces, and she mentioned a name of a 14 year old girl we know. I can't really tell you if said girl even has braces, but apparently so for A to be talking about it.

And no, when her birthday rolls around she won't be getting braces. At least for this birthday.

this week

This week has been filled with lame-o colds. A huge positive is that it hasn't gotten to me. I KNOW! This chronic cough-er is one happy girl. Glad seeing all those specialists and popping all those pills has some affect.

However, for the first time in my life of not getting sick with everyone else (no exaggeration here), I found myself getting antsy watching every disney movie we own and not leaving the house for 4 days straight.

So on Friday I pretended Spring really was here for good and broke out the sidewalk chalk to the little ones happiness.

Here is A rockin the sunglasses. And this guy (mr. b) makes me feel like I am back working at the prison again. Instead of being the cool therapist though, I am the ornery warden. He makes a break for it. I chase him down. Deposit him back by the front door. He makes another break for it. Each time straight for the street. Thinking of putting a barbed wire fence around the perimeter of the yard. Maybe that'll hold him for a while.

Note the reassuring hand of big sister showing little guy how we play with chalk. (it was his first time)Waiting for Bug to get home.And here he is. You can't see it, but he also has in tow my favorite: a 1/2 pork salad from Costa Vida. Perfection. Especially when you've spent your week being coughed on and sneezed on.Also, crossing off my 30 before 30 list: yw reunion dinner. The picture is lame...way to dark to see much of anything. But proof I am slowly plugging away at my list. (and side note: love all these ladies. so good to see all of them) To wrap things up, Saturday we had one of those days. The one where you work like crazy sorting, cleaning, de-junking and project-crossing-off-the-list days. I was busy downstairs working on a project, when Bug came running downstairs shouting:

"Holli, grandma's scooter still has 80% power. Grab the kids!"

And then they spent the next hour plus doing this:

Yes, A is busy honking the horn and NEVER stopped. Welcome to the neighborhood. They had to zip around the circle across the street from us several times. One neighbor asked if they could zip up to Dan's and pick up some milk for him.

It still makes me laugh. Its sort of like a motorcycle, but seems so much more ridiculously anti-climatic how Bug is just sitting there. The kids loved it though. In fact, A wanted to ride it over to her Grandma's house for Sunday dinner. And Bug says it would be handy to zip over to the church building in a flash.

To our dear neighbors: you are welcome for raising the class level that much higher. Please take my word that I am feverishly working to find a new home more suitable for such a delightful item.