Knock Knock

Since I'm an oh-so-mean mom, I make the children do their chores and homework before playing with friends, and even then, they have to play at our house where I can keep an eye on them. This means that our home becomes a hub of activity from 3 o'clock on, with droves of kids coming to the door to see if my children are available to play. This can drive me nuts. That's why I think this door hanger is such a great idea. Anything to curb the ringing of the doorbell!

Project #5

As much as I believe in giving Little Miss C artistic freedom, I just couldn't stand the paper taped to her walls any longer. I purchased a bunch of frames at Ikea and we worked on beautifying her room. {I'm going to buy this print, but made my own in the meantime.}

Then I had her fill the rest of the frames with her own artwork. She gets to have her artistic freedom {within a framework} and I get to forget about peeling tape off the walls. Sometimes compromise works out perfectly.

We also made a bunch of die-cut flower pins and attached them to her bed canopy. It added a much needed pop of bright color.Tangent-- All those Hannah Montana books? They symbolize the demise of her innocent childhood, I swear. I never thought I'd miss her obsession with princesses and Blues Clues, but I do.

This is brilliant!

Miggy is having an Art-a-thon! I'm so in. If you want to participate as well, let her know here.

Project #4

After 5 years of the chocolate wall standing blank and lonely, waiting to be a backdrop for a rotating gallery of art, I finally painted my Very Large Canvas.

I'm pleased with it. It's my first significant attempt with acrylics instead of oils, and while I enjoyed the advantage of being able to use white over black and visa versa, the drying time posed quite a problem when it came to mixing.

Nevertheless, the wall is no longer blank, and I have to admit that I really love this piece. It's has a bit of color, but not too much. It's moody, and catches my eye when I walk past. Yes, I love it. A lot.

This is what happens...

... when I get involved in art projects. The kids are living off of cereal and corn dogs, there isn't a clean bowl, spoon or glass in the house, and baby L has made a mess out of flour, sugar, laundry, cereal.... well, you name it.

But I still have a painting to finish, so the house will be chaotic for another 24 hours. At least this time it isn't because I can't put down a book!

Camp Lavi

It's been a few months since J got to travel to the east coast to film for two summer camps, but here's one of the finished products. Enjoy. {Cinematography by Jared Foster, Editing by Brad Magill}

Project #3

I spotted this image on We Heart It, and it instantly struck a chord with me. I don't think I'm a wall decal type of person, but felt I could translate the same idea into a more traditional format.

I'm always trying to think of art to fill the void above my kitchen cabinets. This seemed like something that would transition well with the seasons and not look too cutesy.

There are six frames in all. I drew a birdcage for the first frame and left the next blank.

I left the third frame blank as well, then drew a single bird in flight for the fourth frame.

The last two frames were filled with birds. I had fun using charcoal pencils and a smudging tool to make the blur of wings. Simplistic and pleasing. Just my cup of tea.

Project #2

You might recall these typographical city prints I blogged about last year. They've been swimming around in the back of my mind, waiting for a good project. I decided to try my hand at making a similar version for my favorite {and shockingly overlooked!} city...

I messed around with font, placement, and size until I came up with this. Then I traced it onto freezer paper and made a stencil. {You can find excellent tutorials here and here.}

Using fabric paint and a stencil brush, I quickly jazzed up a plain canvas tote meant for library books.

The front {above} and the back {below}.

Not perfect, but not a bad first attempt. Onward and upward!

Project #1

This is the desk I bought for $25 on craigslist. The legs were wobbly and one of the drawers was hanging on by a thread.

Unfortunately, I am the type of person who forgets to take pictures of a project while I'm mid way through it, so imagine it sanded down, the knobs removed, wood glue applied, and some motorcycle straps wrapped around it to keep it secure while the glue dried....

The original color was a {VERY poorly applied} putty hue. I decided to go with a pale, cheerful yellow by Benjamine Moore called Winter Sunshine.

Next, Little Miss C and I debated over new hardware at Anthropologie. I really wanted the peeping posies knobs. She really wanted the Rosy knobs, one in every color. We compromised by choosing three simple Zinnia Knobs in pink, and ONE Rosy knob.

Then I lined the drawers with pretty paper.

And now it just needs a chair!

Engrossed

I'm elbow deep in a couple of art project right now. Hopefully, I'll have lots of pictures to show you next week! Have a fabulous weekend, all.

{image}

Lemonade out of Lemons

Even though the air is just a smidge cooler in the mornings and the weaker light and longer shadows indicate that autumn should be upon us, triple digit temperatures remind me that summer is simply constant around here. In an effort to embrace the heat, we've been experimenting with smoothies. This morning we had peach raspberry. Literally, just frozen peaches {and raspberries blended with some milk. De-lish. So glad we picked peaches this summer.

{image}

Easter in September

The day J lost his job, I had just purchased Easter outfits for all three children. Christmas and Easter clothing get a lot of wear in this household, becoming regular church-going ensembles week in and week out. I had fallen completely in love with a wide array of kelly green and navy combos, and snatched them up in anticipation of plenty of use.

The next day, I returned them.

With unemployment looming before us, it made sense, but it was still sad to part with them. So imagine my delight when, whilst browsing through an outlet mall this weekend, we found the same clothing on a 99 cent clearance rack! Sure, it's about 7 months too late for Easter, but I still love that kelly green. :)

How to Save $300

If you missed this in the previous post's comments section, go check it out! Aubrey took on the same DIY cardigan project that I've been planning and it turned out beautifully! It helps that she looks just like the model, don't you think? I'm so inspired. {Thanks for the link, Heather!}

The Fun House

When I'm in a healthy mental state, I'm amazed at the way worries about body image fade from the forefront of my mind. Dressing becomes fun. I'm able to marvel at the strength of my legs as I run or become awestruck by my womb's capacity to carry life. My body feels like a temple, a sacred gift I've been given from God. My chin reminds me of my mother, my stretch marks a memento from pregnancies that brought me three miraculous children. But depression changes all that.

Depression warps my thinking like a fun house mirror.

My world shrinks, my vision narrows, until all I see is a hideous distortion of myself. To survive, all my effort has to be thrown into fighting the self loathing that rises like bile in my throat. I want to peel off my skin and discard it like dirty clothing, or sink into the numb cave of my bed and hibernate from my venomous thoughts. Everything becomes a monumental effort. My mind is so fatigued from trying to hold back the onslaught of despair, I find I have neither the energy nor the disposition to care for others or function like a normal human being.

And now that I know what it's like to be happy, I feel angry when depression strikes. What a waste to spend days, weeks, months of my life hating myself! How dare depression rob me of all that time?

I feel robbed of this last week. I didn't help a friend to clean her house before she moved. I didn't go running as the sun peeked from the lip of the horizon. I didn't make love to my husband. I didn't cuddle with my kids or tell them how honored I am to be their mother. I was too busy feeling fat.

What a waste.

I would be horrified and heartbroken if Little Miss C ever felt this way about herself. When I see women around me--beautiful, vibrant, daughters of God-- consumed with the same thoughts that I fight, I want to shake them and shout that it's all a lie!

Heavenly Father must feel the same when he sees me hanging my head under the weight of dark thoughts. He must want to shake me and tell me it's all a lie, something meant to distract me from the truly important things in life. Now that the depression is lifting, I can see that.

I just wish I knew how to shatter the fun house mirrors for good.

They've Arrived!

Kate Spade legwear is now available online. Love, love, love!

Practically Perfect

One thrilling advantage to having J work from home is the fact that we go out on dates much more faithfully than we ever did before. This, despite the fact that we have far less in the bank account than in years past.

Last weekend, we exchanged babysitting duties with one of our favorite couples. {Not paying a sitter is what makes going out possible in tight financial situations, and both families benefit!} We drove downtown and explored all the various vintage clothing boutiques. We tried on old hats and shoes, and I admired all the jewelry. We also browsed through several LIFE magazines from the 60's, alternately laughing and marveling over the vintage ads.

Then we ate at a little soda fountain that I hadn't stepped inside since our very first date nearly 11 years ago! We shared a very large hot fudge sundae, then held hands as we drove leisurely home. We were left feeling relaxed and moony eyed-- which is just the purpose of a practically perfect date. :)

Red and Blue

I love mail! This pack of pretty pencils just arrived today, and they look so nice sitting in my alphabet mug. Ah, simple pleasures.

{image via Postal Press}

Labor Day Rainstorm

We woke up Saturday to a violent lightning and thunderstorm. It rained so hard, our backyard was flooded for the rest of the day. We took full advantage.

Baby L loves to shuck off his diaper. Running around in his birthday suit is now a regular occurrence.

Little Miss C attempts to skim board....

.... and almost gets the hang of it.

Summer is over? Really? Baby L is not so sure, and neither am I.

Welcome, welcome

My newest niece arrived the day before Little Miss C's birthday. {Her only female cousin on my side of the family, and they have a birthday only 24 hours apart! How sweet is that?} I wish I could be there to hold her. :(

Congratulations M & C! You did good.

{And don't you just love looking at a tiny baby in a huge car seat? I'm always floored by how small and fragile newborns seem!}

My Girlfriend's Back

Remember my hairdresser friend who managed to save my green hair? Well, after a short stint in the Beehive State, she's back! And my hair is ever so grateful. I was so happy after spending the afternoon with her, I decided to show off my haircut using Photo Booth...

Then Little Miss C decided to join in on the fun. {Doesn't this make you long for Halloween?}

"POP goes my heart!"

Watch out for this Mother-Daughter crime fighting team! I have a finger-gun and I know how to use it.

Why so serious?

The End.