art

We sat down for a little art project together the other day.  We do this pretty often, but the results are not always very blog-worthy :)  However, I recently discovered a wonderful blog called Deep Space Sparkle Art Lessons for Kids and there are sooooo many fun projects on there for all ages.  We got to work on the turtle drawing and here's what we came up with:
Here's Natalie's...

And Layla's...

Here's mine...

And here's what Kelby was doing because I wouldn't let him whack at the chandelier with the fly swatter :)

Speaking of art, I came across a book in the art section of Barnes and Noble this week called Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life.  I started flipping through it and really like his artwork.  I think this would make a great coffee table book for our new house, don't you?  Can you help me convince Casey that this is a good idea????

minor transformations

I have been working on some little projects in the midst of some big and bigger projects on the new house. I'm not quite ready to share the big things yet because they're not done and if I showed you the state of my walls post-wallpaper-and-paneling and the state of my kitchen without the cabinets and drawers that are outside being painted, you would probably gasp.  It's a mess, but it's our mess and so it's a beautiful mess :)

However, I have been busy in my sewing room, making lots of pretty things. I had an old farm chair that my Dad scored at an auction when I was a kid and we recently found a similar-style chair at a yard sale for $10 with no cushions, so I got some fabric to make the two chairs match.  Here's the garage-sale chair before:

and here it is after...

And see that ottoman up there with that chair??? Here's the before of that...

Not bad, huh?
Oh, and here's the chair being put to good use...

I also have some really cool shutters on my kitchen window.  They have fabric inserts, but the fabric in there was just not my style (with a valance to match) and so I got busy making some new inserts for them. Here's the before:

And here they are now...

things you can do when you have a backyard:

You can cut some flowers to give your pastor's wife.

You can paint on the picnic table outside and get it everywhere if you want because...well, because it's outside.

You can twirl...

..and you can climb.

And you can hang your clothes to dry after you get in the kiddie pool fully dressed.

You can play in the tent Mommy made on the clothes line out of a sheet.

And you can ride bikes on the deck.  The first time they did this, Natalie said, "look Mom, I turned!" Because on the little patio we had before, there was no turning going on :)

And you can have a picnic lunch under the big tree in your front yard.  We tried to name our tree.  We determined it's a girl tree (because Natalie said so,) but her name is yet undecided. We are open to suggestions.

From our yard to yours, have a Happy Monday :)

sweat equity and lots of family

We closed on our house yesterday and we're moving tomorrow, yayayayayay!!!!!  I cannot wait to show you the transformation over the next several months.  First up, we had to remove alllll the carpet in the living and dining rooms, the stairs and the entire upstairs.  It's a big job.  Thankfully, we know plenty of capable men that can help :)  I was prepared for anything, but these floors look gorgeous.  Tip-top shape.

I'll keep you posted as much as possible, although the next few days will probably be as crazy as the last few.  Before it goes too long, though, here are a few pics from when my sister's family visited.  It was truly an amazing time for us all to be together, I really, really loved it.

Oh, my goodness, that will have to do for now.  I tried to pick the best ones to post, but there's so many!!  As you can see, there were an abundance of shoes and Macs that week. (We are Apple people.)  I'll have to share more as time goes on, but for now, I better get packing!!

food for thought...

Here at our house, we're awash in wonderful family activity.  My sister and her family are visiting for the week (my 3 plus her 5 equals 8 kiddos in the house!) and we are having too much fun together for me to spend much time going through the bazillion pictures I've taken.  So, here's something for your reading pleasure while you wait for me to get on the stick. I read Elisabeth Elliot's daily devotional online as often as I can.  Here's the site if you're interested.  This one is called Safeguard for the Soul and I was particularly blessed by it this past week:

Souls are vulnerable things. They need safeguards. It was when Paul was in prison that this idea came to him. He had just been writing to the Philippians about the benefits that accrued because of his own sufferings and the possible death he might die. He told them of Epaphroditus' illness and anxiety, and finished with "In conclusion, my brothers, delight yourselves in the Lord!...You will find it a great safeguard to your souls" (Phil 3:1 JBP).

It would be very easy to allow depression and anxiety to overcome us when we look at the dismal circumstances in which we sometimes find ourselves. Who had better reason than Paul for depression? ("Oh well, but he was Saint Paul!" we counter.) He had learned by practice how to apply the soul's safeguard, which is not mere enjoyment. It is delight. This is a command and therefore an act of will, and it is done in the Lord. No circumstance is so dismal as to prevent obedience to the command. No trouble can blast that safeguard. Do it. Do it by faith. Delight yourself in the Lord. Maybe you will have to get out of bed, get up from your chair, go outdoors and walk, sing a song out loud, bake a pie for somebody, or mow the lawn as an offering of praise. You can do something which will help you to obey that command. It is amazing how strongly what we do affects how we feel.

on stage

Natalie had her very first ballet recital over the weekend.  The pics I got at the dress rehearsal weren't great, so I took her outside before we left for the recital and took these pictures of her in her costume.  She did so good. And not an ounce of stage fright.  All she kept saying was, "I love being on stage, I wanna keep doing ballet so I can go on stage again!"  I'm so proud of her :)

moving right along

I have Natalie's quilt top pretty much finished!! It's so beautiful! I say almost because there will be a border of strawberry fabric on the top and bottom.  I was going to piece these borders together out of scraps I had left, but Natalie really wants strawberries on the quilt, so I'm going to order this one:

...although, now that I'm looking, this one is nice too:

hmmmmm. Now I'm not really sure what to do.  I like the fun factor in the first one, but the second one may be more in keeping with the quilt's style.  Opinions??  I wish I would have taken a pic of the entire thing, but I packed it in a big box with the rest of my sewing stuff to be moved to our new house.  Sorry.  This means I will be doing no sewing for a few weeks, but don't worry, I have plenty to write about.  Always an adventure around here!

Which brings me to my next question:  I need moving tips!!!! I do not like packing. I've always known that.  I don't mind the unpacking (although I've never done that with three littles under my feet, so we'll see if I still like it after this ;)  What makes moving go smoothly for you???