chalkboard goodness

this has turned out exactly the way i had hoped...



company in the kitchen while I make dinner, reminders to me and for the kids, weekly planning for all to see, delightful pictures to enjoy all day, and of course hand written messages. This was waiting for me when I woke up Friday morning after the Harry Potter midnight show.


In case you can't see it it reads, "it's noon on Friday in case you don't know". He wasn't far off, I made it out to the kitchen no earlier than 12:10pm that afternoon. It actually took me until Sunday to feel like I had recovered from the lack of sleep.

I'm telling you if you've considered making a chalkboard of your very own and you have a place I highly recommend it. We have really enjoyed having this bit of creative space in our living area.

xo,
amy

miscellany

the guts of the books are all done now (printed, folded, punched, sewn, glued) and I'll be spending most of my day working on the outside so I can get these to you next week. I am waiting for a shipment of book board (I ran out) to come in and found out it won't be arriving until the 13th. So even though I'm ahead of schedule, it will most likely be Friday that they make it onto etsy. I will let you know though.


Painted with Hannah, Jenica, and Amy again Thursday night. We worked on our word for the year canvases. Here's a glimpse of what I was working on. Whenever I get together with other woman I realize why we need friends in our life. There's just something about the ease in which a conversion flows with girls and the importance of shared confidences and inevitable laughter that stays with you long after you've gone home.


Because I went painting Thursday night Megan woke up Friday morning wanting to paint with me. I guess there's something way more fun about using mom's paint and mom's brushes. She made a "butterfly flying in the fields" and I just messed around with layering paint on a small 5x7 canvas. For me it was just all about being with her and watching her explore.


Adam's been talking to me about painting our room for the last month or so. I've been against it because he wanted a ginger color and I just don't want to do any type of red (I've done it before and wasn't a big fan). Wednesday he told me he wanted to paint it this gray color that I love. I was excited as we really do need a change, but admit to being apprehensive when I woke up Friday morning and saw all the white patches covering the walls knowing he was getting ready to make good on his promise to paint. He got started on it this morning and I absolutely love it. It's much darker than before, but it's definitely what I had in mind, I don't know why I ever doubted. He's got a couple more Saturdays of painting to go, but so far it's marvelous. I'll definitely post pictures when it's done because we also plan on adding curtains and different lamps. I love how changing just a little can make such a huge difference.

Have a great weekend.

$5 project: where your donations went

I thought Bella said it best so the post below is the essay she wrote mingled with my photos.

What Can $5 Do?
By Bella

This year my fourth grade teacher had the privilege to win the pie contest at the Utah State Fair. She won $105.00 as a prize. Instead of using it for herself, she gave us each $5.00 and told us to use it to do something for someone else. I knew that $5.00 wasn’t much, but my teacher said, “you can make it go a long way if you use it wisely.”

I decided to raise some more money by asking my mom to post about it on her blog, which would reach a lot more people quickly. Pretty soon the donations came in and I had $75.00 to spend. I even got some money from a nine-year-old girl, KayLee, who lives in Alaska and used the money she earned doing yard work for her dad this summer to donate to my project. She was a fourth grader too! I was so excited!



Then I had to decide what to do with the money. At first I thought I could donate some animal food to the Humane Society, but after my friend Tess from school told me she was doing that I decided to donate some toys to the Children’s Hospital instead. I called the hospital to find out what I could donate and they told me where to find a list online. Then I went to Wal-Mart with my mom and sisters and bought lots of toys, art supplies, and other fun things that I knew little children would love. It was a lot of fun to see the cart fill up.

















After the school carnival, together as a family we went to the Children’s Hospital to drop off my donations. When we got inside the building the man at the counter handed us a donation slip for me to fill out. As I was filling the slip out I thought about all of the children that would feel so happy to get the toys and art supplies that I had donated just for them to play with. It made me feel really good to be doing this for kids that couldn’t be with their family, that were very sick, and very lonely.












[while her sisters were playing around she was looking at all the "in memory of..." engravings.]

I’m glad I had the opportunity to do this project and that I could make a difference to all of the children at the hospital. How did this change my life? Well, I’ve never done something like this before so it really touched me that even at age 9 I could make a difference. Sometimes I felt like when I did something really nice it didn’t really affect anything. Now, I know that it can affect someone or even something when I do just a little service.

Thank you so much for all of the money that you donated. If it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't have been able to buy so many things. Most of you didn't even know me! Yet you still donated. Once again thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xoBella


I just wanted to throw my thank you in as well to those of you who donated and helped get the word out. I really think this opportunity helped her to see the world differently and how she, at 9, has the power to do great things. Thank you.

bathroom redo

Perhaps it doesn't seem like a big difference to you, but to me sitting at my computer knowing when I look over I'm not going to see a toilet and a busted wall staring back at me is worth all the effort. Ha! It wasn't even my effort so of course it was worth it. It was Adam's mother's day gift to me. Thanks babe.

before


after




I moved my cabinet of drawers that use to be next to my computer to where the toilet use to be and replaced the drawers in my studio with a small bookcase I bought at IKEA. The four blank 8x8 canvas you see on the wall will be my new project. I hope to get something inspiring on them this week, but realistically it will probably be weeks later.

homebound

I had three little sick ones home with me today. I have to say it was kind of nice the way the day worked out. I didn't get to sleep until 3:30am last night. Don't ask. I haven't a clue why I just tossed and turned until I wanted to cry. I eventually found sleep and when the morning came Tess informed me that Bella had a headache and shouldn't go to school. I just thought great...no leaving the house...home bound. It's something I crave at times and today was certainly one of those days.

So after a long wake up, just love that too, I got busy with things around my house that I've wanted to get to for some time...organizing my pantry.



It has been a long time coming and thought today would be the perfect day to tackle it. I never think about it until it's too late, but I wish I had a before and after picture because really its the only way you can really see the difference. I'm so proud of how much better it looks, but when I look at the picture it doesn't look that organized. I guess it was a mess before.

And since we're on the pantry a week or so ago I hung this for the girls to have a place for their list, which I must add is still working out perfectly. I think we've almost come to the point where they don't have to look at it anymore, but they still love to cross things off...ah the power of the list. I love doing that too.



So all the while I was working I wished I had a good book to listen too. Any suggestions? It has been a while since I've listen to a book on cd and I'm desperate. The last one I tried I just couldn't get into and I haven't gone back. It's tricky to find a good one to listen to as I often would rather read the words.

And on a funny note, my dad called me a few days ago asking if I had ordered more of the books I made for my mom for her birthday (I'm getting one for me and my siblings), and I hadn't. He was glad because there were a few things that needed to be edited, the first being a photo of my parents and their friends in Mexico on the beach with a man in the background mooning the camera. I can't believe I hadn't noticed it or no one else had noticed it before I printed, but when I went to the book to find it I couldn't believe how blatant it was. Adam and I were laughing our heads off at how bad it was and neither of us noticed. So I debated leaving it in there for my siblings to enjoy, but I will take it out and just get a good chuckle every time I look at the now bad copy.

Hope it was a good Monday for you.
BTW can you believe I woke up to 3 inches of snow on the ground?..Happy Spring!

switcherooni

Guess where I'm standing while taking this photo?

Yes, I will be changing that fan/light

If you guessed my bedroom you were correct.

Friday I had this wild and crazy idea. Well, I guess it wasn't so wild, it's something that we were going to do in a year down the road, but I had been thinking an awful lot about it and decided what the heck let's make it a reality. When we designed our home we build three bedrooms all in a row for each of our girls. One of them was currently my studio until Megan was old enough to move near her sisters. Well the time has come to move her to her rightful place, next to her sister's where I must say she is so excited about.

I knew what I had signed up for (a load of work), but I don't think I realized just how much stuff I had and how many trips that really meant of me, just me, going back and forth. I was non stop all day Saturday and Monday (it was all I could do to keep the sabbath, I really wanted to finish). I had to move Megan out, then all the girls wanted new rooms so we switched everyone around. With Adam's help I was able to get all the furniture moved by the end of Saturday. Monday I started at 6am putting shelves up, which always takes way more time than planned. Then I had the horrible task of moving the stuff out of my studio closet. I have a lot of stuff...I'm going to be selling a lot of stuff. Once I was done moving my stuff out I was ready to make a closet for Bella, move her in my old studio, then move Tess' cloths to Bella's old room and the story goes on with Megan. Phew! It has been a long few days, but oh so worth it. The girls are all happy about their new digs and me, well, I'm loving the space, the light, and the proximity to my bedroom.

check out my new ikea shelves, the shelves I have been coveting for 3 years now.

I'm not 100% finished, still things I want to change. Are you ever really done? It's a constant process, at least for me, one I love very much.

house project & sunday thought

We're hosting a Elder's Quorum dessert social at our house this evening and I should be doing last minute prep, but instead I wanted to share our latest house project & something that's been on my mind.

before

For Christmas Adam and I decided to make our study into what we had envisioned when we first built the house, a library, and have custom bookcases and desks line the walls. We want it to be a place our family can read, do homework, use the computer, play games, etc.

after

Well this weekend it became a reality when they were finally installed Saturday. It took until 8 o'clock PM to finished, pretty late for us to be starting a project, but we were all so excited to put it together and wanted to get it finished for today so we stayed up late moving books and filling the room. The girls were thrilled, especially Bella who could barely contain her excitement, when we told them we were going to have our very own library. I loved watching the girls haul in book after book looking for any space to put them. It's been a while since we've had such a family activity and I loved the whole experience. There is something about organizing a space from scratch that I so enjoy.

Since it's a Sunday I want to leave you with one finally thought that has been on my mind since last week. In our discussion about miracles preceding faith a girl made a comment about the story from Mark 9:14-24 where a man asks Jesus to heal his son's dumb spirit and, "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." At that moment the story touched me deeply. How many times have I been in that situation where I want to believe so badly, when I thought my faith was strong enough, but my weak mind fails me and I feel otherwise. Often I've felt myself calling out saying, "Lord help thou mine unbelief". God truly is with us in all things...even in strengthening our faith through His love and His constant hand in our life. What a blessing. What a gift.

my stamps are finally out

So last Saturday after doing somethings for other people I decided to treat myself. I finally hung my stamp shelf. Yes, you heard my right, the whole thing all by myself. It's enormous, but fits and does the job. I suppose it just drove me nuts not having my stamps out and available. I just love the way it looks. My room is slowly coming along. Every time I make a change its harder and harder to leave.

This is what's going on in my house

and I'm not quite sure how to handle it. I need your help.

So today I walked down the hall leading to Megan's room where Bella and Tess had been playing to let them know lunch was ready. As I started to approach I could tell Bella was all too eager to get out and go eat lunch. So I probed a bit. Bella tried hard to say it, but couldn't get it out. Finally she said, "will you be mad?" I said "no just tell me". Then tess pop's up and said, "Megan did it!" Well I knew immediate that was not true because Megan had been with me, but before I could say anything Bella said to tess, "No! We did it" The offense was actually no big deal they twisted up a phone cord, but I was quite upset with Tess for lying. I looked at tess and said, "who did it"...she eventually said they both did.

And then again...The other day she lied about drawing all over one of my mats. It was quite obvious it was her, but she blamed it on Megan. I ask her to go to her room and think about who did it and when she was ready to be honest she could come out and tell me. So a while later she came to me and said, "Megan did it." I was shocked. I didn't even know what to do or say. I didn't yell or get mad I just stood them dumb struck that my plan didn't work. That she still came to me and lied to my face.

She has been doing this a lot lately. I am not sure how I should handle it. I do believe it is a stage, but stage or not lying is not accptable to Adam or I. SO what should I do? How should I handle it so she knows this kind of behavior is not allowed or so she knows not to do it again? I am lost. I try to tell her she will not get in trouble by telling me the truth. Apparently that has not worked.

HELP!

We just finished it.

I am thrilled about the mantle project I (and Adam) have been working on.

I previously wanted the photos to be sitting on the mantel as I posted earlier, but after further scrutiny of the room I realized (with Adams help) the photos really needed to be higher to give the room something vertical...everything seems to be the same height. So we hung them on the wall above the mantel between the lights. I may add a little something if I can find what I am looking for, but for now this is it.

I absolutely love it. I can't stop staring at it. Literally I sit on the couch just to look at the photos. Its makes me very happy.

so I am curious...what in your house makes you happy?

what i have been thinking about....working on

So for a while I have been bothered by the fact that my house seems dead. We have nothing on the walls and it's so bare. This past week Adam and i cracked out some of our frames and are figuring out what we want where (we have a few hard spots like the entry). We actually only hung a few things, but it makes a huge difference.

One of the ideas I have been thinking about is the mantle in our living room off the kitchen. In my old house I desperately wanted to do something over my mantle, but it didn't lend itself to that. Eventhough I don't particularily like this mantle/fireplace it will serve it's purpose and allow me to do what i have been thinking about for years. So this week i have been looking through our stash of frames (also bought a couple) and am trying to work out a pleasing arrangement. I have been thinking about adding the word family or memories...something of that nature, but haven't found anything yet so i will keep looking. For right now i just love looking in the room and seeing the progress.

Please don't mind the pictures/mats as I want to figure out what frames i am using and then get the photos. I am planning to put my most favorite blk/wht photos of us and the girls. I also have adam on board to cut me a few mats. (So glad he has skills.)