Royal Wedding Tears.

Here is how you can know {for sure} that I am a huge nerd: 
When I see large crowds of people celebrating, I get a little teary-eyed tend to weep. 

This is especially pronounced at events like graduations and weddings, but has also been known to happen at sporting events when listening to the Star-Spangled Banner.

And when happy people sing hymns such as they are doing on the re-broadcast of the Royal Wedding--forget it.  I am a sappy mess.  Oh, and now there are violins!  Are they trying to do me in?

Good thing that I didn't get up to watch the wedding live.  My strange crying habit--paired with fatigue--might have resulted in enough tears to flood our home.

I thought the wedding was lovely.  The singing, the message, the hats, the wedding dress (!!!)--just lovely! 

Thank you, England, for the nice celebration.  I thoroughly enjoyed it while unloading groceries and tidying up my kitchen!  Now then.  Where are my tissues?

Officially.

I can't quite figure out why I feel like my life is moving in "fast forward," but lately I seem to have trouble keeping up.  So what's new?  Well...

• C officially enrolled in kindergarten yesterday and I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that, come August, he will officially be a student.  A little scary, but I think that he's ready. 
•  I am officially jumping into the crafty business world!  I am in the process of making some things to put in a local shop. 
• My house is officially a mess.  I'm watching a friend's one-year-old today and J was so excited when he found out.  He thinks this might mean that I'll do some straightening.  He may be right as some baby-proofing is definitely in order.  I don't even want to think about what would happen if the little guy swallowed a Lego Jedi Knight.  Can you imagine all that light sabor action in his little tummy?
• I have officially lost four lbs. this week.  Hallelujah!  The majority of the Easter candy has been sent to J's office and the remainder is hidden in the "man cave" so I'm planning another good week!  Wish me luck...

I should (officially) shut off my computer, fill up my water bottle, and get to cleaning!
Have a great day!

Happy Easter!

I have always loved Easter hymns. So joyful! Here is my favorite:

Have a lovely day!

Sew Happy.

We are 45 minutes away from soccer practice, my house is a mess (again), but I am feeling pretty darn happy because I just finished making something and I really, really like it.

This is one of those things that has been done to death--a fad that has come and gone, but that's okay.  I tend to be on the slow boat when it comes to most fads.  My goodness, I've had an Ipod for three years and--yesterday--for the first time--I downloaded itunes for it.  I'm slow.  What can I say? 

This has been too much build-up for my little item, but here it is anyway:  My very first Tissue Pack Cover!

Little and cute!

I think the part I'm most happy with is the quilting.  It's something I haven't done much and, though it is far from perfect, it worked out pretty much how I wanted it to.  Here's a close up:

and the inside of the pack has red polka dots like the trim:

So, there you have it.  A fun little project with a happy ending.  I think I'll take it to soccer practice because I'm sure to get the sniffles in the pollen-filled park!

P.S.  I used a tutorial from Alderwood Quilts for this project.

Healthy Living 101.

Here are a few things that I really, really like: 

 and...

and...

Here are some things that I do not like:

Can you guess my dilemma? 

Hello Weight Watchers Online.  AGAIN.
Today is my Grand Re-Opening (Forget-that-I've-tried-this-two-dozen-times-before) Start Date!

Watch me lose a million pounds with Jennifer Hudson!  : )  Join in!  It will be fun.  really.

Seriously, I'm feeling really motivated and I've actually read the articles and information on WW Online so I'm already 150% further along than I ever have been before.  I've learned the hard way that simply joining WW and paying a weekly fee doesn't actually result in weight loss.  : ) 


Terribly unfair, isn't it?

Corners of Our Home.

Hello!  I'm having a bit of a freak-out over how cluttered my house is at the moment.  It feels like Star Wars figures and Legos are threatening to take over, but I can't actually blame all of the clutter on C.  I've got my share of stuff laying around and I'm not feeling terribly motivated to do anything about it.  Any minute now (er, 15 minutes before J is supposed to get home) we'll do some straightening.

I thought that I would take a few minutes to show some of the things that aren't driving me crazy right now and, of course, that just happens to take me to the room that gets used the least:  The Guest Room/Office/Craft Room.  Don't let its busy name full you--It's mostly just a storage space for all of the things that don't have a home elsewhere.  It's also the most "girly" space in our home.  So...without further ado:


A memento from our wedding, chalk art painted by C, and Sally "adoring" her Linus

 


A thrifted floral picture.  It has a non-identical twin that lives right above it on the wall

 


Miscellaneous pretties on a top shelf



A bit of my fabric "stash"



Phil the Plant crying out for water!



Is there anything better than a shelf full of crafty inspiration?

 Just a few of the things bringing a smile to my face on this gloomy Monday.  I'm off to see if a little afternoon tea will inspire me to tidy up and plan dinner.  Wish me luck!

Healthy Recipe Links.

I was doing a little blog exploration last night and came across several great healthy recipes that I would like to try.  I'm linking to a few here...


Trish at DAiSYS & Dots  has shared several great vegan recipes including: 
Veggie Soup: http://daisysanddots.blogspot.com/2011/04/veggie-soup-recipe.html
Fiesta Dip:  http://daisysanddots.blogspot.com/2011/04/fiesta-dip.html


She also has a yummy looking recipe for Sweet Potato Fries!  Her pictures will make you so hungry for healthy food that you'll consider putting down the bag of Easter candy you're currently holding (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything)...


The second site inspiring me right now is Jennifer's.  I'm not a fan of seafood, but her recipe for tilapia makes me think that it might be something to try and her strawberry muffins sound super yummy and might even appeal to my sugar-loving 5-year-old.


Tilapia:  http://watchmybuttshrinking.com/2011/04/recipe-fast-and-easy-cornmeal-crusted-tilapia.html
Summer Strawberry Muffins:  http://watchmybuttshrinking.com/2009/07/recipe-jenns-summer-strawberry-muffins.html


I'm also thinking about joining Jennifer's 10k-A-Day-In-May challenge (gulp).  It sounds do-able and I really need to get off the couch/kitchen chair and start moving.  Hmmm.  Something to consider!

Have a great Sunday!

A few other healthy eating ideas can be found in this article...

Ruby Red Slippers.

While waiting for paint to dry one day, I happened upon a lovely blog called:  http://dottieangel.blogspot.com/   In one picture, the author is wearing a pair of shoes that make me smile...

Source:  http://dottieangel.blogspot.com/2010/04/challenge-and-hangy-me-jig.html

I don't know exactly why, but I have always l-o-v-e-d red shoes.  Legend has it that I acquired this trait from my Great-Grandma Dessie.  She was hip like that (for a granny!).


So, anyway, I did what any red-shoe-loving woman would do:  I googled "red clogs" to see if I could find the ruby red cuties.  I didn't find that particular pair of shoes, but I did find these and I'll take one of each, please. Well, two of each would probably work better, right?

Source:  http://www.zappos.com/

~Top left:  Ara Abigail ($144), Top Right:  Clarks Patty Argentina ($60), Bottom left:  Springstep Dawn ($70), and Bottom right:  Hush Puppies ($80)~


...and...

Source:  www.zappos.com

~Top left: Finn Comfort Sansibar ($205), Top Right: Klogs USA ($76), Bottom left: Dansko ($130), and Bottom right: Converse ($45)~

While not technically red, the tan stitched Dansko clogs made the cut because they are just too cute to pass up!  And the Converse--I've been wanting these since I was 20.  Now that I'm closing in on 40, I'm thinking that perhaps that ship has sailed?

Oh! Red shoes, I love you so...



Two Down.

After my fearful meltdown yesterday (and last night), I finally finished two projects.  As I worked, I repeated The Nester's motto over and over again:

~It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful~

So here is my first pillow for the shop:

Pillow front

Pillow back

And here is my first picture:

Definitely not perfect, maybe not beautiful, but I hope that both items will provide a little happiness to someone out there.

Fear of Finishing.

Good Morning!  Here it is Wednesday morning and I have nothing to write about, nothing to share.  I have lots of projects "in progress," but nothing completed enough to show.  I'm trying to put together some things (pictures, pillows, etc.) to place in a local shop and I'm so excited, so filled with ideas to try, but...

I'm also filled with fear.
What if the shop owner (my husband's cousin) doesn't like my things?
What if she puts them out in her shop and they don't sell?
What if I spend more on materials than I actually earn? What if I don't earn anything?

What if people laugh?
What if I fail? 

I will admit:  I am not the most adventurous person in the world.  Riding roller coasters will never be my weekend activity of choice.  Skydiving holds no appeal.  But there is something especially scary about putting your handmade dreams out there for others to critique.

And so I begin projects--a pillow here and a picture there--but just as I am nearing the finish line with them, I find one more thing that needs to be tweaked or one element that just isn't quite good enough and I set it aside to be finished later.

But later never seems to come.

A partial list of my excuses:  I have to work on my "real" job.  I need to clean the house.  I should be playing with my child.  The curtains need to be altered.  I should finish painting.  I should be out working in the yard.  I should be starting some type of exercise program.  I need to buy groceries.  I have to take C to school.  I have to take C to soccer.  I really need to clear off the kitchen table before J comes home from work.  It's time to make dinner.  My craft room is too messy to find anything.  I don't have everything I need.  I should write a blog post.  I should finish the book I'm reading.  I should be looking for a full-time job rather than playing with my crafts...

Each night at bedtime, I think about my goals and whether or not I'm moving towards them.  I think I am.  I've taken baby steps in the direction of my dreams, but I think that it's time for a leap.

A leap of faith...

Art with my Boy.

Today, C and I made art together.  He lost interest after about five minutes, but I was pretty excited that he even wanted to give it a whirl.  Crafting is not usually his activity of choice.  So what did we make, you ask?

Cats.
Calico cats.
Collage calico cats.

Collage was my idea.  Cats were C's.

I think I'll do some searching for summer art activities that we can do together.  I feel inspired to find many different activities because I think I'll lose my mind if every day is filled with Star Wars play.  I've just about had my fill of droids and jedi knights and sith lords and bounty hunters...I'm glad that he loves it, but oh my!  Give me a different topic, please!

Old Mizzou.

I was feeling crafty this weekend so I engaged in more patch mania! 

Hmmm...Looks better in real life.  As I worked on this one, I found myself humming this:

"Fight, Tigers, fight for Old Mizzou,

Right behind you, everyone is with you,
Break the line and follow down the field,
And you'll be, on the top, upon the top;
Fight, Tigers, you will always win,
Proudly keep the colors flying skyward,
In the end we'll win the victory,
So Tigers, fight for Old Mizzou!"

I had to memorize that for my sorority a million years ago!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made five other "pieces" as well.  One stinks, but I'm really excited about the other four.  I'm still deciding how I want to frame them.
Time to clear the kitchen table (a serious chore!) and make dinner.


Have a great week...

Design Dilemmas.

I have an issue. If you've read any of my other posts, you're probably thinking that I have a lot of issues!   Today's issue is this: I can't decide on my style.

I've been through many style stages. In my teens, I fell in love with Victoria magazine and dreamed of living in a Queen Anne mansion. I could just imagine myself wearing a lacy white dress while serving tea cakes between rounds of croquet on the west lawn.

Source:  http://www.jimwegryn.com/Photos/Photos.htm

In college, I had a preppy stage. I was mad for plaids, paisleys, and tweeds. My dream home would have been designed by Ralph Lauren. I thought that life would be great if I could curl up in my plaid comforter after riding horses all day in a meadow! Never mind that I've only been on one horse in my entire life and he was so old he could barely make it up a small incline without assistance.

Source:  http://www.shelterpop.com/2011/01/05/preppy-home/



Next came graduate school and living alone for the first time. I was definitely in "cottage" mode at this stage of my style development. Lots of pinks and greens, large floral prints, and pine furniture. I still have a soft spot for this type of cottage design, but it doesn't seem to fit my lifestyle now that I live with two boys.

Source:  http://www.bhgrealestate.com/

 When my husband and I "set up housekeeping" together, I did my best to beautify our surroundings. This was made difficult by the fact that we were living in my brother-in-law's house. J and his brother lived together until I came along and then brother moved out and I moved in. J and I continued to rent the place for a couple of years and during that time, I didn't feel comfortable making big changes. I also had a huge desire to buy our own house so our little rental home always felt very temporary to me.

Almost eight years ago, we moved into our current home.  I channeled Rainbow Bright and painted almost every room a different color.  Our living room was yellow.  The kitchen was red.  The guest bath was blue.  Our bedroom was green.  Our guest room was orange (though I was really trying for terra cotta).  What can I say?  After living in off-white rental homes for years, I was ready for color.

Now, I'm ready for a calmer color scheme.  We're painting all of the living areas in Sherwin Williams' Ecru (#6135).  Our furniture is decidedly country in feel and I still really like it, but I'm looking around my freshly painted living room and I'm thinking that I want to add in more traditional and (gasp) even a few contemporary items. 

Am I experiencing another style transition? 
How do I incorporate all of the things I love into one cohesive style?
I wonder how Emily would label my style during a "style diagnostic." 
Unhip-country-antique-mismash with a hint of transitional-traditional-contemporary-cottage. 
Too specific (Ha!)

I think that it is time to pull all of my knick knacks out of the closets and garage.
I think it's time to make some decisions and just get 'er done.
I think it's time...if only I can find the time!

Wish me luck...

Getting Caught Up.

Random prettiness from La Caille, Sandy, UT circa March 2006

Is it just me or is April the busiest month of the year?  With soccer starting up, my semester winding down, Easter activities, yard work, tumbling meets, and more--I feel like I need to keep my calendar with me at all times just to make sure that I'm not forgetting something important.  And all of this with only one child who isn't even in full-time school yet!  I'm not sure how parents with two or more children ever have time to breathe! 

My parents were here for a visit and we got our living room painted!  J described them as our personal "gypsy renovation caravan."  I can't describe how happy I am to have that chore done.  I won't go into the buying-additional-paint-purchase/color-matching crisis on Sunday, but I will say that there was yelling and crying and I was the one doing both.  Not my finest hour(s).  Ah well.  I'm trying to let it go and I'm gearing up to buy even more paint because I still need another gallon or two to finish up our dining area and kitchen.  Hopefully the sun will come out soon so that I can take some pictures of our freshly painted walls!

I can't believe that it's already Thursday.  Where did the week go?  I'm hoping to get in some crafting/decorating time this weekend so I had better wrap this up and get to work on my classes, laundry, housekeeping, dinner making, kid care... You get the idea! 

Painting Peeps.

Well, one baby bird hatched and I missed it (Rats!).
I did catch a glimpse of gray fluff this morning so I guess it's time for me to resume my housekeeping duties.

Gotta get the rest of my house ready for my peeps!
I feel that it is only polite to clean out the bathtub for visitors who are coming to help paint my living room.

Perhaps I should think about serving some type of food to them, too?

Bird Babies.

I should be cleaning my house for "company," but I can't stop waiting & watching for the eagle babies to be born.  I did a search to see what these babies might look like should they decide to hatch and I found some "cute" photos, but then I saw this:

Source:  http://www.eagles.org/about/aef-photo-gallery.php 

I knew that it was the right picture for this post because when I think "American Eagle," I always picture it next to Dolly Parton dressed as Daniel Boone!  (Ha!)

Yes, I should be cleaning, but I would be really disappointed if I missed the big moment because I was busy dusting the living room--or worse--cleaning the bathroom!

No, I'd better stay right here.
Maybe have a snack.
Perhaps a little nap.
The chirps will wake me, right?

Do baby eagles chirp or squawk?

I've had the birds on for over three hours now and I'm getting a little tired of waiting...

Maybe that Mama Eagle needs to get up and walk around a little?
Bounce on an exercise ball for a bit?

How about a dose of Pitocin?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to self:  Get life. 
As soon as bird babies are born.