The Best Day Ever

Today I was going to show you my laundry room. I have painted it, put up new accessories, and organized it. I am very happy with how it turned out. I was going to wax poetic about the black (formerly oak) rack for hanging things. I was going to make you swoon with my cheap shelf of accessories found at Good Will. I was going to give you chills with my crafty nature. Really. I was. Then I got this and a text message. Bridge ready 4 school. Oh. Then my heart did one of those flippy floppy beats and threatened to stop entirely before racing on. How could this be? How can he be 5 already? Wasn't it yesterday that I was walking the floors with this little guy (to give his poor Mommy a break) while he was screaming REALLY LOUD?

Wasn't it just yesterday that we had to shut the garage door if he was coming over so he didn't immediately see the 4-wheeler and sit in the garage for the next 2 hours waiting for his fowhlllrrrr ride? We literally had to hide the dang thing.

Finally my Mom convinced my Dad that it would be fun to drive Bridger around the yard 50 or 60 times. Wasn't just last week that we figured out that this wouldn't be the only face he let us photograph. Seriously.....so funny! Lucky for us he replaced the huh? with this.....oh....the cheeks!!! Wasn't it just the other day the only things outside that he would identify were tractors and backhoes?? Pretty sure it was.....

I'm pretty sure it was yesterday he announced that his best buddies were his Dad and his Papa. I can clearly recall that it was not more than 2 days ago he was sitting in the high chair in my kitchen telling Lucy to #*it down. Pretty sure..... So how is it that he called me on the phone this morning and talked to me for more than SEVEN minutes about how excited he was to go to school today? How did that happen? When did he grow up? I will tell you that as excited for this little man to be growing and having new adventures.....my heart breaks that I am not with him to see every minute of it. At least the big stuff. Same with his sisters and Brook and Cooper. On the bright side....their Mommy's send me pictures and text messages chronicling their exploits. So I am thankful for that. Today, Bridger (and Brook), I am thinking of you and hoping you have the BEST DAY EVER!!

Project Board

I found the BEST framed print at Good Will last week. (Sorry about the pics from my phone.) It has been sitting around begging me to transform it into something useful. I loved the edge detail of the frame but the pic inside didn't do much for me. It is an old "Home Interiors" print. I finally decided what to do with it. I have been wanting to use my new color of SP. It's called Blue Ocean Breeze and it is fabulous!! I love it so much I am debating (some day) painting my craft room....or maybe my laundry room this lively shade of blue. A couple things that I did learn from this project; 1- Spray adhesive is not my friend. It is harder to use than I imagined. I started off trying to spray it directly to the print...too messy. It got on my fingers and my arm and just about everything!! B- Never use spray adhesive in the dinning room....or any room that doesn't house a car for that matter (and even that is questionable depending upon your husband). OOPS!! After I took it all outside and applied the glue to the back of the cork...it worked much better. The cork I was able to find in my town (read the dreaded Wal-Mart) came in 11.5x11.5 inch sheets. My project was bigger than that so I was forced to piece it together. I didn't like the way it looked so much...cue the da da da music. I was at the Home Depot and found some cork shelf paper. It was too thin to use on it's own but as a finish piece....perfect! And the big bonus...it was sticky on the back....no need for spray adhesive. FAB-U-LOUS!!
I love how my new inspiration board turned out and I can't wait to get it hung in my craft room and put it to good use.

Meet Juno and Bleeker

So much to my chagrin....I have given in to the relentless attacks by my soon-to-be 16 year old daughter. For 2 years she has begged and pleaded for a turtle. No way! Was always the response. No turtle. Well, yesterday, she changed her tactics. She asked for gold fish. Again....ick...no way. But, alas, my head was so cloudy on allergy meds that I said....go ask your Dad. Big mistake. Huge. I have to go shopping now (name that movie). Anyhoo....of course Dad said, "I don't care". Oh, man!! Ick and gross. A fish? Really?? Aren't 2 fluffy, stinky dogs enough? Apparently not as then I was herded into the car. The fish selection at our Wal-mart has dwindled down to almost nothing. They aren't re-stocking them until the construction is finished. Jo was not to be deterred. The oh-so-helpful lady at the Wal-Mart asked Jo which fish she wanted. I snarkily replied that we wanted the one that wouldn't die tomorrow. HA! Yeah right! We got the gravel and the plastic plant thingies and the fish and the food and headed to the check out. My head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton. I really could hardly think straight. We had picked out a tank....but had either one of us bothered to pick it up?? Of course not. So I headed back in the store (yes, we were at the car by then) to pick up one last thing.....yeah....right. So we made it home and started to assemble everything. I got too frustrated to even read the simple directions and went to sit on the couch. What the lady at the Wal-Mart didn't tell us was really it's best to get all the stuff and set it up and let it run for a day or two and then buy the fish. Yeah...that's what the directions say. Bummer.So, back to the Wal-Mart because tap water is a no no. We needed either purified water or water treatment stuff. Crap. I just wanted to sit and enjoy the fuzzy corners of my mind. When we got back I read through the directions again and told Jo that after it was up and running for a while to acclamate the fish to it and dump the little trout in. I was tired of messing around. It made me sad to think of them stuffed inside that little bag. Not fun. So, yes, I am a push over. I don't mean to be...but I guess if you catch me at the right moment...I'll cave to almost anything.I find Bleeker a little creepy. I think he is staring at me.....ick....

Transformation Tuesday

(Yes, I do realize that it is Wednesday. I started this on Tuesday and so the title stands.)

I have a lot of projects going on right now. My laundry room is almost finished. I have a frame project that is in the planning stages. I found some foam letters at Micheal's on sale for 75% off. I am wondering...can you spray paint foam letters? Well, we're sure to find out!! Today (along with the laundry room) I have been working on the red frames in the dinning room. I bought these frames at a yard sale at the beginning of the summer. They are the first things I spray painted. I didn't have a project in mind when I bought them. I just knew they were cheap and had a fun detail on the edge and that they were ugly. Right up my alley!! I tore out the ugly pic that had taken up residence (sorry, no pictures) and I painted them black. I hung them in the dinning room...but I just wasn't feeling it. So, they came down and we tried again. This time I used my favorite red.Oh, how I love this color!! I rehung them and....aaahhhhh....magic. They have been sitting empty for a while. While I like them, they were really in need of a photo to embrace. Then I remembered the 10x10 scrapbook pages I'd seen on Scraping Simply's site. I checked it out and I was able to find something that would work really well. But, alas, the frames were too big. Yep. 11x11 frame in a world full of 10x10 layouts. Bummer. What is a girl to do....? Well, let's see. I could take a fabulous sheet of scrapbook paper (bought on sale at HL) and make a mat. hhhmmmm Sure. I did save the glass and the backing from the original occupant of the frame. I might be able to swing it.....maybe. I turned the paper over and traced the glass.After I cut it out I traced the page I wanted to frame....but then...I used the scrap from my first cut and used it as a guide to make another mark. Why? You ask...simple. It is just wasteful to use an entire sheet of paper when you'll only be seeing the outer inch.So I cut out the middle leaving enough of an edge to secure the page to. Now I can use this square and the strips from the first cut in another project. Cool.Anyhoo...then I grabbed my double stick tape. I have commitment issues and if I don't like the way it turns out I can change it.So I taped it in a couple of places, cleaned both sides of the glass and reassembled the frame. So here it is....or I guess here they are.I do like them...for now. Maybe they'll stay this way...maybe not. Easy cheesy....right? Right! So next time you are in Good Will or the D.I. or at a yard sale....look around. Maybe your next project is there waiting for you.

I Never Thought.....

I never thought I would be so proud of my kids...but I am. I never thought I would miss so many of the little things that Kevin used to do for me...but I do. I never thought being some one's Mama was such a central part of my being...but it is. I never thought dancing in the kitchen with my teenage son would be something I would long to do....but I do long for it. Mostly I miss his bright 100 watt smile and his quirky sense of humor and they way he can make me relax about the little things that tend to upset me. I don't miss the funky smell emanating from his room. I don't miss the arguments I'd end up in the middle of. I don't miss the car being out of gas....a lot. But I miss being able to talk about the day with him. I miss the details of his life. I am missing out on so many things by not being able to quiz him about it all. He is a terrible letter writer...just to let you all know. He glosses over the events of the day with the skilled hand of a master painter. But, oh...to see his smile or hear his laugh and all would be erased. I know it probably seems a tad dramatic to most of you. He's only in Texas. I get letters or an e-mail about twice a week. I've seen a picture. But to have him near me. Sitting on the couch laughing at our favorite Phineas and Ferb episodes. That seems like heaven to me right now. I miss him. I miss him more than I really thought possible. Usually I can keep busy and go paint something....but on Sunday's when we try to slow down and honor the sabbath day...that's when I notice it the most. The quiet. Then the ache creeps back in....renewed, revived. It's a lot like the way I miss my Mom. I miss her just being there for everyday things. I miss her laugh and her warm gracious way of just being. I miss the way she loved her grandkids. She loved her kids with the same kind of need...the same longing for the details of their lives....never judging....never critical....just wanting to be there. To be involved in the every day miracles was enough for her. I guess that is really what I am missing with Kev. The every day stuff that I took for granted or marked as completely annoying or unimportant. To you, the Mama's of those precious sons...pay attention. Make note of the little things. The things you will miss the most when they grow up and become the men you always knew they could be....the little stuff. And really...isn't it all little stuff??

One Left

It all started with my sister, Kim. She did a Pay it Forward post on which I left a comment signing me up to receive a gift from her AND making gifts for the first three commentators on my own Pay it Forward post. I actually took the first 5 and made one for Char because she was out of town. I tell ya, I don't stick to the rules so much! This is what Char's looked like before. Nice little poem about Grandmothers for sure. But it was old and faded and crying for help. So, what's a girl to do?Paint it, stain it, find the perfect paper for Char and slap a B in it....that's what. For Renae I wanted some green and orange paper that was fun and interesting...like Nae (not the green and orange part...). This was how her project started. When I bought them (there were 2) the lady exclaimed what beautiful Home Interiors pics they were. HA! Yeah...in their day they were probably fab. But what she didn't know is just how fabulous they were about to become.
I ordered this R from an on-line source that shall not be named. It took FOREVER to get here. I ordered one for my new grouping in the hall and was tapping my toe for weeks!! Anyhoo...it turned out great and all's well that ends well...right?
Then there was this swirly gold cutie. Lots of potential....just not quite the right colors. I had this in mind for Susan. Jo agreed that it did indeed look like it belonged in her house....after a little paint was applied.
I made it pretty neutral. Susan is a wonderful decorator and to make something for her was a bit scary. You just don't even know how crafty and fabulous she is. It really made me nervous to send it to her. But....the beauty of it is...if she didn't like it A- she lives in Idaho and I won't know and B- she can always change the paper and the paint color. Easy cheesy.So I do have one left. It is for Jackie. I have it finished...but again...a little nervous as to whether she will like it or not. Are you sensing a little insecurity?? Yeah...kind of a personality trait. Oh well...my own demons and all. When I do send it and get some feed back...I'll show it to you. Until then, it is Thursday. I will be checking my e-mail every 10 minutes or so. It is P-Day (prep day) in the mission field and Kev gets to send his love to his family. I will be stripping the wallpaper border in the laundry room in order to prep it for new paint. That way I will stay kinda busy and avoid the padded room option included in today's itinerary. So if you have a minute and are of a mind to, Kev could use some mail.....Elder Kevin Reader
Texas Fort Worth Mission
1331 Airport Freeway Suite #305
Euless, TX 76040
This will be Kevin's address for the next 2 years. So....I will post some before and after pics of the dreaded laundry room next week. Wish me luck with the wallpaper.....and Thursday in general!

Me Too...Wordless Wednesday

But I can't seem to follow the rules to ANYTHING! And so I am adding just a few words. I really just can't imagine my life any other way. Thanks for listening.

Some Former Junk

So, as you know I have been collecting various shapes and sizes of junk. I am getting better at being more selective....but sometimes things just call to me. Some need paint....some need so much more!!This cute little sheep just needed some paint. He is even better than I hoped for. I just love GW. I have been wanting some old books to use under lamps and what not to make them taller. I didn't want to pay a lot so I got some ugly old books.Then I covered them...not so ugly any more. I used paper on 2 and fabric on one. The paper was easier to work with...FYI. Oh, and I just used double sided tape to stick everything together. I have seen this on a few blogs and I must say....it turned out pretty good.Then there was this cute little oak shelf. There is A LOT of oak trim in my house. Before I had oak trim...I thought I wanted oak trim. Now that I have it...and cannot paint it....I'm over it. Anyway, this little shelf was pretty great....if you're into that sort of thing. I, however, am into PAINT!!And so now it is black....and fabulous. Magic in a can, I tell ya. Then there was these guys. Pretty straight forward. Just some paint and fabric....oh, and wooden letters. Drum roll......... A small grouping for Christmas!! WOOHOO!! ((The color really isn't this orange....not sure what that is all about)) So, this what I have finished (other than a couple of gifts that I can't show you yet).With any luck and a little less humidity, I will mow through the rest of these frames by Halloween....yeah, maybe....if I'd quit buying more!!

Such A Long Day

Now that Kevin is in Texas, Thursdays are his P-day. He is allowed a small amount of time on the computer to e-mail his Mama. I find that on Thursday I am very distracted and constantly checking my mail. I am trying to stay busy....but it is hard. It's also 18 months (tomorrow) since my Mom died. It has been gnawing a hole in the box that I keep the painful memories in. They are escaping from that safe place in my head where I keep them so I'm not caught off guard by a tidal wave of emotion. This week I have been tearing up with no apparent provocation. The other morning an older gentleman stopped to chat with Heather and I while we were loitering on the sidewalk after class. He was talking about how he was trying to stay busy. He had lost his wife recently (cue the tears). Oh, man. His lip quivered and I almost lost it. I am getting pretty good about not becoming an emotional pile of mush on a daily basis....but around certain anniversaries or holidays I am still a wreck. So if you notice it...sorry...just pretend I'm normal. I'm trying to pretend the same thing.

On a more cheerful note, Jo went to girls camp last week. It was different that the camps she (and I) have been to in the past. This was an encampment. Not sure why...really. It was held on a college campus in SD. There were girls there from MN, ND, SD, OH, MT, WY and maybe one more...but I don't really remember. They stayed in the dorms and met girls from all over the church. They had classes and played games and made quilts (for a service project).They were treated to a concert from Kenneth Cope....which, I might add....Jo LOVED!!! She got to meet him and everything. The highlight of the trip (according to Jo) was meeting Sister Elaine Dalton, the General Young Women President.WOW!! Jo said she was just full of light. She met all the girls and spoke to them and hugged them all. Jo said she could just feel the Spirit rolling off her. Jo was reluctant (to say the least) to go to this encampment. It really ruffled her feathers. But she went, promising not to have a bad attitude the whole time. True to her word, she tried to relax....and she did. I haven't seen this smile on her face for a long time. I am so thankful she went and I am thankful for her YW leader, Charlene.Char has been exactly what my Jo has needed. I owe her a HUGE debt of gratitude.

I have also been redoing some of my tired wall groupings. I have had the same things on the walls of my house for 15 years. I love lurking on other peoples blogs to see how they are decorating. You'd be surprised at some of the things that seem to be coming back. Do you remember those GIANT fork and spoon sets? They are all over Blogland. I found 2 sets at Good Will yesterday. I let them stay there. I just can't wrap my brain around that yet. I did go shopping around my own house and came up with some new things to group together. I am still waiting for a big letter R for the empty frame.I got that frame and the shelf and the lamb at GW (yes, Lana....I am the GW queen). With a little paint and some scrapbook paper they got a fabulous new home. I made or had everything else in my craftroom (aka craproom).I think it looks pretty good. I will like it even more when that stupid R gets here. I have so many more projects in various stages of completion. Some are gifts...some are not (sorry honey). I'll show you more before and after shots when they are done. I am in need of a craftroom on the main floor of my house. My poor diningroom table becomes my work area. Someday....right??

Self Esteem

I think I might be a little goofy from all the spray paint fumes today....but I was thinking. I tend to do that while I paint....think...that is. My brain uses that time to mull over various topics until I am ready to share them with someone....hopefully with enough mulling, they will make sense. So I was thinking about a conversation Heather and I had while standing around after class the other morning. ((side note)) We do that a lot. We'll stand outside our exercise class and chat and watch the next class go in for their morning dose of torture {love ya Natalie!}. Sometimes we are even there when that class comes out!! Talk about embarrassing. We watch the old men wander into the cafe for their morning coffee club, too. We've endured the comments on our sedentary state...and kept on gabbing. ((back to my ramblings....)) So on one such morning we were talking about the way we (as women) see ourselves. I see my friends (I'm including my sisters in this column today, because they are my closest friends!) as fabulous, brave, stunning women. Yet listening to them talk....they see themselves as less than all that. I'm sure I am guilty of the same thing. I have a friend who is a FABULOUS Mom and a great listener. I have a friend who never backs down from any challenge in her life....you won't catch her hiding in a food lined cave. And another of my peeps is a wonderful decorator with a creative soul and a runners body. And still these women see themselves as less than fabulous!! Who knows why we discount ourselves and the talents and attributes we bring into every situation. Who knows why we judge ourselves so harshly, instead of seeing ourselves as our friends see us. What would happen in our lives if we took a step back and looked at ourselves as our friends do, as our kids do, as our Moms do, as our spouses do? Who would we see? Would we see the petty little flaws that seem huge and unending to us....or would we see the the beauty and compassion, the unending potential and the near perfection? Would we be nicer to ourselves....more forgiving? For the rest of the day....and tomorrow if I can swing it....I am going to try to see myself as my friends see me. I will try to see myself through the eyes of my kids. I will try to see the potential my Mom swore she saw. I will try to see that person that Jim sees when he looks at me. Maybe I'll learn to not be so hard on myself....we could all use a little of that. Maybe it will motivate me to be a nicer person in general.....maybe.

Two Down

Two finished and delivered. Whew!! That makes 3 to go. I am waiting on a letter for one...Susan...yours should be in the mail in a couple of days. Jackie, I am still mulling over just the right colors for yours. Any suggestions??
Remember this little beauty?? All gold and faded birdie fabulousness?? Well...look at it now!!
Magic in a can...that what they should have named spray paint. Truly...that's what it is. Here is the Pay it Forward gift I made for Salena, over at the Ness Nest. She loves it...and so do I.
Have you paid it forward today?

Remember This?

I've been doing a few projects lately. It's kept me busy and out of trouble (mostly). I found this plain tray at GW a couple of weeks ago.It was a dollar so I figured I could find some use for it. I don't use trays a whole lot so it took me a minute to see it's true potential. Of course I painted it red....really...was there any doubt?? I tried using it as a pile catcher in the kitchen....but really??? Do I need an excuse for the family to pile stuff on the counter?? No, they do just fine on their own. Where to use it?? Then, I was cruising around Etsy and found some vinyl letter phrases that I loved. So, I bought a few without any real plan on how to use them. I'm kind of impulsive that way. ((impish grin)) When I laid the freshly (beautifully) painted tray next to the newly (very promptly) arrived vinyl phrases....well...magic happened. The tray fell in love with one of the newbies and this is the product of their union.I love it so much....but again....where to put it?? As I was contemplating the universe at 3 this morning....it hit me. The perfect place for my lovely red tray is the top of the book case.I bought the tall thingies at Hobby Lobby for 90% off. I got them both for $3.00. I was planning on using them for book ends but the were too tall and really just not quite right. I moved the owls from a lower shelf (also GW finds....ahh, the magic of spray paint!!). I do love them there. So, now I am on the look-out for book ends...but hey...the tray has found it's perfect new home, as have the owls. All is right with the world....for now...