Monday, November 17, 2014

Pizza

So,  the home school co-op group we belong to is having a Thanksgiving potluck next week. Instead of everyone bringing a dish and desert, it was decided to have everyone order some pizza. A very nice mother in our group, Lee, volunteered to gather pizza orders. A mass email was sent out this morning, letting everyone know of the ordering options and also giving out Lee's email address so we could let her know what each family needed and how many.

Evidently there was a typo in Lee's email address because this was the email everyone received later today.




Hi everyone -

I've been receiving a ton of email about pizza. In those emails, I have been referred to as "Lee".

My name is not "Lee" and therefore I believe I am not the person you are looking for. Additionally, I have never met any of you, nor do I understand the "pizza" to which you refer.

You should probably figure out what Lee's email address really is, because unless you do, no one's getting pizza.

Best of luck,
Lyle

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Off Day


It has been so long since we had a Saturday with Daddy home
 ALL DAY
that we forgot what to do!





Ian's "Muscle Man" pose





 
The girls became silly with the napkins. 





I forced them to play outside for 30 minutes.

You would think I ordered them to work in the salt mines. 


Oh and, by the way, we had a real babysitter tonight. 
And by real I mean someone not a family friend or family member. 
A complete stranger to the kids. 

And she was amazing. 

They loved her. 

And Daddy and Mommy had four and a half hours together. 

Minus children. 

DO YOU HEAR ME!!!!

Let me repeat that. 



FOUR AND A HALF HOURS.



ALONE. 



And the best part. I came home to children who were fed, bathed, 
played, read to and in bed and a spotless kitchen and living room.



Where has this girl been all my life?



Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Boy

We were snuggling in bed before he went to sleep. I was whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

      "I love you more than...puppies!"

he giggles.

      "I love you more than...the moon!"

more giggles

      "I love you more than...orange juice!"

smiles and giggles

      "I love you more than...cheese!"

eyes fly open in shock and he exclaims "No way!!"



Guess I pushed the limit there.
 Either that or even HE knows how much Momma loves her dairy products. 

Monday, November 10, 2014

A Simple Blessing

After a week of sickness, I am grateful that the weather is mild enough so that I can open every window and rid this house of that stale air and smell of sickness.

It really is the small things.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Coffee Break




For the last three years, we have had a piano in our kitchen/dining room. Mainly because there was no where else to put it. A few months ago, I re-arranged the furniture and was able to move the piano to our living room. 


Which gave me a whole blank space to fill up as I wished. 


And presto, the coffee corner was born!


And I have to say, it is my favorite part of the house. 


Here are a few photos showing the (practically) finished product. 


1. I moved the microwave cart over (minus the microwave) and it became counter space. Added baskets underneath for tablecloths, kitchen towels and washcloths, and place mats. 



2. I found these old cobweb shelf brackets at a flea market in Prairie Grove. The shelves are old boards found in my grandpa's barn and painted grey. For an autumn touch, I added fabric leaves from the dollar store. I stuck them on with mounting putty. No muss, no fuss. 





3. The hanging wire basket was found at a flea/vintage/handmade/junk market called the Junk Ranch. This was the first time I attended and despite the cold, blustery weather, found some wonderful pieces (others to come in a later post). 

This wasn't actually for sale but I am a big believer of "You'll never know if you don't ask". I asked and it came home with me. 





4. My sister was going to throw away this stool and I snatched it up before she could change her mind. Add a coat of bright orange spray paint and you hardly recognize it! My rosemary plant was the only herb that showed any growth this summer so to reward it, I gave it a place of honor. Plus, I like the splash of verdant green. 



Project Breakdown
Shelf boards -- Free
Shelf brackets -- $6 apiece
Wire basket -- $5
Stool -- Free
Woven baskets -- $10 from Joann's on sale
Grey paint -- mis-tinted can from Lowe's $2.50
Total cost = $43.50

Finishing touches will be 
*painting the walls, but that includes the whole kitchen so it will be a while.
* a new coffee pot. This one leaks like crazy, thus the towel underneath. But it has served us faithfully for over 5 years, so I don't want to give it a bad rap. It deserves to retire with honor. 
*maybe a striped rug for our feet. That tile is cold on an autumn morning. 


Where is your go-to spot in your home? 

A cozy reading nook?

A comfortable bed with fluffy pillows? 

The back porch on a fall evening?

Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to hear about your favorite places.

Happy Fall Ya'll!