Category: writing about it all on my blog

creative cottage

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I love our backyard.

For me, it was one of the big reasons I wanted our house.

I also have big plans for our backyard.

Yes, actual plans on paper from a licensed landscape architect, but my dream plans, too.

I love our house. I also have plans for an expansion because I really don’t want to move if and when we outgrow our current space, but I digress (I’ll save that for another post).

Back to the backyard…

You all know about the plans for the playhouse/treehouse.

I also want a playhouse of my own.

A creative cottage.

All I need to do is convince my husband that we don’t need the two large dog runs in the backyard that just sit empty the majority of the time.  That 12′ x 12′ space would be perfect for my creative cottage…

home is…still dreaming.

sometimes, i wish…

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I love what I do.

Seriously.

But, some days it is tough. I did not imagine how tough it would be to be a mom.

Physically.

Mentally.

Emotionally.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to stay at home with our young children. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am a dreamer.

I dream of what it will be like when the kids are in school, and I have hours to myself during the day. I dream of what I will do with my time. I dream of how much I will be able to do.

Personally.

Professionally.

Domestically.

It’s exciting, exhausting, and frustrating. I want to be able to do. it. all. now.

I read this article passed on to me by a local mom and multiple business owner.

Sometimes, I wish I had started a blog years ago. Sometimes, I wish I had started my own interior design business years ago. Sometimes, I wish…

But, I can’t get caught up in that.

I love what I do.

Seriously.

home is…loving what you do.

get moving…

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…it’s Monday!

And, a rainy Monday here in the Pacific Northwest. Which means we are back to normal winter weather around here. After 5 winters here I think I am finally getting used to the rain. I love to look out my window to our backyard and watch the rain falling through the huge Douglas Firs. I really, really love living in the Pacific Northwest. It is where I am meant to be…for now.

That being said, today feels like a Monday. I am trying to be positive and embrace my new feelings for Monday, but today is tough. I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Today I feel like a Southwest Airlines commercial…I want to get away.

I hoped to get to a morning workout today, but that didn’t happen. I switched up my exercise routine a bit and today was supposed to be a “run” day, but baby girl is drooly, snotty, coughing and can’t go to childcare. So, I decided to go to Stroller Strides…then I looked out at the weather and did not feel like loading the kids into the stroller in a downpour (this was after I got us all dressed and ready to go). So, I had to figure out what we could do at home.

I decided I would try to get the artwork hung in baby girls room. I got up there and decided that the furniture needed to be moved around for the artwork to work (remember I move furniture when I get frustrated). Then I got even more frustrated that I was moving the furniture and not hanging the artwork. Then I got frustrated that the kids were in the way and the room was a mess with toys, artwork and furniture everywhere. Not good.

Here is where we stand…

  • No artwork was hung
  • The furniture was moved back to where it was when I started this morning
  • I am frustrated with myself for getting so frustrated
  • Kids are sad
  • Poppa is confused (he was working from his home office this morning)

The fact of the matter is I should have just put the kids in the car and gone to Stroller Strides. I always feel better when I exercise in the morning. I am able to get through my day without my frustration level getting too high. We weren’t going to melt in the little bit of rain that we would have encountered on our way from the car to the class. I should know that by now.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Now, I haven’t exercised, I didn’t hang artwork, the kids aren’t happy, the husband isn’t happy, and I am beating myself up for all of it.

I should have remembered to get moving…it’s Monday!

home is…practicing what you preach.

being a procrastinator (with all the excuses in the world)

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Last Friday I told you all that I was going to write about how I use color in my home this Friday.

Well, I should be careful what I promise you all.

I’m not writing about that today.

I need to give that topic a little more thought.  The thing is, I rarely think about HOW I use color in my home.  I just use it. Each home we have lived in has been a little different, and I have used color a little differently in each. I need to pull some old photos, take some new photos, find some inspiration photos and maybe break the post down by home. At any rate, to do the topic justice I need to put a bit more thought into it.

I haven’t had time to do that in the last week.

As you all know, my brother-in-law unexpectedly lost his brother last week. That’s thrown me a bit and my posts took a sort of melancholy tune for a few days. I am so sad for his loss. A lot of you have offered support to me, and I appreciate it. However, I am doing fine…I just am sad for my brother-in-law and his family. They will make it through this, and I am looking forward to seeing them all when I am able to visit in March.

Sadly, we experienced another loss in our extended family. My husbands grandmother passed away yesterday. Again, I am sad that we cannot be there for his family. The service is tomorrow and the timeframe and expense to travel across the country just makes it too difficult for us to be there. I hope that they know we are there in spirit and love them all.

That being said, my little family here in Oregon had a great weekend last weekend and we have had a busy week. Shopping, date night, swimming, hiking, going out for burgers, rollerskating, enjoying a snow day, a mom’s night out for me (we went bowling…so fun), and a fun playdate with friends this morning!

I am hoping to put some effort into my post about how I use color in our home so that I can bring it to you next week, but don’t hold me to it. I’ll admit it, sometimes I am a procrastinator…and I can be a bit flakey.

It’s Friday, the sun is shining (although it is brutally cold for the Pacific Northwest), and I am looking forward to the weekend.

What plans do you all have for the weekend?

home is…being a procrastinator (with all the excuses in the world).

snow day!

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Yes!  We got snow!

Not nearly as much as they had originally thought we might, but if we get an inch the schools close down here in Portland!

So, today is a snow day…

We built a snowman.

Threw snowballs.
Shoveled the driveway, sidewalk, and part of the street.
And, enjoyed it while it lasted.
By noon the snow had melted and now is only falling in short bursts to melt on impact.
home is…a snow day!
(I cannot get the formatting to cooperate with me on this post…what a bummer!)

got snow?

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We are on snow watch here in the Pacific Northwest.

While the rest of the country has seen their fair share (and more) of snow this winter, we have been experiencing a mild one. Yes, we have had our fair share of rain, but we have had lots of cold days with sunny skies, too.

What we haven’t experienced is snow.

We’ve had a few close calls. Each time we got nothing. Maybe a few big wet flakes, but nothing that stuck.

We are eagerly awaiting snow today. The snow clothes that the kids got for Christmas are waiting to be played in. A school cancellation and snow day is expected for tomorrow. Now all we need is the white stuff!

My friends at higher elevations have texted me to inform me they have snow. We are still on snow watch.

home is…waiting for the snow to fly.

something’s gotta give

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Internet is back up, but I’m not productive today. Blame it on the Superbowl!

No post about the new Boden catalog…I will get to that later this week.

I did spend more than half the day yesterday with a good girl friend…we went treasure hunting. It was a lot of fun. No big purchases for me. I didn’t even take any photos!

It is frustrating to me that when I take time for myself, which is important and makes me feel good, that lots of other things don’t get done. The house is a mess, the laundry is only getting done because my husband is doing it (and usually does because it is not a huge priority of mine and is a bigger priority for him).

I spent today playing with the kids this morning, arguing with my husband before lunch, going to the grocery store with baby girl before naptime, finally getting to go on a short run (30 minutes) during naptime, and then it was time for the Superbowl.  I wanted to sit down, have snacks made, and enjoy the game.  No snacks, and the only way I could sit and watch the game was to give the little guy my iphone to play with because he did not want to watch football and really wanted to play dinosaur which I was tired of playing. I feel so guilty for all the “screen time” that he has had, but he (and his sister) are so needy and there is only so much I can give!

So, the weekend is gone and I feel guilty for going with my girl friend yesterday morning, not being able to spend quality time with the family, am not making my husband happy. Blech! Not the way I like to feel on a Sunday night.

home is…feeling like something’s gotta give.

on a lighter note

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Yesterday’s post was hard for me. I got butterflies in my belly when I posted it. And, believe it or not, I am still scared that some of those “mean girls” from high school will read it and post mean comments on my blog. I am also worried what you all would think of me if you read them! Seriously?! Ugh!

The good news is that this is MY blog, so I can write what I want and delete “mean girl” comments if I wish.

Moving on.

So, on a lighter note…no pun intended…

Edison Chandelier, Black

I think new lighting can make a big difference in a room.

Our master bedroom is in need of a makeover.  Seriously people, we sleep in what we call the “duck blind”.  I have no idea what the people who lived here before us were trying to do with this wall finish, but it is horrendous. Of course, the only rooms we have painted in the whole house in the almost three years we have lived here are the kids rooms, but I digress.

I would love to add this to the ceiling…

Edison Chandelier, Black

What do you think?  Do you think lighting can make a big impact in a room?

home is…moving on.

timing is everything

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Now that this post a day 2011 is here, and I have accepted the challenge, I am wondering how I will accomplish it.

How do I blog EVERYDAY?

Is it better to blog first thing in the morning before the kids get up and the chaos begins?

Or, should I wait until the end of the day when I have a lot on my mind to write about, but little energy to actually do it?

OR, should I just write whenever I get the chance to like I have been doing?

There are positives and negatives to all of the above.

What would you do?

what do you do…

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…with all of the holiday cards that you receive?

Over the years I have kept them in baskets during the holidays and then put the photo cards in a notebook/photo album after the 1st of the year. I hated the thought of throwing out (or even recycling) the cards that our friends and family put a big effort in to sending to us every year!  My aunt had (and hopefully still has) photo albums filled with all of the cards they had received over the years and I used to love looking through them on Christmas day when we celebrated at their house with our family.

During the month of December I displayed our cards on the bulletin board in the playroom that normally holds the artwork from the kiddos. It was nice to look up at friends and family from near and far while we spent time in this room over the month of December. Our Christmas morning was shared with all of you as the tree was also in the playroom and this is where we spent our Christmas morning opening gifts.

I plan to get those photos into an album…eventually.  I still have all of last years cards in a drawer waiting to be put in the 2009 album!

By the way, don’t we have some good looking friends and family?!

Do you display your holiday cards?  If so, how?  And, do you hold on to them after the holidays, or toss (recycle) them?

home is…having all of your friends and family with you for the holidays…even if it is just their photo!