Love it When that Happens

Have you ever planned and planned and then planned some more for a special event only to have it go completely and utterly horrible??  Yea, me too.

BUT, that did NOT happen this weekend my friends.

Happy Dance!!

Everything actually went according to schedule. 

{{gasp}}

I wasn’t even late (I’m always late.  I try not to be. I can’t help it… getting better though)!! 

WARNING:  THERE WILL BE MANY PICTURES IN THIS POST!!

My main centerpiece for the gift table was a bouquet of baby clothes!!  I saw this tutorial here on You Tube and based my arrangement ideas from it. 

I used pants, onesies, bibs, bloomers, and a ruffled skirt in the bouquet.  The above green flowers are a little skirt that I rolled tightly and then folded in half to make two “blooms.”  The leaves in the arrangement are green velvety  poinsettias from Michaels.  There are two different types of pink silk/paper flowers tucked throughout the bouquet to add a bit of variety.  I would have taken pics of the process, but it took both hands and sometimes my feet to get everything just right.

I found this picture frame at Marshalls (Love that place).  I knew it would be a perfect little touch and that my sister-in-law could use it as a decoration in the baby’s room after the shower was over.

I covered the the cardboard backing in green taffeta and added a rose with double sided foam tape to the front of the glass.  I didn’t use hot glue as I wanted her to be able to used it as an actual picture frame later on if she chose.

Voila… easy but extremely high impact!

Time to wrap the presents…

The largest box was topped with sock roses and a tulle bow.

I tried to make each one just a bit different.

Now for pictures of a few other décor items that made me smile.

(these are going on my mantel now, btw)

crinkle paper and vase filler jewels

paper roses, spiral wood filler, eucalyptus

Oh, and the bunting (see all the details here) now lives on the wall above baby Charlotte’s crib. 

In my defense, I DID warn you about the large volume of pictures.  My friend Jessica made all of the food and an adorbs diaper cake for the shower. 

Party food/baking and me: not so much. 

Decorations: all over it like flies on poo during a hot summer day in Georgia.

Linking up here and here:  

this week my blogger friends!

Blog/Life Recap of Quarter 4

 

I kept telling my bloggy pal Janette that I was going to participate in the 2011 Review Extravaganza and I’m finally keeping my word!!

 

Before I review my blogging goings on, I just want to tell you what I learned in life this December:

 

1. Being out of town 5 consecutive weekends prior to Christmas isn’t exactly the greatest way to get prepared for said holiday.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed all my trips and wouldn’t take them back, Christmas really sidled up on my this year.  Now that I’m finally in the mood, it’s O.V.E.R.!

 

2.  Having the main floor of my house painted 2 weeks before Christmas wasn’t a very smart move either.  Yes, I’m loving the freshness and the color.  But, I didn’t have time to sit at home and babysit the painters for the entire week. Not to mention, I missed my daughter’s fieldtrip to the science museum waiting for aforementioned painters to show up on the second day (which they finally did at 2 pm… could have made it after all).  Also, not to mention, I wasted my last week without kids sitting at home instead of being out shopping for them (see #1 for the reason I needed to shop).

 

3.  When life gets too busy crazy, I don’t blog.  It’s not that I don’t want to, but it becomes one more thing on my “have to do” list.  I resent it along with everything else on that list.

 

4.  My kids continually amaze me, in both good ways and bad.  Emily took first all around in her third straight gym meet, Max and Jack both earned their green belts in Tai Kwon Do.  Finley learned the phrase, “I will never ever EVER be naughty again,” and used it daily.  He followed it with “I love you SOOOOO much.  You are my best friend.” 

 

5.  My husband CAN still surprise me… he went to Jared for Christmas and made me feel like a princess. :))

 

Ok, Blog Recap:

 

October was a pinning, crafting, boot wearing, What I Wore Wednesday and Talk To Us Tuesday kind of month.

In November, I started to get busy with the kids but continued my addiction with Pinterest and boots, started new addictions with Twitter and Instagram, and spent a large amount of time in Jack’s class.

  In December, I tried to organize my Christmas plans via pinterest, spent all the time that I could in Jack’s class, and got my new laptop!!  Woot woot!!  I still don’t have everything switched over but I’m working on it.  Yeah, basically not a blogging month for me. :(

Cheers to 2012!  My motto for 2011 was “Making the effort” which helped keep me focused on my family.  I think for 2012, I’m going to go for “Keep it simple.”  I still have a few hours to decide, right?

I have a NEW laptop!!

So, I have a new laptop people!!!  I’m back to blogging.

                                   {{{cutting a jig}}}}

I don’t exactly have any pictures uploaded on here yet. I still have to transfer all of my stuff over as well… 

BUT, I just wanted to let those of you who actually read what I write that I am back in action.

 

GO SAINTS!!

Crap and Clutter

Whilst looking at all of the beautiful home decor pictures on Pinterest…

Source: thedecorista.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

(as I’m drooling and feel the envy creep into my soul) a thought popped in my head…

I’ve decided that what makes them so appealing (other than the AWE-some designs) is that they are free from crap and clutter. 

Source: pinterest.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

When I think of a dream house, of course these types of images pop into my head.  BUT, are they realistic for people like me?  I’m one of those crafty whimsical types that would rather be working on a project than cleaning.  I’m actually jealous of my friends who have the innate cleaning and organizing talent (which I have quite a few of, btw…  secretly I’m hoping they will magically transfer some of their super powers to me!)

This is my reality.  No matter how many times in a day I pick up toys, they reappear and multiply.  In fact, if I took another picture of the exact same area right now, you would see all new crap on the floor plus some!  Can I use kids as an excuse??  I would, but look:

Source: bhg-digital.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

There are two kidlets in this picture.  Is their kid crap hidden in their rooms?  Or is it hidden in the corners of the living room that we can’t see in this picture?  (I kid, I kid…  I know it’s a staged picture, but still!)

If I let a little more light in, will my living room look any better??  Probably not, you will just be able to see more of the dust and dog hair on the floor.  (Yes, Finley is STILL climbing on the couch despite being told no.)

I think I have some potential in this room, I just don’t know how to go about putting all my ideas, clutter, and crap together to yield the result I want.  I can’t get rid of the kidlets so I supposed I’m going to have to purge some of the kid crap and my own clutter. 

Sigh…  I’m working on it!

Stress Relief

Me:     Finley, please go potty.

Finley:     No, I not need to.

Me:     Finley, don’t pee pee on my bed.  Please go potty  now.

Finley:     Runs into the bathroom

So, naturally at this point, I think he’s a good little boy and goes potty…. WRONG!!!  2 MINUTES later I see him running from the bathroom to my bed with a handful of hand towels. 

Me:     Finley, did you pee on my bed?  (I have a new white with green trim comforter…. my first comforter in 6 years)

Finley:     Attempting to clean up his mess with more towels, looks at me, and shakes his head yes

Me:      Go check out the damage…

He had naughtily retrieved the iPad from my husband’s nightstand and was playing pac man whilst laying on my bed… and you guessed it…

PEED ON THE iPAD!!!!!

(not to mention my comforter)

I should have shared that we are still in the potty training phase of life and he was naked from the waste down.  There was literally a puddle of urine on the screen.

AUGH!!!!!

I was trying to get the other kids to Tai Kwan Do on time, so I stewed about the event all evening.  In an attempt to calm my nerves, I made a bib.

 

I do feel a little bit better.  It is a really good thing that little guy is cute.  If he wasn’t so cute, there’s no telling what would have happened.  I really almost lost my cool.

 

But those eyes and smile saved him. :)

Missing Her

It’s been a month since my grandmother died…  I know it’s time for me to get back to life in its entirety, but I still don’t want to.

She died two days before her 80th birthday, and this was going to be her birthday present.  I gave it to her on her birthday anyway and she held it in her hand as I saw her for the very last time on this earth.  I know she would have loved the bling….  she was ALL about the bling!

Here is my nanny with Jack 3 years ago.  She played baseball with him ALL afternoon! 

  

She’s on the far left of this picture at the age of 15…  that’s when she married my papa.

Here are the girl granddaughters in the kitchen (that holds SO many memories) creating her memorial flowers and pictures.

 

Her memorial wreath that we made.

She also LOVED parties with cake.  We celebrated her birthday with one of her favorite colors… HOT PINK. :)

I know she’s at peace.  I know she’s happy again.  I know I will see her again. 

But, today I still miss her. 

I’m filled with regret for the times I wasn’t there.

And, my heart aches for her.

Be Still…. And Know

Have I ever mentioned that I really love to make dishtowels?? 

At my wedding shower (like a billion years ago, nonetheless), my mom talked about how you should always pray for the women in your life when you do your dishes.  She gave everyone in attendance a dishtowel and asked them to pray for me when they used it.  Every since then, I haven’t been able to look at a dishtowel the same way!

So, here is my first of several posts about these lovely little items that all of us use on a daily basis.

I designed and made this particular towel for a dear friend for Valentine’s day (she also happens to be Finley’s teacher at “school”).

I found the message to be fitting for this time of year… just a little reminder that we sometimes have to shut the noise around us out so we can hear what God wants to say.

I’m totally in love with this shabby ruffle, btw :)

I need this reminder, like every day, so I made one for myself (I’ve actually been making stuff for myself lately… wow, what a concept!).  I wash it as soon as it’s dirty and hang it right back up!!  I’m not really a fan of laundry (I’ve actually been known to buy new socks so I didn’t haven’t to sort through the old ones… horribly wasteful, I know) so that is a HUGE accomplishment for me!!

It makes me smile.

AND we all need things in life that make us smile. :)

Linking up to a few of these par-tays!!

Tribute Tuesday ~Make it Count~

I’m participating in Tribute Tuesday again today!

My tribute today:

make it count

Often, it’s easier in life to coast along and not make the effort in the small things along the way.  The humdrum of daily life, the constant and consistent circle of activity, the monotony…. 

However, it’s only a monotonous humdrum circle of life if you allow it to be so….

I choose to make every minute count…

When I look at these faces, how can I not?  I OWE it to them.  They are little pieces of my heart walking around… in front of me, beside me, and behind me.