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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Heard at Our House

Mommy , sometimes wittle boys jus’ wanna know what mommies and daddies are doing! (At 3 am, after being asked why he is out of HIS bed and standing next to MINE.)



Mommy! WHY I can’t get attention? (Also at 3 am, when being put back into his own bed.)



I dint know that octopuses could talk and walk and pway piano!!! (after seeing Davey Jones from Pirates of the Carribean)



Don’t get Captain America wet! (after being asked what we are supposed to do when we wear big-boy underwear)



Daddy, can I hear the first Shewl Cwoe song, pweease? PWEEASE!?!?!? (when being strapped into the car seat. Did you get that? He likes Sheryl Crowe)



Mommy! I need a bafff! My SELF is dirty! SEE! My SELF is dirty! (upon bursting into the bathroom while Mommy was trying to take a long hot bath…sigh!)



Mommy! Daddy wet me watch Shwek in SPANISH! (Yes he did! And this kid was FASCINATED by it!)



Have a GWEAT DAY, Mommy! Dwive SAFE! (when Mommy is leaving the house)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday Fill-Ins #165

ffi


1. A cup of tea isn’t going to cut it.  I need coffee. 
2. Laughter makes a place feel like home. 
3. Everything has its beauty if you stop, look and listen.
4. Why can’t bubble gum manufacturers do a good job of duplicating the taste of strawberries?
5. Art makes me long to create.
6. LOL I just noticed I forgot my thumb drive. I should keep better track of that thing.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pizza night and stories in the “big bed”, as always, tomorrow my plans include laundry, grocery shopping and church and Sunday, I want to scrapbook! (And I’ve been promised time to do so by the hubs!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Confessions

I saw this on the Rachel's blog today and thought it might be fun to play along.

1)  Today, I felt the overwhelming urge to explore adoption.  I already have two beautiful boys, but I went to the most moving talk given by Tom Davis from Children's Hope Chest and I almost couldn't breathe when he was describing what happens to orphans in Russia and Africa.

2)  I'm the sort of radical Christian that thinks that faith is fostered in the field, not the church.  Church is like the kitchen of Christianity - it is where we are fed. Where is the rest of the house of the Christian?  Out in the world...with the gypsies, tramps and thieves. We can do more to foster the Kingdom at the post office than in the pew.

3)  I am a control freak. (Ok...that may not be a confession, per se.  Lots of people already know that about me.)

4)  I feel guilty not being the one that cleans my house...is that some kind of 50's throw back or should I really feel guilty?  I work outside of the home...I would rather spend my time with my family or doing creative things.

5)  I THINK about being creative far more than I actually DO creative.

6)  I love cupcakes.

7)  I love board games, but rarely get to play them...and Chutes and Ladders DOES NOT COUNT (I actually get to play that more than I want to!)

8)  I once wanted to be an interior designer with specialty in historical restoration.

9)  I love country music (among many others, but country is DEFINITELY one of my faves!)

10)  Food Network and Cookbooks are among my greatest inspirations, but I rarely try new recipes.  My family doesn't usually appreciate the novelty of a new meal, so I often skip trying and stick to drooling over new recipes.

How about you? Whatchaconfessin'?

Peace, ya'll!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Fun With Monday Muse

I will start with a little scrappy goodness for today’s fun.

If I was scrapping the Monday Muse, I would start with basic white cardstock, then quickly build some layers with Bazzill Edged cardstock in Coal, Black paper with a dainty white swiss dot from Jenni Bowlin, a bold red with larger polka dots from October Afternoon and a red damask shaped cardstock with a black border also from Jenni Bowlin:


I would duplicate the beaded necklace with something like one of these from Prima Marketing:


Or perhaps something from the Making Memories gem box in black:


The flower? Also something from Prima…Maybe Baroque Blooms: (they really do have the best flowers in the industry!)


Now about that cocktail ring…well…maybe another little bit of nice from Prima – say one of these Say It With Studs :


I personally would add my own twist to this combo – a little butterfly magic. Mostly likely one of these from Jenni Bowlin:


Some other interpretations?

Here’s a simple and beautiful table from Dwell:


This 1” X 1” paper squares digital download from download:


(She shows these being used to make the super cute tile necklaces on her site…GORGEOUS!)

These beautiful rose and zebra earrings from The Silver Dog:


This little tote from Three Paper Cherries is adorable.


This is a gorgeous wedding cake from Pink Cake Box:

Cherry Blossom Sakura Wedding Cake

So…what would you do with this inspiration?

Peace, ya’ll!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Monday Muse

You can never go wrong with the basics.

Today’s Muse comes from White House Black Market. Its this gorgeous little outfit and all its luscious details:



Red, White and Black kicked up a notch, the classic little cardigan with a beautiful twist, sleek ponytail and classic shapes.

First of all, I love the retro vibe it has.

I so adore the tiny white polkadots under those large and luscious flowers.

Look at this gorgeous necklace and red flower brooch.


And the cocktail ring is TO DIE FOR!


This feels Breakfast at Tiffany’s chic and California relaxed.

I love it!

How about you?

Friday, February 19, 2010

Friday Fill-Ins #164

1. Johnny Weir is kinda weird for me. I don’t understand all the feathers.

2. Curling is the oddest sport I’ve watched in the 2010 Olympics. But honestly, I’ve not kept up very well.

3. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud still seemed like the easiest thing to do. Of course, what is easy is not always what is best.

4. Play with the kids, have pancakes, get out and enjoy some fresh air if you get an urge. Life is worth slowing down for!

5. Having sweet dreams is something I don’t sleep long enough to attain.

6. What does it take to live a life crucified? Daily I take up my cross....

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with our 2 becoming one group, tomorrow my plans include snuggling my boys and paying attention to every little bit of them and Sunday, I want to scrapbook…of course, the kids might have something to say about that!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Uberlist

Rachel posted a little about The Uberlist…it sounded so intriguing…so I googled it, of course!

Rather than a list of resolutions, intentions or goals, it is simply a very expansive To Do list…I love To Do lists…

Here is what it boils down to:

The idea is to make a to do list for the coming year with as many items as the number of the year – so for 2010, there would be 110 items. Some things are everyday tasks, some are bigger, some are things you would (should) be doing anyway and others are stretch goals, some are wants/wishes/hoped-fors and some are have tos.

If you want to start your own, it is essentially a three part process:

1) Choose 110 tasks – they should be simple, clear and measurable to the extend that you could say “Done” or “Not done” You may want to break big huge tasks into more easily accomplished steps. For example, in the case of my husband’s recent office move, instead of saying “unpack office boxes” he could say, “Unpack book box and shelve” or something like that.

2) Organize and categorize – this may be an optional step for some…but it seems to me that my goals tend to run in themes and that keeping like items together is a necessity to good organization. It makes it WAY easier to check things OFF a To Do list if you see them all in one spot.

3) Share your list. Or post your list. Or tape your list to the fridge. This accomplishes two things…it is forever in front of you to remind you what’s on it and public lists are harder to abandon.
On other thing…you might want to set a date with yourself to regularly review progress on your list…like…once a month or something.

I've been giving this a try rather than broad sweeping goals this Year…who knows! I might actually accomplish something, here!

I've got my list only about 1/2 way done...(I know its February!!!!)

The good thing is that there are already some things checked off the list!

WOOHOO!!!

So...what-cha think?

Peace, Everyone!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Are you Nouveau Retro?

Here’s the concept:

Nouveau is an adjective meaning newly or recently created, developed, or come to prominence.

Retro, of course, means Involving, relating to, or reminiscent of things past.

So…Nouveau Retro means – Da Da Da DAAAAAA – something that is NEW that is purposefully designed to look like or remind us of something OLD – which is hardly a “new” concept at all, when you think about it.

I guess I AM Nouveau Retro if we are talking about craftsman furniture and the whole Arts & Crafts movement a la Greene and Greene or Stickley:


I like solid wood and the cozy warmth that real wood, glass, and leather seem to naturally have.


I even prefer these warm, cozy and saturated sorts of colors in my art.



The latest Nouveau Retro trend has a very thrift store sort of vibe to it…


Not that I’m against a creative and eclectic gathering of things one loves …I’m SO for that sort concept. I love this idea that one would fill spaces with things that plucks the heartstrings and fills the head with creative ideas.


This generation of the trend also seems to mix a lot of retro eras into one space – perhaps elements of the 40’s through the 80’s all included.


It gives the impression that a group of objects were amassed over time and that the time over which they were gathered might have been multi-generational.


I got to wondering if there is a metaphor for our culture.


Does this mean that so many by-gone eras, each highly distinct, are so mis-understood, mis-represented in the media that the current generations cannot tell one “retro” from another?


Or does it mean that we have begun to recognize that time is like a river and that generations of people tend to flow into one another, providing direction, memory, guidance, and problems to clean up.


Is it that we find the past kitschy and humorous and need to see the follies to remind ourselves where not to go?


Or that we have started to appreciate that everyone’s story is precious and tender and worth telling?



Perhaps it that we are simply tired of planned obsolescence and the frivolity of cheap, throw-away stuff and are looking for objects to fill our lives that bear not only the weight of real substance, but the weight of stories and memories. Perhaps we are looking to ground ourselves to something with a lasting quality…


Maybe in this age of digital photos, virtual games, video meetings and mobile telephones, we want something that will withstand the march of time and remain ever a sold surface for us to lay our hands upon…



What do you think?

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Fun with Monday Muse

After posting yesteday's Monday Muse, I got to thinking about some of the products I might use if I were to scrap that color scheme...

Here's what I came up with...

Depending on the photo, my base would start either here:


Or Here:


Crate Paper has a beautiful new line called Brook that has some definate possibilities for patterns:


I like to mix in patterns, so perhaps this paper from Reminisce might be an addition:


Or this one called Delight, also by Crate Paper:


And that little pop of orange? Most likely a button or two from Jenni Bowlin's new Vintage Style Buttons in Orange:


Or...maybe these foam thickers from American Crafts in Pumpkin:


Some other things I found?

This gorgeous print from Lucky Bluebird Art:


This gorgeous fabric pallet for childrens bedding from Tiptoe Studio (which I might punctuate with some orange chinese lanterns or an orange throw pillow):



And this unbelievably beautiful thing from Streetnoodles:


What do you think?

Peace, ya'll!!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Monday Muse

I’m starting a new little thing here on the bloggy…

Its called Monday Muse…on each Monday I’ll post something that has caught my eye, ear or spirit that I’m considering for art work…

This week I am absolutely fascinated with the January Cover of BH&G…


LOVE the gray, white, turquoise and lemon of this cover…

AND the headline: GET ORGANIZED…

I’m also in love with the elements in the photo…like that little orange nail brush, the silver trinket box, the hurricane jars filled with soaps, bath salts and cotton balls, the rolled towels, and those beautiful little boxes in the bottom corners.

This cover looks to me like a sunflower on a gray winter day, like the promise of springtime, like a new year with new organization and new possibilities…

Its just yummy!!!

What are you finding inspiring this week?

Peace, ya’ll!!!

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

fun at our house

In our house, we can be found rewinding commericals rather than shows...Jayden often says "Play it again, Daddy!" and thanks to the wonder of DVR we can rewind all sorts of interesting commercials...

THIS was seen the other day and has been played over and over again in our house:



The little man knows every word and can be heard marching through the house reciting it...

The Kobe/LeBron puppets are big favorites around here...like this one:



(Hey, come to think of it, Dez is a LOT like Jay!)

He likes these for the song: (big Cat Stevens fan, this little boy)





And this one just seems magical to him:



All the commercial watching made me think of some of the commercials that I found entertaining as a kid...you know...the ones that added new expressions to my repetoire...

Like this:



And this one:



Oh...and this one generated an expression still often used:



I'm actually a big fan of sports commercials...they are SO inspiring!





What are YOUR faves?

Monday, February 01, 2010

One Little Word…At last!

I posted earlier that I was participating in ONE LITTLE WORD again this year.

For 2009, my word was NURTURE.

For 2008, my word was RENEW.

I have to be honest…I don’t think I’ve lived up to my words in either year. I also have to be honest about something else..I documented in my first post of 2008 that I was glad to see 2007 go…

well…

I’ve been glad to see each of the last three years go. These last three years have been huge with joy and blessings, but also huge with conflict, struggle, anger, bitterness and hopelessness. (How awesome is it to be really honest about how things are going?)

Through it all, God has shown Himself strong and I remain thoroughly convinced that in addition to giving me some amazing fruit - like Jayden, Noah and all the girls in my life group - He has also been doing some pruing.  And...well...pruning is painful!

I considered doing Nurture again for 2010…as having two boys and a husband much in need of momma’s attention make the word very appropriate. AND I feel as though it would be something I wouldn’t have to work too hard to keep in the front of my mind throughout the year.

But…for this year, I think a more appropriate approach would be the word CULTIVATE.

CULTIVATE is defined:
1. To improve and prepare
2. To grow or tend
3. To promote the growth of
4. To nurture; foster
5. To form and refine, as by education.
6. To seek the acquaintance or goodwill of; make friends with.

There is much I wish to cultivate…things I wish to improve, grow, tend, refine, to make friends with.

This word reflects my desire to show good stewardship over my blessings, to provide good leadership, to make my witness to those around me, especially my children, a good and wholesome witness.

I received some powerful insight just after Christmas – that I am no longer who I was, that I am not stuck with who I once was. The revelation that my journey has taken me far from the person I once was has given me fresh perspective. Its as though I suddenly see the things around me with new sunshine.

So…I suppose you could just call me “farmer Felecia”

I’m off to cultivate the life I’ve been meant to be living!!

Peace, ya’ll!