Catch up

I am the luckiest girl alive.
I am living a great life.
Every day is so full.


I usually can't wait to crawl in to bed at night I am so exhausted.



This is why I do not blog.


I am back logged on pictures... about 6 months.... so I will just pick a few to update you on the highlights. Due to overwhelming amount of photos, there will be no editing. Someday, right?



April:

I bought some sweet chairs from Craigslist for dirt cheap (and also bought some clippers and started cutting Nate's hair so it doesn't get this long anymore, thank goodness!)
I still don't know how I want to redo them but I love the shape of them and the cane pattern on the side. So graphic. I love how the pattern is such a blend of modern and traditional right now

Exhibit A.


The chairs are currently pushed together and used as a pirate ship, as demonstrated above.





In April we also learned that Andy's crib can hold the weight of a parent.

All parties were excited about this discovery.



May:
It rained a lot.
And since water is to Andy as syrup is to Nate... it was a good month

Nate had fun too.



Then we went hiking.
My boys (all 3 of them) are never as happy as they are when they are outside.


especially when you add mud...

dad...

birdies...
and a whole field (literally) of dandy lions ripe for the picking



our hike ended at the lake
Have I told you how much I love living on Lake Michigan?
(building a dam)....(because we like play with rocks and water)
eventually we had to call it a day because Andy's lips were turning blue (the water is cold even on a hot day)



Milwaukee also has great museums and Mil County residents get in free on certain week days.

We like to pick Chris up during his lunch and spend an hour there (I bring him lunch and he eats it in the car while we drive over the the museum so he can use his lunch to play with the boys= amazing dad)


I went back to Iowa mid-May for my youngest brother, Chris's high school graduation. Nate loved it because cousins Caden and Lauren live there.
Lauren: I want my mommy
Nate: what does that mean mom?
me: that she's lonely and misses her mom
Nate: oooh Lauren, but if you leave I will miss YOU!
Lauren: Come here ya big teddy bear (and gives him a hug)
These two crack me up when they are together

The family got together to celebrate Caden's birthday that week too.
And Brian brought home from BYU his girlfriend, Becky. As you can tell, she fit right in

We came home, unpacked, went to a board meeting for the preschool (I am going to be president next year.... doin what I can to prep for the PTA ya know;) and had a great last week of school for Nate
This is Nate's bff Winfield.
He's in our ward.
He lives down the street.
He has a wonderful mom.
He likes Legos.
Another thing we love about Whitefish Bay

This is Carolyn.
They hold hands during carpet time.
She has a great mom.
She lives in Whitefish Bay too (just not down the street)
She's going to private catholic school next year.
sigh.


Okay. Chris just got home, so I am getting off the computer. More tomorrow?

Amazing website

I know my dad is going to be so annoyed that this is another design post and not pictures of the kids but I had to share this...

You all know that I couldn't find a sofa under $1,000.

This. website. is. AMAZING!!
http://www.customsofadesign.com/

A few things to entice you to check it out:

Why yes, that is the Collette bed from C&B that STARTS at $1,600. CSD's price starts at $899!


I loved this Chesterfield sofa but never found one less than $1,500. CSD's Bianca sofa starts at $899. Must be their magic number...














ahhh.... I'm in love

Classic Nate

You know how there are some people who say what everyone else is thinking? Well, that's Nate






We walked over to DQ after dinner tonight.

Nate and Andy both got cones dipped in sprinkles.

On the walk back Chris picked Andy up to run across the street. The bouncing made Andy drop his cone.

On the sidewalk.

Upside down.

Sprinkles everywhere.

Andy began to cry.

Nate says, " BOY, I'M SURE GLAD THAT WASN'T MINE!"

Chris and I just looked at each other and laughed.
It was too innocent to be malicious.

Chris salvaged the base of the cone and the ice cream that was in that. Andy looked at the pathetic offer of a cone and took it.

"Tee tu" (Thank you)

A few minutes after we got home. Nate gave Andy his ice cream cone.



I have such great kids.

Inspiration

"We live in a world where knowledge is
developing at an ever-accelerating rate.

Drink deeply from the ever-springing well
of wisdom and human experience.

If you should stop now, you will only stunt
your intellectual and spiritual growth.

Keep everlastingly at it.

Read. Read, Read.

Read the word of God
in sacred books of scripture.
Read from the great literature of the ages.
Read what is being said in our day and time
and what will be said in the future."

( Gordon B. Hinckley, Commencement Address,
Brigham Young University, April 27, 1995)


i miss him.

Know-it-all

I have been searching up and down for an affordable version of this sofa by John Derian for Cisco Brothers. With it's clean lines and minimalistic feel I thought I needed a modern furniture store. I have struck out every where I have tried.

This afternoon I gave up. Decided I am not going to find something I can afford. Instead of ordering a sofa for $X why don't I get one off of Craig's list with good bones and reupholster it and spend a fraction of the cost. Neither one is going to be exactly what I want. So why pay more?

That's when my education began.

I have spend a ridiculous amount of time online looking for anything that came close to that sofa from millions of websites. Nothing. Then I start searching Craig's List and Ebay for antique sofas and voowalla! These are from the Federal period. The second one, Sheraton style. Grrr... really wish I had taken History of Interiors in school.




Another one I oogled from Jayson Home and Garden
and it's antique counterpart. (take off the skirting and smooth out the pillow- very similar). Point being. This entire month I thought I was this new, modern woman. Not true my friends. In fact, It's the opposite (not that it bothers me, I am just relieved to have a direction to look to).

A few more of the originals:

I promise you, this style is going to come back strong.

Craig's List

I am in the market for chairs I can recycle

Okay, the last one is a bit eccentric. But isn't the first one fabulous? Reupholstered in a velvet.... I emailed out to see if any of these are available... Yay for Craig's list and yay for living in a big city with lots of Craig's list postings!

Renters Unite!

I have been neglecting my blog again because of my decorating obsession. I have decided that slip covering my sofa is not going to solve the problem. I don't like big, overstuffed furniture anymore. That's just not me. My Cape Cod bedroom, not me. So disguising the problem isn't going to solve it. (excerpt from the speech I gave Chris). So, I am getting a new sofa. I have been obsessing over how I want to do my living room. I came across a few decorating tricks for renters. Enjoy. (and book mark the blog for those links for future reference. She has good stuff).

Graphic Wallpaper done with TAPE!
Here a trellis pattern is done, but I don't see why you couldn't do any graphic design

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/01/temporary-wallpaper-alternative.html

Contact Paper!
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/02/contact-paper-wallpaper.html

Ugly student housing sink?
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-sew-pedestal-sink-skirt.html
I am too lazy to copy the pic for this- shades made from mini blinds
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-shades-out-of-mini-blinds.html
...
and one more. Make an ottoman out of a $20 Craig's list coffee table
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/03/make-ottoman-from-coffee-table.html


this one is really amazing.
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/silver-leaf-dressers.html

Sorry, I just can't stop.
Here's an amazing transformation of an IKEA dresser
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/12/hack-of-all-hacks.html

front facing bookshelves
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/11/rain-gutter-bookshelves.html
she's amazing.

Giant, custom poster anyone? You can use any image and create it yourself and print in out of your computer
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/howto-free-and-huge-custom-poster-for-your-wall/



and just for fun, feast your eyes on this bad boy

in a different fabric, of course.

It's called "the canopy chair".
Cheapest I've found starts "on sale" at $3,500.
'sigh'.
I totally would have bought it if it was 1/7 of the price.
Totally.

Andy

Andy will be 18 months next week. He is really starting to come in to his own. As my second, I view him as such a baby still (where as Nate was on his way to manhood by this age). Today he found a cat toy and brought it to me and I said, "that's for the kitty. Go give it to Kitkat" and he walked across the room, looked under the chair, and tried to lure the cat out with the toy. I just watched and realized he is not the baby I treat him as. Then I started to panic and think maybe he won't be ask inquisitive and curious and smart as Nate is because I don't explain anything to him or talk to him. You know the mom-guilt that comes whenever you realize you have done something wrong or misread a situation.
I think I treat him as a baby as a self-defense mechanism. I tell Nate we can't have another baby yet because Andy is still a baby. Only one baby at a time (and ever time I say that I say a prayer under my breath that we won't have twins because that is the type of thing that would happen to me. I make a claim and then the Lord proves me wrong- such as "We won't take a job any farther north than Iowa). So I feel like I am hanging on to his "babiness" just for the joy of having a baby in the house.

Ways he tells me he is not a baby:

Hates to be carried or held. Ever.

When I say, "Okay, Nate. It's time to go." Andy gets his shoes and sits by the door and waits for me to put them on.

After dinner he walks up to the tub (and climbs in- clothes and all)

He refuses to sit in a high chair anymore. He insists on sitting next to Nate (and then steals Nate's milk when he isn't looking)