I'm thankful for friends who I can share my "dirty laundry" with, knowing that they'll find the perfect balance between sharing in my frustration and not letting me wallow in it, between validating my feelings and expecting me to deal with things appropriately, between letting me freak out and grounding me in reality.
What's something that you're thankful for?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
BOOKS I FINISHED - MAY 2012
Europa, Europa: A Memoir of World War II, by Solomon Perel
This book was referenced in Can I See Your I.D.?, which I read last month. It's the autobiographical story of a Jewish boy who survived the Holocaust by living life as a German boy in the Hitler Youth. It's amazing what a person can and will do to simply stay alive, ridiculous how much we assume about a person simply by how they look or what they wear, and always neat to hear stories of people who did the right thing, even at great personal risk.
We Bought A Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives Forever, by Benjamin Mee
I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes to movies, but I saw a poster for this at the store and decided to read the book before watching it. What this family did is certainly interesting, but I'd have been happy if the book had been shorter. That being said, people who like lots of details about animal and/or medical information would probably be perfectly content with how it's written. Neat story, long book, looking forward to seeing the movie.
Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces, by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
Just looking at how people decorate and organize their homes.
The Safe-Keeper's Secret, by Sharon Shinn
I heard about this, the first in a trilogy, on the Sonlight forums and really enjoyed it. In fact, I just picked up the second book yesterday. This is the fictional story of Damiana, the Safe-Keeper (one who people tell their secrets to because she'll never repeat what she's told) of her village, and the two children she raised - the daughter she bore and the son who was brought to her home by a stranger.
Where Children Sleep, by James Mollison
Where Children Sleep, by James Mollison
Super easy read, as this is just a book of photos with captions for each picture. Each page has a photo of where a child sleeps, from a mattress in a field to a mat in a hut to a fancy suite in a mansion, a photo of the child, and a paragraph telling you a little about the child's life. It was fun for the kids and I to see all the different places that kids konk out at night.
Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Real Design Solutions, by Max Gillingham-Ryan
More looking at how people decorate their homes.
A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Special Education Teacher, His Class, and Their Inspiring Journey Through U.S. Space Camp, by Mike Kersjes
More looking at how people decorate their homes.
A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Special Education Teacher, His Class, and Their Inspiring Journey Through U.S. Space Camp, by Mike Kersjes
Melanie had recommended the movie by the same title to me, but I accidentally reserved the book, which I didn't know existed, from the library, not the movie. Oops. The title is pretty self-explanatory, the book is written by the teacher, and I enjoyed the book. Now I need to reserve the movie.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
BLISS
Want to see what I made this morning?
Notice the shells? The sand? I was on the beach!
I just spent four nights and three days out of town. With four other women. In a beachfront condo. With hours of Bananagrams, plenty of books and magazines, time for movies and shopping, a pedicure, more food than I ever should have eaten, a couple hours with my step-sister, and a quick visit with a friend on the way back home.
So thankful for the chance to escape reality for a few days!!
Notice the shells? The sand? I was on the beach!
I just spent four nights and three days out of town. With four other women. In a beachfront condo. With hours of Bananagrams, plenty of books and magazines, time for movies and shopping, a pedicure, more food than I ever should have eaten, a couple hours with my step-sister, and a quick visit with a friend on the way back home.
So thankful for the chance to escape reality for a few days!!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I LOVE OUR HOUSE #4
I've been talking about decorating and painting projects lately, but it's been a while since I did a post about something I love about our house. Periodically I'll think of things that would make a good post, but it's always when I'm changing a diaper, cooking dinner, or driving down the freeway. Not very convenient times for posting.
Anyway, here's another little thing I love about our house. The bathroom window.
I've never had a bathroom with a window before. It's wonderful! The mirror on the opposite wall that reflects much of the natural light is a bonus.
I love the fact that we very rarely have to turn on a light in this bathroom. I love opening the window to let the steam from a scalding hot shower go outside. I love a fresh breeze blowing in on a warm spring day.
Anyway, here's another little thing I love about our house. The bathroom window.
I've never had a bathroom with a window before. It's wonderful! The mirror on the opposite wall that reflects much of the natural light is a bonus.
I love the fact that we very rarely have to turn on a light in this bathroom. I love opening the window to let the steam from a scalding hot shower go outside. I love a fresh breeze blowing in on a warm spring day.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
IT'S BAAAAAACK!
Two years ago we had to find a temporary, but long-term, home for our piano. A family at church had kids who wanted to take lessons, but they didn't want to buy a piano and then find out the kids weren't that interested after all. So, they got a free piano to try out and we got free storage for two years. They waited for us to move out of the apartment, have a baby, get settled in our new house, and then delivered our piano back to us last night.
I can't wait for this wall to be green with a bunch of white-framed family pictures on it, but for now it's great to see the backs of three little Ws' heads as they play some music together.
In unrelated news, anyone want to guess which little W hung the paper chain in the corner and what it's for?
Saturday, May 19, 2012
I'M REARRANGING. HELP!
When one has five million things to do, is single parenting, and wants to crawl into bed, then it's the perfect time to start rearranging. Right? Well, that's what I'm doing right now.
Want to help me brainstorm? I have a brain cramp and can't figure out what to do.
Disclaimer: This post is going to be very "real life" because my house looks like it's been ignored for a few days. Why? Because that's exactly what's happened. Sick kids and an absent husband lead to house neglect. Why bother tidying up those messes, though, if you can make a bigger one by rearranging?!
Anyway, here's where I started. Please ignore the stripes of green paint. Just trying to figure out what color to paint this part of the house.
Disclaimer: The electric fireplace that's been sitting in the middle of the floor for three weeks will eventually go to the garage and get put on Craigslist. Tomorrow, in fact. I can't lift it myself and Tim hasn't really been around this month to do it for me.
We're getting our piano back next week and it's going on this wall. I'll be hanging our collection of white-framed family photos above the piano. We've had this desk and a rocking chair in that corner, simply because we hadn't figured out a good place to put them, but the piano will take up virtually all that space. So, I set out to find a new space for the rocker. (The desk is going to the garage while I decide whether or not to keep it.) There's not any place for the rocker in the living room, so I thought about putting it in the master bedroom.
Off to the bedroom we go.
Disclaimer: We don't normally keep potted plants on the bedroom floor, but I was afraid they'd topple off the furniture I was moving.
There's a mirrored closet on the right, which is where that funky reflection is coming from. Sorry about that.
The space to the right of the window used to have a dresser in it, but I thought the rocking chair might fit there. It did, but it just seemed ... I don't know. It didn't look like it belonged there. Maybe there's another way to make it work in our room, but I'm not seeing it. I'll give you a peek at the rest of the room, in case you have some brilliant idea I'm missing.
Disclaimer: We don't normally keep everything we own on top of our bed. However, Teebs has been quarantined to our room for sleeping until Naomi is healthy and I threw his pack 'n play on top of the bed so I could move the dresser and vacuum. And the cardboard box? Filled with the family pictures that will go above the piano. And the laundry basket? Filled with random stuff I picked up around the house that needs to get put away. And the pile of other junk? The things I intended to take care of today but was too busy to deal with. All put on the bed for the same reason as the pack 'n play.
That's the bed and nightstands. No room for a rocker there.
Disclaimer: We don't usually keep puzzle tables in the middle of our room, but it just got taken down by one of the little Ws and I haven't had a chance to put it away.
This is the wall to the left of the bedroom door and that's the dresser that used to be to the right of the window. The dresser that will be white someday. No room for a rocker there because it's the path to the bathroom.
In case you were going to suggest moving the bed to under the window, we can't because it covers the one and only heating vent in that room. Sooooo ... yeah. I don't think it will fit in our room.
Here's where I put it.
This is opposite the piano wall and next to the non-opening side of the sliding door. I don't know if I like it there or not, but I don't dislike it. It's the best option I've come up with so far. Suggestions?
So there's rearranging problem numero uno. The rocker.
Next up? The secretary. Here's the picture I took right after I painted.
I love, love, looooove this piece of furniture, but I don't like it there. It seems too formal for the room or something. I have a dresser that stores toys in another room and I pulled it in to see what it would look like. Moving the book-filled secretary is a big job, so I'm not doing that unless I know for sure where I'm going to put it. So, here's a shot of the dresser in front of the secretary. At least it gives you an idea of what it would look like shoved against the wall. I like it a lot better!
Disclaimer: This 103 degree bundle of childhood is part of the reason the rest of my house looks neglected. Poor kid.
That white dresser used to be in the dining area and it's the only other place the secretary would fit, but I don't think I'll like it there. Well, I suppose it could go in our room, but I don't think it would look right in there either. Here's the dining room option.
For reference, the piano will be just on the other side of that laundry room door. The previous owners actually had a huge hutch right in this spot, but I just think the secretary would look odd right next to the fridge. Don't you?
And just to throw one more little thing in the mix, I present this chair.
It's the same stain as the secretary and I love it! It's been in the garage because the seat needs to be repaired, but this is a major case of "out of sight, out of mind". The only way it's going to get fixed is if I see it every day and want to sit in it. But .... I don't know where to put it. Shocking, I know.
So, anyone want to tell me what to do?
Want to help me brainstorm? I have a brain cramp and can't figure out what to do.
Disclaimer: This post is going to be very "real life" because my house looks like it's been ignored for a few days. Why? Because that's exactly what's happened. Sick kids and an absent husband lead to house neglect. Why bother tidying up those messes, though, if you can make a bigger one by rearranging?!
Anyway, here's where I started. Please ignore the stripes of green paint. Just trying to figure out what color to paint this part of the house.
Disclaimer: The electric fireplace that's been sitting in the middle of the floor for three weeks will eventually go to the garage and get put on Craigslist. Tomorrow, in fact. I can't lift it myself and Tim hasn't really been around this month to do it for me.
We're getting our piano back next week and it's going on this wall. I'll be hanging our collection of white-framed family photos above the piano. We've had this desk and a rocking chair in that corner, simply because we hadn't figured out a good place to put them, but the piano will take up virtually all that space. So, I set out to find a new space for the rocker. (The desk is going to the garage while I decide whether or not to keep it.) There's not any place for the rocker in the living room, so I thought about putting it in the master bedroom.
Off to the bedroom we go.
Disclaimer: We don't normally keep potted plants on the bedroom floor, but I was afraid they'd topple off the furniture I was moving.
There's a mirrored closet on the right, which is where that funky reflection is coming from. Sorry about that.
The space to the right of the window used to have a dresser in it, but I thought the rocking chair might fit there. It did, but it just seemed ... I don't know. It didn't look like it belonged there. Maybe there's another way to make it work in our room, but I'm not seeing it. I'll give you a peek at the rest of the room, in case you have some brilliant idea I'm missing.
Disclaimer: We don't normally keep everything we own on top of our bed. However, Teebs has been quarantined to our room for sleeping until Naomi is healthy and I threw his pack 'n play on top of the bed so I could move the dresser and vacuum. And the cardboard box? Filled with the family pictures that will go above the piano. And the laundry basket? Filled with random stuff I picked up around the house that needs to get put away. And the pile of other junk? The things I intended to take care of today but was too busy to deal with. All put on the bed for the same reason as the pack 'n play.
That's the bed and nightstands. No room for a rocker there.
Disclaimer: We don't usually keep puzzle tables in the middle of our room, but it just got taken down by one of the little Ws and I haven't had a chance to put it away.
This is the wall to the left of the bedroom door and that's the dresser that used to be to the right of the window. The dresser that will be white someday. No room for a rocker there because it's the path to the bathroom.
In case you were going to suggest moving the bed to under the window, we can't because it covers the one and only heating vent in that room. Sooooo ... yeah. I don't think it will fit in our room.
Here's where I put it.
This is opposite the piano wall and next to the non-opening side of the sliding door. I don't know if I like it there or not, but I don't dislike it. It's the best option I've come up with so far. Suggestions?
So there's rearranging problem numero uno. The rocker.
Next up? The secretary. Here's the picture I took right after I painted.
I love, love, looooove this piece of furniture, but I don't like it there. It seems too formal for the room or something. I have a dresser that stores toys in another room and I pulled it in to see what it would look like. Moving the book-filled secretary is a big job, so I'm not doing that unless I know for sure where I'm going to put it. So, here's a shot of the dresser in front of the secretary. At least it gives you an idea of what it would look like shoved against the wall. I like it a lot better!
Disclaimer: This 103 degree bundle of childhood is part of the reason the rest of my house looks neglected. Poor kid.
That white dresser used to be in the dining area and it's the only other place the secretary would fit, but I don't think I'll like it there. Well, I suppose it could go in our room, but I don't think it would look right in there either. Here's the dining room option.
For reference, the piano will be just on the other side of that laundry room door. The previous owners actually had a huge hutch right in this spot, but I just think the secretary would look odd right next to the fridge. Don't you?
And just to throw one more little thing in the mix, I present this chair.
It's the same stain as the secretary and I love it! It's been in the garage because the seat needs to be repaired, but this is a major case of "out of sight, out of mind". The only way it's going to get fixed is if I see it every day and want to sit in it. But .... I don't know where to put it. Shocking, I know.
So, anyone want to tell me what to do?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)