Need Your Opinion...Please!

This tray is a recent find of mine...it would look great as a side table on one of those tray stands (except I don't have one of those and I don't have room to put it anywhere as a table- did that stop me from buying it...? no!)

So I propped it up in front of the fireplace to act as a "fireplace screen" so to speak. Oh, I have been coveting a gorgeous screen in a catalog for at least 6 months - slight problem is that it is $400 plus additional $100 for shipping & handling. Now my hubby doesn't think spending that kind of money on something that will be purely decorative (he doesn't have the "vision" that I have but thank goodness he keeps me grounded...sigh...) being that our fireplace is gas and has a glass door on the front.

But my eye always go to the black hole that is there and this is Summer! - it needs some brightening up. So until I can "squirrel away" enough money (I am thinking of raiding the loose change jar! anyone feel like rolling pennies with me..? anyone...?) to buy the fireplace screen of my dreams - does this LOOK STUPID...?

Please feel free to offer suggestions!

What was I thinking...?

Did I really say I would have more time to "Blog" when my kids were home for the summer..? What was I thinking...? Must have had a momentary lapse of REALITY WITH MY KIDS!



I have been chained to my kitchen! When did they start acting like cavemen that haven't seen food in months..? I have become a short order cook. Oh and a referee too. Sheesh! Remind me again why I was so anxious for school to end?



Oh that's right - it was the loads of homework that I was complaining about...well, which is the lesser of the two evils now...a little homework or having 3 screaming, fighting, hungry, bored kids home ALL DAY with you..? and this is in between the dozen or so summer birthday parties since school has ended that they have attended, the many "can't miss Blockbuster" movies they've seen, the visits with Grandma and summer art classes...and they still have time to fight! and make messes!


Well, guess what I did..? I ran out and signed the older two kids up for CAMP! Yep, sleepaway camp for one week..hee-hee! I know, I felt so brave signing them up, now I am a little unsure. My 11 year old daughter is completely ecstatic! All her little friends are going. BUT, my now 9 year old son, is a bit more apprehensive. He's got two buddies from school signed up to be in his cabin but still...he is a mama's boy. I hope I don't cry when they get on the bus....what was I thinking!?



We've got the in laws flying in on Monday to spend the summer with us. I have been in Ultra Panic Cleaning Mode. And you all know that's really impossible with 3 kids home...you clean one room... dusting, vacuuming, artfully arranging your knick knacks. You leave the room to perhaps answer the phone, use the bathroom, refill your coffee cup and come back to complete and utter chaos...seriously. I don't know how they do it but they do.


So I am cleaning out closets, drawers, tackling my mound-o-laundry. You know, the stuff that you can "disguise" when someone comes to visit for an afternoon... but when you've got one staying a few months.....welllll, that's just a teeny bit different. You know eventually your houseguest will make their way to that closet that is jammed packed with everything from holiday decorations, abandoned sewing projects and extra toilet paper rolls that are strewn everywhere (oh? you don't have a closet like that...? I do!) and your cover is blown. Too risky for me...we aren't talking your best girlfriend from college - we are talking MOTHER IN LAW! (screams of horror follow!)


No, I do have great in laws - I would just prefer that they NOT see the messy side of me. No dirty laundry - literally. And I will have to IRON. my husband will be so happy! :)


So my dear blogger friends, I am still here - just buried under laundry and family obligations. I bid you Adieu!

Slumber Party Review

Holy Moly! And I thought I was prepared!...... I was totally unaware of the emotional turmoil 10 little eleven year old girls dish out! We had lots of ups & downs this weekend but I am pretty sure all enjoyed themselves (once the pouting in the corner was over!)

We did the spa treatment which only took 45 minutes! I was anticipating a good hour and a half.... (only 8 girls at the salon - 2 were arriving later)



Decisions, decisions....

On to the pizza parlor...with me trying to S T R E T C H out the activities by dishing out quarters for the arcade games...

We got home and they played on the trampoline for a while, did a bit of dress up ("she got the good belt!.... How come she gets to wear the black high heels?!..... I want to wear the veil!")

Then me dashing out to KFC for some Popcorn Chicken to feed a small army.

That's my 3 year old (who dressed himself!) vacuuming up after those messy girls! :)

Cake, presents, crafts(remember my carefully thought out plan of constructing a simple tie fringe pillow? haaaaa! Well let's just say I think there was more pillow stuffing ALL OVER the room than in the pillows themselves!), popcorn, pillow fights, 1:30 am frantic call on walkie talkie because there was a spider in the bathtub (who was taking a shower at 1:30 in the morning?!), 6:15 am wake up call from outside our bedroom window - they were jumping on the trampoline!!.... only to fall back asleep until 9 am (for some this was the ONLY time they slept).

Then Breakfast with these Good Morning Merry Sunshine Girls.. (Not!).

With me glancing at the clock every 10 minutes - (tick, tick, tick...) the countdown until the parents arrival and claiming of their darlings... ..

We had a group of parents hanging out with us having coffee and chuckling over the details of the party.......Last child left at 1 p.m.....sigh...time to relax!...then my husband looks at me and says ...those dreaded words..."I'm hungry...." ....Can I kill him...? This is the man who slept in until 10:00 am while I was downstairs feeding a small army! But he never does that - he is the early riser, let's go to church type of guy so I guess I can allow him that one day to sleep in.

We had to gather up our middle child (8 year old son) from his cousin's house (remember he had been "banned" from the house?) so we decided to stop for lunch. But at the restaurant, I must have looked so haggard for the waitress asked me if I wanted a cocktail... Ding, ding ding!! Oh yes, you betcha!... I thoroughly enjoyed the largest Margarita I had ever seen!

So with a nice margarita & a thousand calorie meal consumed, I was nearly comatose (& drooling!) on the way home. Just what I needed!

Sorry - I meant to post this earlier this week but last minute school activities have kept me otherwise engaged, some family arrived from out of state unexpectedly and in the small snippets of time I was trying to post -I have been having a bit of trouble loading pictures..? Anyone else having that problem? Anyway Thanks so much for all the concerned comments on my welfare! Some had me saying "awww!" and others had me chuckling! But it was nice knowing my blogger friends were concerned! Only four more school days and then I will be free to visit with all of you! :)

Countdown to Slumber Party!!

Saturday is the big sleepover for my now 11 year old daughter. I have been running around like crazy this week trying to get organized for the big day. I think I have been to the grocery store about 4 times! Her real birthday was yesterday, but in between me running around ordering cake and finalizing plans and calling back all the lovely Moms who left me questions on the answering machine, going to the school for an assembly only to realize that instead of 9 am- it's at 2 pm (agh!) and then to realize that I must have left the video camera turned on from the non-existent 9 a.m. showing so that it sat in the car until 2 pm. and died! Our little puppy, Daisy had her "girl surgery" this week and is quite upset with her new satellite dish collar and doesn't understand the term "limited activity" and wants to go out and play! So she sits and HOWLS all day!! All this and dragging the wonderful, temperamental 3 year old with me. I am wiped out and we haven't even had the party yet!



The big plan is to have the girls dropped off at a local salon for a "Princess" manicure & pedicure. Afterward on to pizza (good old standby - who doesn't like pizza?) and then home for the ice cream cake & sleepover.



BUT what to do with 10 little pre-teen girls who all feel they are sooooooo mature? Too grown up for American Girl dolls (what?! I really enjoyed buying all those cute little matching and oh so expensive clothes for my daughter & doll. I am not ready to tuck away her small collection of them just yet.)



So we have a few simple crafts....they can personalize their new pair of flipflops that I will present to them at the salon (can't ruin their newly painted toenails squeezing their feet back into tennis shoes!) with glitterglue, stickers and fuzzy tie on thingys. Also ready for them is to make a small- pink- camouflage- heart shaped -fleece- tie fringe pillow (did that make sense?) Then I have also on standby - 3 containers worth of costumes and wigs and highheels for them to doll themselves up with. Not to mention the 6 bags of chips, cookies, sodas and other misc sleepover junk food.



I did the parent lock on all the "adult" type of channels and I am not talking the Playboy channel - just the basic Showtimes & HBO's that play really explicit movies at 10 p.m. on weekends...(only according to the tv guide! haa-haa!)

Got the fridge stocked up with a myriad of breakfast foods. I'm making waffles!! got walkie talkies waiting ( my idea of a baby monitor in the room with them got vetoed!) for any middle of the night meltdowns...8 year old brother has been banished from the house for the night (sleeping over at his cousin's house) Can't do much about the 3 year old, who knows?.. maybe they will dress him up too - he doesn't mind the attention - he usually calls his big sister's friends "sweetie". Got the goodie bags waiting by the door to send the newly polished/painted/soda hangovers/sleep deprived little darlings on home with....

Am I forgetting anything..? Okay - seasoned Moms out there...am I leaving anything out...? mayday...mayday...I've only got 24 hours & counting....

Leave me a comment if you can think of anything! :)

TO DO LIST

Ever feel like when you have so much to do......you don't know what to do, so you do nothing?

That's me today...a To Do List a mile long and I am running around here like a chicken with it's head cut off.

For example, after the usual hectic morning of taking the kids to school, I was of the mindset of tackling the dreaded To Do List. Started with something simple, still feeling optimistic at this point.

A new candle sconce is propped up against the wall in the hallway, just waiting for me to hang it but first I need screws...okay, so I go out to the garage, grab a handful and put them in my pocket for safe keeping. Turn to go back into house and see that the dogs have no water, so start filling the water bowl, then notice that my unplanted plants sitting there waiting for me to do something with them (another item on my list!), need watering..okay got the hose out already, spray those...oh look, here comes the 3 year old...shoot! can't hide, he already saw me... His Turn to water the flowers. Sigh...okay, not too much water. Good boy, let's go inside now.

Oh no! He spotted his battery operated monster truck in the garage! that means we have to open the garage door so he can back up and re-park it "just so" six times.

Okay enticed him back into the house with his favorite cartoons. Before he can be settled we have to get the tv tray set up with his favorite snack -cut strawberries. Sounds easy right? Told you before, he is a "hands on" kind of kid. He has to first inspect and select each strawberry before I am allowed to wash & cut for him. There! Now what was I going to do...? hmmm...

Oh ya!...take pictures of my recent projects for my blog...okay...where's the camera...? Go looking upstairs...oh look at all the laundry! sheesh I swear it looks like I TAKE IN laundry for business...gotta put a load in.

Where was I?...that's right ! I was going to finish sewing my bedroom curtains! Tired of looking at paper shades in our windows. Sewing machine has been set up on the kitchen table for about a week, mocking me. Okay...who took the scissors...? Now on mission hunting down my good scissors that were supposed to be in my sewing basket. Must be that other person "Not Me" who took them again...darn him!

Cell phone ringing...where'd I put it down? I hear it...where is it? Found it in my sweatshirt pocket along with...screws? what was I doing with screws in my pocket?... "Hello.?" oh, just the Husband calling me to say"don't forget I need.....and.......also....." sigh...... "Sure dear, good bye"...sigh.....now what's with the screws in my pocket?

Oh that's right, I was going to install the curtain tiebacks in the dining room! sheesh...I am so forgetful! Go into dining room and struggle for 5 minutes with tape measure...need a pencil to mark the wall before I start drilling. Measure twice...drill once? So as I walk into the office to find a pencil, congratulating myself on taking the extra "pre" steps so my projects turn out right, I notice I left my computer on...won't hurt to check it for a minute right?

A few emails and a game of solitare later (you know just to clear my head so I can focus) the 3 year old comes and finds me. My 22 minutes of uninterrupted time is over. Now we are on the hunt for "the toy"...you know the one I mean...the one that never gets "found". Upstairs in his room, I see his horribly messy closet...clothes and toys tossed everywhere, wait a second, I need to go get a garbage bag and donate some of this stuff to goodwill. Head downstairs to mudroom in search of garbage bags.

Find instead the camera! Oh! Yes, I need to go out to the outside guest room and take a picture of the little dresser I just finished to post on my neglected blog! Silly girl...I would lose my head if it wasn't attached...

A few snapshots later, I am back in the office loading them into my computer... Three year old finds me again...now he sets up his little Thomas The Train Computer right next to me so he can be like Momma and sits on my lap...we play many rounds of "what letter sounds like..."

Three year old wanders off to terrorize his big brother's room. I am just happy that I can refocus on my gigantic To Do List. Let's see...what to do...? Make Lunch!...yes fuel for the body & mind...Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets it is! hey...remember I've got a 3 year old here! it's alot better than his request of popcorn for lunch and that was a battle.

After lunch I pull out my best friend ... the vacuum. My saving grace in more ways than one...when you hear your name being called by either your 3 offspring or the GROWN man you've married - quickly turn it on to drown out their requests and do the "what? I can't HEAR YOU, I'm vacuuming!" Forcing them to be self sufficient or most likely to give up on what they were hunting you down for.

So after vacuuming and digging out the kids socks from under the couch, also scraping off from the wood floor, the little tiny stickers that I bribed the youngest with yesterday while shopping at Michael's, I was ready to tackle my To Do List once again.

Find or make costume for 8 year old's book report on civil war hero for next week....sigh...only 3 more weeks of school...can't...take....much...more....

Did I also mention that we are having guests over on Saturday? Or that the following weekend I am hosting a 10 girl sleepover/birthday party? Still need to organize crafts, food, cake, BUY PRESENTS for my daughter....What was it the husband had called for again...? completely slipped my mind..

Focus! Focus! That's right...have to clean house, finish curtains, hang the multitude of "things" that are currently propped up against the bottom portion of each wall, clean youngest's closet, make costume, order cake, go food shopping for Saturday in between cleaning & picking up daughter from another party, plant now disengrating plants into new pots,

clean up backyard, laundry,take Daisy to vet,

figure out what the husband wanted, make dinner,

organize guest room for inlaws visit,

buy presents for Teacher Appreciation week, find & fill out:

Field trip permission slip forms/year book order forms/

school game day t-shirts

and any other "forms"

clean, clean and oh! Clean!

etc.

So what did I accomplish today....? Well you're reading it!

**Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read and/or leave me a comment on this blog. I don't deserve all your kindness and patience but your comments keep me going! I promise in a few weeks I will be back to normal and can visit with all of you! Much love to you! ~ Laurie **

Spring Cleaning

Hello!! Sorry, I have been neglecting my blog lately! I've been hit by the Spring Cleaning Bug, in the middle of a major heat wave hitting the 100's, go figure!

Well maybe you can call it spring cleaning but I think it's more of cleaning up the messes that have been accumulating while i've been blogging! But if sure does feel good to tackle those messes!

Stay tuned - once I finish, I will post a few of my decorating projects!

Thanks for checking back in.....:)

Mother's Day Addendum

Just a little post script here....

My husband came home from work (he's in landscaping so that means Saturdays too, if it's a sunny day then it's a work day!) to gather up our brood to take them "out", a.k.a. - Mother's Day shopping.

Funny man, doesn't he know that taking ALL 3 of our children for a couple of hours, when I have had them ALL day, is present enough? To just sit with a cup of tea in utter silence and not yell up at the ceiling, to not make anyone a snack for the 12th time today or in the three year old's case, applaud his potty routine?

Maybe I can even take a bath BY MYSELF without the youngest one, who always finds out and brings his bath toys to join me. Oh, the possibilities are endless of what I can do for a few hours BY MYSELF! (even sit here and type this uninterrupted! Amazing! :)

But don't worry, I won't "spoil" his day with the children. If a lovely bouquet of roses or a nice shiny bauble comes with it, who am I to complain and ruin his fun? ;)

Mother's Day

This was sent to me in an email recently, thought it was okay that I share it with all you Mom's....

Before I was a Mom,

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth,

the joy,

the love,

the heartache,

the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Author Unknown - I wish I knew who to give credit to!

A Doozy Of A Day!!

Alarm goes off at 6:15 this morning and I roll over and hit the snooze..sigh...it's Wednesday and Pizza Day at school. That means I can sleep in an extra 9 minutes per my snooze alarm since I don't have to pack lunches...today is going to be a good day.

Uh oh...snag in my plan. Forgot it was field trip day for the eight year old and that means bag lunch. Unfortunately, I didn't remember this little detail until 3 minutes before we were supposed to be out the door. Okay, no big deal, tossed in some toast, go-gurt, apples, cheezits, Nugo bar (hey that's nutrition!)and a juice box. Okay, now we are ready to leave...let the dogs out...wait! What's wrong with Pepi's eye? It's huge! okay, quick! grab him and put him in the car, will call the vet on the way to school.

Head out the door...shoot! Where's the three year old's shoes?! In a dream world, they would be neatly tucked away in the shoe bench in the mudroom...oh, that's right! forgot that after bathtime last night, the three year old wanted to dress himself. That meant no clothes whatsoever but good thing he put on his winter hat and shoes! Okay, I'll just carry him to the car...45 pound 3 year old under one arm, 6 pound Chihuahua, open mug of coffee, juice cup, purse, keys under the other arm. No Problem! I can handle this...wait... "hey 8 year old...where's your jacket?! Yes, You NEED a jacket! take my keys and unlock the door, don't forget to turn off light and lock the door...and if you find three year old's shoes...."

Okay in car...rushing down our gravel road, to just get to main road which leads down hill, just to another road that takes us to town (yes, we live on a mountain!)...HIT EVERY SINGLE STOPLIGHT crossing town. @#$*!!!!

Pull into school parkinglot at 2 minutes before morning assembly - "Quick! out of the car!! I did too come to a complete stop! Loveyou-haveagoodday-bye!"

Call vet- no answer - leave urgent message about Pepito. Now at stoplight where train tracks are. Three year old pipes up in backseat (nearly forgot I had him!) "where's the train...? Is the train coming Mommy? I don't see the train Mommy! Is it coming?"

Now I read that we are supposed to answer our children's questions with clear explanations, so I try ..."No, the lights would be flashing and the red & white striped rails would be down if a train was coming."

"What?"

I try again..."if a train was coming the poles would be down and the lights would be flashing."

"What?"

sigh..."No, the lights aren't flashing."

"What?"

deep breath....."Train's Broken!"

"Why's it broken? is it gonna get fixed, Mommy? who's gonna fix it? who broke the train, Mommy....?" etc.

AGGHHHHH!!

Call vet again..get appointment for 11 a.m. Great! Ten minutes later vet calls to confirm that I CANCELED my 11:00 appt. WHat?! "we got your message on machine that you want to cancel your appt." What?! I didn't even have an appointment to cancel until 10 minutes ago! I need my appointment!"...sigh..things aren't looking good...

Get home to find 8 year old left all lights on and door unlocked...sigh...

Okay still have about 2 hours to do housework until vet appointment...Hahahahahahahaha! not so easy with a 6 pound chihuahua wrapped up in a baby blanket under one arm and a tempermental 3 year old insisting that it's okay to eat oreo's for breakfast...and lunch.

Take Pepi to vet - feel ridiculously claustrophobic in exam room. Could it be the sterile, entirely white, brick room with bars on windows? Now, if I was trying hard not to pass out - just in anticipation, can you imagine how the animals feel? Nearly cry while Vet removes obnoxiously large foxtail from my little Chihuahua's eye! Poor guy. Ointment 3x day for 10 days. No sunlight! My usually active dog is reduced to this little shivering baby who just wants to be cuddled all day.

Come home to give bath to other puppy, Daisy, to make sure no evil fox tails lurking in her longer, shaggier fur. Easily a 10 minute job, right?...BUT ...remember I have a three year old? I had no sooner removed the dog collar to find the three year old had moved a chair (now why is it that when you ask them to pick up their toys, get their shirt/shoes/jacket etc. on, that becomes an enormous task that takes 20 minutes that most likely YOU end up completeing -but in the blink of an eye, a three year old can somehow manuever a kitchen chair from across the room when he wants to get at hidden halloween candy in an upper cabinet or in this case "help" me wash the dog?) INSISTING that he be the one working the faucet hose....you already know how that must of turned out...will skip over details and just say I never knew washing a 5 pound puppy would require a mop, 4 bath towels and a change of clothes for both of us.

Oh, look! Time to get kids from school...hmm...Pepi's injured, Daisy just got a bath, don't want them rolling in dirt, can't trust them in house alone...I know! I will take them with us in the car! So pile in three year old and two dogs. Have to pull over enroute to school while Daisy our 5 month old puppy, throws up in the front seat........those baby wipes are so versatile!

Get kids, drive home slllooooowly avoiding all bumps in road in fear of upsetting puppy's stomach again, listening to kids day of "she said to so & so that so & so said..." (just picture Charlie Brown's teacher talking to him "wawa wa wawawaaa wa" ). ... doing my best '''umm...oh, I see...really..?"

No sooner had I removed my jacket, hung up my keys, took care of dogs AND carried in the now sleeping, 45 pound three year old, with the only thing keeping me going was me fantasizing about a gigantic cup of tea and a blankie when.....

"Moooommmmmmmm! I'm hungry!" "Moooommmm, what did YOU do with MY bookreport?" "Mooooooommmm he's hitting me!" "Mooommmmmm, She's in MY room!"

And it's only 4 p.m.....Can I cry yet..?

Mother's Day better be gooooood this year! :)

Friends

Dear Friends....


Thank you so much for coming by, reading my rantings and leaving kind little comments that make me smile. I am so enjoying my time here in Blogland!

I've got good news....I got an award!!! It only took me about a week to figure out how to post it on here... but I am so honored nonetheless!

Dear Donna Lynn at Blushing Rose Antiques gave this to me! Isn't that sweet!? She has an amazing home that was featured in Country Sampler magazine this month...But besides her talent for decorating & transforming "Trash to Treasure", she has a great big heart to go along with it! Thanks sweetie for giving me my first award and helping me figure out how to post it too! ;)


Now the rules for the award are:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name of the link to the blog that gave it to her/him.

4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize has to show the link of "Arte y Pico", so that everyone knows the origin of this award.

5. To show these rules on the award page.

I hope this doesn't break any rules but I have Four Lovely Bloggers on my list instead of five....

First to Kim at Fluff Your Stuff - Kim has many talents! Not only is her beautiful, cozy home filled with all her creative touches but she has the talent to create little people from paper mache' which she sells on ebay. They truly are works of art! ...and she is just a sweetheart on top of all that!

Second to Dot at Picket's Place whose wonderful blog makes me laugh and uplifts my spirit. She has a wonderful way of making everyday life full of joy & happiness. Thanks Dot!

Third to Rue at Rue's Peanut Butter & Jelly Life whose beautiful home I long admired on RMS. She truly is all about family and her kitchen being the heart of the home! I have snagged some great recipes from her! I'm a hopin' & a prayin' for you sweetie with the farmhouse!

Fourth to Mary at Little Red House . Hers was the first blog I ever read, so she started me on this exciting little journey. Her photos of her lovely home, quaint little town & wonderful thrift store finds often make me gasp! They are so pretty - and I'm a'waitin' the time for when I can buy them on lovely notecards...hint, hint!

You Lovely Ladies Make My Day!

Now back to my little life...Oh wait, I hear my husband calling me.....

Yeah, right...more like this....

Hee-hee! But seriously, I have to get on the band wagon and do this...

Check back soon!