Glorious surprises and record breaking snows!

Where do I start?

This Christmas season has truly been one of surprises... more than I could have imagined. 

(yes this is the best picture we could manage... as they were all cutting up!  just seconds before heading back to the airport!)

First of all our eldest, Ian, surprised me and came home for the holidays!!!! Ian had called Chris at the beginning of November to say he had bought his plane ticket home but he couldn't tell anyone... including me.  So It came as quite the shock when I went to pick Chris up from the airport (he was out of town for a few days) to discover he wasn't the only one I was picking up from the airport!!   

The "school house" closed down so his training was suspended for two weeks... and what a glorious two weeks it was.  

Time spent here at home... a trip to visit with family for a belated Christmas... and then time back at home spending time together and with friends.

At the end of our 2 weeks we started keeping close tabs on the weather as a blizzard was being forecast.  Ian made the decision to fly back early and it was good thing he did as we ended up being snowed it.  A delay in his returning to class would have meant repeating the grueling 8 week course he was only 9 days shy of completing!  As disappointed as I was for him to leave I was even more pleased that he made the mature decision to return early. 

He has grown into be a fine young man!  A man of integrity with a sense of responsibility.  

It was truly a pleasure having him home!

Early Sunday morning the blizzard started in gently....

cloudy, snow filled skies, with little wind

the temperatures were still in the upper 20's with big fluffy flakes

and then it started to come down thicker.

By mid afternoon we already had about 8 inches and the temperatures were beginning to drop.

Monday morning brought temperatures of -14 and lower with winds blowing steady at 25 to 35 miles an hour... with windchill ratings of -40 and bright sunshine.  

 

Since the blizzard has left us housebound I've been playing around with old childhood favorites.... 

ice bubbles!!

(the simple tutorial to follow in another post!)

  

And here we have our sweet Miss Lily loving the snow... (okay she had been frolicking in the snow until she saw me out with the camera and came running...a quick closing of the door allowed me to get one and only one picture before we let her back in the house completely covered in snow... but her undercoat was completely and totally dry even though she had been rolling in the snow.)

crazy dog! 

Chalkboard rehabs... Christmas edition

I don't know if you realize this but I LOVE chalkboards... and chalkboard paint! I've been known to paint a wall or two turning them into gigantic chalkboards. Remember the dining room grocery/notes wall or the studio wall. OH, my word, I just discovered I have NEVER shown you all of the changes around here, for that I humbly apologize!! So I'll just have to show you sneak peaks of the studio makeover today because a big part of that room is the chalkboard wall... and I mean one GINORMOUS chalkboard wall!! However first I have to show you something...something I am so incredibly tickled about. 

Do you see this bullfighter?  Pretty spectacular, right?  ha ha!  Okay, I am sure it was lovely in someone's living room back in the day but well, let's just say it doesn't exactly match our decor.  However it was HUGE and the perfect price.. $1.25.  Yes, a whole whopping $1.25!  I know my husband was just sure when I had finally lost it when I showed it too him, especially since I was gushing about how great it was.  Okay, to be fair he only raised his eyebrows at me and then shrugged his shoulders.  He KNEW it was going to be fabulous when I got done with it.  

Well this charmer came  home with me and a few coats of chalkboard paint later...

and now her she is in all her glory!

This beauty is currently gracing the wall, just above the desk right inside the front door in the living room. But she has been known to move about quite a bit... so far she has been found in dining room, propped against the wall and the bookcase in the living room, and has even spent a bit of time in the family room. I just love the ability to change things up and having a chalkboard this size to play with makes me smile!  One of these days I will have to show you my collection of chalkboards.  They range from small to room size...

here's a sneak peak of the studio chalkboard

and the beginnings of the studio.  

Its come a long way since this picture but is currently unavailable for photography. ;-)

Have a wonderful day!

(yes i accidentally deleted my earlier post... we won't discuss how that happened.)

The lamp shade rehab... twine to the rescue.

As our nights lengthen and the days become more chilly, we begin to cocoon ourselves in cozy, comfortable surroundings.  The blankets and throws make their appearances, sweaters and warm woolen socks begin to make their appearance.  However the one thing that we noticed in our home was that come nightfall it was dark.  I know you are thinking, well, duh... its dark outside, the sun has gone down.  ha ha!  I know, I know... but it wasn't the darkness outside but the darkness within the walls of our home.  Within our living room to be more specific.  A room with ZERO ceiling fixtures.  Seriously, it just leaves me scratching my head wondering why in the world this house was built with no ceiling fixtures in the living room.  So we use two table lamps and a floor lamp... met my lamp shade.

Nice shape but kinda dated looking... and stained, BADLY! and the trim at the top and bottom were peeling off.  And it had begun to smell funny.... and we couldn't figure out why!  Added the fact that when the light was turned on, well the shade cast a rather sickly golden glow.... not at all the warm cozy feeling it emitted in a photograph.

So I striped it to bare bones and recovered it... butcher's & baker's twine.  Because we know I am all about using what I have on hand. 

I simply love the texture now.  

We added an Edison bulb. 

It now blends seamlessly with our decor. 

Its just the right amount of understatement and whimsy, are wrapped up together!

(on a side note... it is best to NOT chose to sand with a palm sander in the middle of one's living room. it might, just might result in a fine layer of dust covering EVERY thing... to include the bookcases.  just saying, haha!)

Bits of this and that... projects in the works

  

Sneak peaks of what all is going on around here......

artwork being created

sweet treats being baked for lunches and after school snacks

favorites being revisited

presents for others

junk being reused and repurposed

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!


(Okay so it isn't Thanksgiving yet but) it is definitely a season for giving THANKS!  But then in all honesty each day OUGHT to be a season for giving thanks... I know, I'm preaching but trust me its more to myself than anyone else.  You see for a time there I was SO caught up in the busyness of our lives that I started to forget about truly living in the moment, enjoying the time we have with our boys, relishing those snippets of time driving the them for one place to another, being grateful for the season we are in... So I disappeared from here.  I know, I know, I do this on a regular basis but this time it was due to intent, not neglect.  You see I've been working hard to bring balance into my life.... for a time I was too caught up in every thing, unable to allow myself to say "no", and a place where I was feeling so overwhelmed, mentally and physically and spiritually.

Living a life filled with too much..... yet too little.  So changes were made, actually are still being made. Time is being carved out for more meaningful pursuits and priorities evaluated as time is such a precious commodity.  When I look around me it is even more evident as Ian is currently in his final bit of training (for the time being), Sean is in the midst of his senior year in high school awaiting graduation and then he too will leave to pursue a career in the culinary arts in the Army, and Evan is a freshman in high school.  I want the boys to have fond memories of home... memories of a refuge from the storm, a place to gather with their friends, to laugh, to live knowing they are cherished, creating together, and being lavished with the love of family!  Being boys i know that for them food speaks volumes... homemade pizza, fresh baked bread, preservative free jam, whole grain crackers made with love, a hot cup of tea in a cup bought with them in mind.  They are simple, yet complex and I love them so much!  I am proud of the men they are becoming.

lost update...

Summer recap & a sneak peak

I am sitting here this morning wondering where the past 2 months went.  Are you feeling the same way?  Can you believe school is back in session already?  How did that happen?  I mean, wasn't it just June yesterday? Can September truly be just around the corner?  ALREADY?  

I don't know about you but I truly feel like the years are speeding by... seriously!  I am still reeling over the fact that my BABY started high school 2 weeks ago.  SERIOUSLY, folks!  He is a freshman and now taller than me.  Okay so that part wasn't much of a stretch as I'm only 5'2" but still... add to that the fact that middle boy is now a senior and the eldest left for Army bootcamp back in June.  WOW!

So what have I been up to all summer... well let me see... my sweet hubby was out of town for 5 weeks meaning he was gone the entire month of June.  Upon his return home we... well.. what did we do?  Oh yes, he went back to work and the boys were heavily involved with fall sport conditioning programs, marching band camp, and cross country camp.  So yes I spent a LOT of time in the car... playing chauffeur.  Do you know what?  I LOVED it!  The discussions we had... they ranged from down right silly to thought provoking discussions about the future to just enjoyable chit chat.  I would NOT trade all the time we spent driving here, there, hither & yon for anything in the world.

There were also weekly trips to the local farmer's market... 

a day trip into Chicago (a first for our family) which included the Navy Pier, Ikea (always a family favorite), and the Hard Rock Cafe (another favorite of the boys.)

One of the other things that has gone on this summer is converting this room...

(this actually looks cleaned up compared to when the bed was still in here...)

into a studio of sorts.

Here is a sneak peak of the room:

Even though it flew by it was a good summer filled with family, out of town friends, and relaxing days!

I have to admit I am excited about this school year though... you see Sean is taking culinary courses at the local career center in addition to his regular senior class load (which is remarkably light).  Yes we have been having fun in the kitchen already.  I love watching him discuss their latest class project or his lab time.  His eyes light up and he becomes so passionate!  In all honesty I think that is one of the delights of parenting is watching our children discover the passions they will carry over into their adult lives... to see their eyes light up and listen in on the animated discussions!